Address of Smt Sonia Gandhi at Hyderabad

Friday, 16th January 1998

Mallikarun ji

Vijayabhasker Reddy ji

P Janardhan Reddy ji

Sodara Sodari manulaara

Namaskaramulu

Makara Sankranti Moriu Pongal

Shubhakankshalu

Sare mussalman Bhaion aur

Beheno ko Ramzan Mubarak aur

mere shubh Kamanayen.

It is a great pleasure for me to be here today, and I thank Your warm and enthusiastic welcome.

This city has been renowned for its tolerance and integrated cultural traditions. It has nurtured and enriched Urdu and Telugu, Hinduism and Islam, Buddhism and Christianity giving it a unique composite social ethos. I am deeply saddened, however, by the news of the self-sacrifice of so many proud and brave sons of the soil in Warangal. My heart goes out to their families, and I convey my deep-felt condolences to them.

For me, Andhra Pradesh has great emotional significance. I cannot forget that at a moment of crisis in her life, the people of this state welcomed Indira Gandhi into their midst and gave her a new political home in Medak. She represented this constituency with pride and devotion till the day she was brutally slain. And Rajiv Gandhi's last campaign before he travelled to Sriperumbudur was in the coastal districts of your state. Both of them strove to better the lives of the people of Andhra Pradesh, especially the tribals, the scheduled castes and the minorities. This historic city of Hyderabad has many associations for me and my family. My husband made it his home when he was training to become a pilot in Indian Airlines. The Rajiv Gandhi Foundation has one of its most important Programmes, the education of the girl child, based in your city.

In the years since Rajiv Gandhi left us, I had chosen to remain a private person and life away from the political arena. My grief and loss have been deeply personal. But a time has come when I feel compelled to put aside my own inclinations and step forward. The tradition of duty before personal considerations has been the deepest conviction of the family to which I belong.

I became part of India thirty years ago when I entered Indira Gandhi's home as her eldest son's bride. It was through my husband's love and compassion for his people that my heart opened to their pain and suffering. It was by living so closely to Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi, by experiencing first hand their dedication and Passionate love for India, and by witnessing their example and sacrifice, that I imbibed my unwavering and absolute devotion to our country and her people. It is this devotion to India that bring me before you today to share with you my concern for our country's future Fifty years ago this month, the father of the nation, fell to an assassins bullet, trying to hold our nation together, trying to heal the wounds of division. His message of love and non-violence are even more relevant to us today.

Like all of, I have been pained at the growing violence we see around us, the communal divide spurred by religious fundamentalism and cynical politics which seek to separate people from one another by barriers of religion, caste and region. I am anguished when I witness the exploitation of the poor and disadvantaged, especially women and children who are the most vulnerable members of our society.

I share the frustration of every Indian with the deterioration in the quality of Public life and the loss of those values which made our county great and our people proud. The founders of the Congress Party and the leaders who have shaped its destiny over the last 50 years all shared a great dream. Above all they wanted:

This is the India we still want for ourselves and our children.

The Congress Party is the only party which can effectively carry out these tasks. It is the only truly national party with a Presence in every corner of the country and representing all its people. It has given India efficient and effective governments. We have had our share of ups and downs.The Congress Party has had its shortcomings. But I strongly believe that with the right and able leadership it is the only party which has the experience and capability to give India what it needs most, a stable and secular government which will work for the benefit of each and every one of its citizens.

These elections represent a clash of some fundamental values, ideas and ideals. The choice is between the forces of harmony and progress and those which seek to exploit our differences in order to win Power. Secularism means equal respect for all religions. This is the only basis for India's unity and integrity. This was the dream of Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru. This is what Indira and Rajiv Gandhi laid down their lives for. It is a complete negation of our values and heritage to convert religion into an instrument to divide. All religions and all communities have a right to their beliefs and a right to feel secure.

In 1992 when the Babri Masjid was demolished by religious fundamentalists, all right thinking Indians were outraged. I too was devastated. Just about a month before he was assassinated, my husband had said to me that if ever an attempt was made to touch the Babri Masjid, he would stand in front of it and they would have to kill him first. Such was the power of his dedication to a secular India.

Our India is threatened today by the same forces which inflicted these wounds on us. We cannot realize our dreams if the energy of our people is wasted on senseless conflicts, communal tension and strife. Our march towards progress must be guided by reason and compassion. We cannot deviate from our legacy. The India of our dreams cannot be secure if terrorism and the senseless violence associated with it is not contained. The forces of hatred have not only taken the lives of Mahatma Gandhi and two Prime Ministers but also those of several thousands of our people. This must not continue to happen.

All our unfinished tasks can be accomplished only if we have a strong, Purposeful and stable government. By voting Congress you will give strength to the forces of the future. In these elections, we must look beyond ourselves, our own caste, community or religion. We must vote as Indians, we must vote for the Congress, which will strengthen the foundations upon which our country was built. Only the Congress has a vision that encompasses the whole of India.

By voting for the Congress, you will help us to realize my husband's dreams and ensure that the ideas and ideals he laid down his life for will be translated into action.

Jai Hind.