CP's Address at the AICC Session

Saturday, 17th November 2007

Talkatora Stadium, New Delhi

Honourable Prime Minister, Members of CWC and CEC, PCC Presidents, Chief Ministers, AICC Members and office bearers, My other party colleagues, A very warm welcome to all of you.

We are meeting in the backdrop of three very significant commemorations: the 150th anniversary of the 1857 uprising, the centenary of the launch of Mahatma Gandhi's Satyagraha movement and the 60th anniversary of our Independence.

The 1857 revolution was the first mass movement of all Indians against colonial rule. It united us, irrespective of religion, region or caste. We pay tribute to the spirit of 1857, the spirit of a composite culture that continues to resonate so powerfully and be relevant even today.

It is a matter of great pride that the United Nations General Assembly has declared October 2nd as International Day of Nonviolence. This was one of the key recommendations of the Satyagraha conference organised by our Party I n New Delhi in January this year.

But let us not under estimate the fact that,

Gandhian ideas, ideals and institutions are under threat in our own country.

They are under sustained assault in the state of his birth itself and in other BJP-ruled States. Elsewhere, his yeoman contributions to the social emancipation and political empowerment of the weaker sections of society are being questioned.

We must be in the forefront to combat those who subvert Mahatma Gandhi's legacy and those who seek to rewrite his life's work and accomplishments.

Today, let us continue to be inspired by his life and message.

India's progress in the six decades since 1947 has, in the face of tremendous odds, been truly remarkable.

If we cast our minds back to that beginning we cannot but marvel at what was achieved by that remarkable galaxy of Congressmen and women.

The excitement of Freedom was shattered by the assassination of the Father of Our Nation and by the despair of Partition.

Centuries of exploitation, subjugation and stagnation had impoverished India.

Having spent most of their lives in the struggle for Freedom, our Founding Fathers now had to galvanize themselves to confront the stupendous challenges of building a modern Indian nation-state with its profound commitment, to democracy, secularism, economic growth and social justice.

Gandhiji created an exceptional team, each leader made distinctive contributions. But, more than anyone else, it was Jawaharlal Nehru, whose birth anniversary we celebrated just three days back, who shaped contemporary India.

We celebrate Indiraji's birth anniversary day after tomorrow. Can we ever forget her commitment to the welfare of the poor, her determination to make India self- reliant in foodgrains, her passionate concern for the environment and sustainable development, her steadfastness in pursuing a fiercely independent foreign policy and her leadership in the application of science and technology to strengthen our country?

Friends, we last met, in a Plenary in Hyderabad in January 2006.

Since then, the Congress-led UP A government under the sagacious leadership of Dr. Manmohan Singh has single-mindedly implemented many promises in the Common Minimum Programme, promises that are the pledges of our own Party manifesto.

As we look back on the past three and a half years of the government, we can justly take satisfaction.

Let me go over some of what we have accomplished.

I have said this before but let us never forget the crucial importance of having restored pride of place in governance and administration to our age-old secular values and traditions.

The National Rural Employment Guarantee Act has become a reality and is set to cover all the districts of the country.

Key flagship programmes like Bharat Nirman, Jawaharlal Nehru Urban Renewal Mission, the National Rural Health Mission, Rajiv Gandhi Grameen Vidyutikaran Yojana and the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan have begun to yield results.

Our government has focused earnestly on the welfare of farmers and their families. Special packages have been announced in regions where farmers' suicides have taken place. The new Rs 25,000 crore - Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana will, I am sure, be the catalyst for the second Green Revolution.

We have launched a number of special schemes focused on backward districts, most of which happen to be ruled by non-Congress governments. This is proof that unlike the BJP-Ied NDA, our Party does not play partisan politics when it comes to the concerns of the poor.

The empowerment of the weaker sections of society is an article of faith for us. We have taken several new steps. Scholarships in schools and universities have been expanded. New laws have been enacted to enhance the status of women, to provide

for greater educational opportunities to youth belonging to dalit, adivasi and OBC communities. 50,000 vacancies for scheduled castes and scheduled tribes in central government employment, have been filled in the past two years.

The welfare of minorities-both in terms of their security and economic opportunities has been a priority for our Party for decades. Our government has taken a number of measures for their education particularly and is implementing a detailed action plan based on the recommendations of the Sachar Committee.

Legislation to protect workers in the unorganized sector has been introduced. Two new insurance schemes-- the Aam Admi Bima Yojana for rural landless labour and the Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana for the poorest families have been launched.

A new policy on rehabilitation and resettlement has recently been cleared by the Cabinet. The historic Tribal Rights Bills has been passed by Parliament. The Prime Minister is himself chairing the new National Land Reforms Council, reflecting the importance we place on this issue. Congress governments should pursue the land reforms agenda with vigour.

The rate of economic growth is truly impressive. This growth is increasing employment and yielding revenues to the government, revenues which have made huge new public investments in social and physical infrastructure possible.

The inflation rate has declined but we must continue to maintain the strictest vigil on the prices of essential commodities which place a heavy burden on the common people.

We have brought in the revolutionary Right to Information Act.

Our foreign policy remains autonomous and independent. We have given a new direction and momentum to our country's relationships with our neighbours and with a number of other important countries.

For the first time, we have presented a detailed yearly progress Report to the People. I am sure our Prime Minister will expand on some of these themes.

Beyond doubt, we have made a fundamental difference to the nation's politics and economics. I have, however, one regret and I must be honest and share it with you. We have still not been able to fulfill Rajivji's vision of extending reservations for women to Parliament. I hope this can be accomplished soon.

The achievements of our government so far are all the more creditable given the stubbornly uncooperative attitude of the BJP in Parliament. No words are strong enough to condemn the BJP's attacks on our Prime Minister and on our Party.

We too were in the Opposition but we never acted beyond reasonable limits and always strived to maintain the dignity and decorum of Parliament. On matters of national interest, we always extended our hand of support.

Unlike the BJP-led NDA, our government has again and again offered the opportunity for debate and discussion on issues of public importance. Nevertheless, the BJP and its allies continue to be obstructive. However, we have not been deterred.We are determined to redeem our pledges.

Friends, today there is a new aspiration in our country, an atmosphere of enterprise and self-confidence. Today, India is being recognized the world over for its potential and for its performance.

This is due to the hard work and resilience of our people. This is due to the Congress Party's policies which have throughout been anchored in a wider vision.

The 1950 urgently needed land reforms, community development, a public sector to set up manufacturing industry and develop new regions, investments in irrigation and infrastructure and in science and technology. The Congress made sure that this happened -- and more.

The 1960s and 1970S called for a direct attack on poverty, self-reliance in foodgrains, nationalisation of banks to meet social needs and regulations to preserve India's economic autonomy. The Congress ensured this happened -- andmore.

The 1980s required the launch of economic reforms to modernize industry and usher India into the emerging age of IT and to revitalize panchayat institutions. The Congress again ensured this happened -- and more.

The 1990S offered new opportunities to accelerate economic growth and to enhance the capacity of governments to increase public expenditures in vital social sectors. The Congress grasped these opportunities -- and more.

The 21st century now beckons us to frame and follow policies and programmes that will establish India as a global economic power, while at the same time ensuring a more equitable distribution of the benefits of economic growth to the weaker sections of our society and their full empowerment. The Congress has demonstrated its abiding commitment to the fulfillment of these aims and more.

Why do I say all this?

I say this simply because I find there is at times a tendency to run down / make light of our recent past.

There is nothing easier than to pass sweeping judgments, without placing choices, policies and programmes in the historical and political perspective of the times.

We do not claim infallibility but the plain truth is that our country has reached where it has today, because of sustained efforts of successive Congress governments. These efforts were made, I might add, in the face of tremendous odds: both domestic and international.

Yes, poverty, malnutrition, unemployment and inequality are still very much a reality. But if living of standards of large sections of our people have improved and a middle class has emerged as such a vibrant force, it is chiefly because of the Congress's policies and vision.