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Cong re-experiments with Gandhi
Published on Tue, Jan 30, 2007 at 08:44, Updated on Tue, Jun 19, 2007 at 07:32 in Nation section
Tags: Congress, Satyagraha , New Delhi
GANDHI’S WAYS: Sonia Gandhi called for the formation of a ‘coalition of conscience’ based on a Gandhian idea of Satyagraha.
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New Delhi: The Centre is commemorating 100 years of Satyagraha with a big conference in the Capital.
For the Congress, it is also a way to connect to its past and invoke some of its popularity in the days gone by.
To re-ignite its nationalist agenda, the Grand old Party lined up an enviable list of luminaries at capital's Vigyan Bhavan comprising the leader, the prince, the coterie of Ministers, reluctant allies, international delegates and Nobel laureates.
Since the Satyagraha conference was a special event that had a definite goal to achieve, Congress President Sonia Gandhi and son Rahul inspected all floors of Vigyan Bhavan made sure the arrangements were proper.
“The goal is to connect the present generation to that part of history which is relevant today for not just the country but the entire world,” says Spokesperson, Satyagraha Conference, Devendra Dwivedi.
However, the political audience concealed its discomfort with the academic sobriety.
“It is not academic, this is a debate which is a good thing,” says Union Railway Minister, Lalu Prasad Yadav.
The guest list was strictly by invitation so not everyone was present for the conference, for example the Opposition.
“It is the Congress that celebrated the Dandi March, and we are celebrating a centenary of the Congress party. It is the Congress that has inspired to celebrate the 150th of 1857 revolution and therefore it is exclusively an event by the Congress to refurnish our ideological position,” says Dwiwedi.
Congress has been going through a phase of ideological vacuum for long, now the Grand Old party is back to experimenting with Gandhi, perhaps to energise its youth base.
“We as Congress party members are really encouraging people in this country especially the younger generation to reflect back on what Gandhi had said and what he had taught,” says Congress MP, Sachin Pilot.
Speaking from the stage, Sonia Gandhi called for the formation of what she called the "coalition of conscience” based on Gandhian idea of Satyagraha.
However, given the state of affairs of contemporary Indian politics, it is better if Gandhian ideals become the conscience of the coalition.
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