Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Friday while delivering
her opening address at party’s Chintan Shivir at Jaipur called for unity among
the Congress workers. “There is increased competition and inroads have been
made in our traditional strongholds,” Sonia Gandhi said in her address at the
two-day Congress Conclave.
The Congress chief said not being in power was matter of
concern for the party, adding there was a need to work in cohesion in those
states. She, however, added that being in power was not the Congress’ sole
purpose. "Is it not the case that we have floundered many opportunities
that people are willing to give us simply because we have been unable to
function as a disciplined and united team," Sonia Gandhi asked at the
party session held at the Birla Auditorium.
Sonia Gandhi also asked the party leaders to set aside
personal ambitions and egos to work cohesively and ensure that the party puts
up a better performance, particularly in states where it is out of power.
"Why do we forget the simple truth that in the party's victory lies the
victory of each and every one of us," she asked and the participants
received it with huge applauds. It is time for introspection, she said, and
added that there is a need to look at the party’s strengths and weaknesses.
Sonia Gandhi said Congress was the only pan-India party with presence in every
state, district and block-level.
The Congress President pointed out that the people were now
better informed and equipped than ever before and their expectation of the
people from the government had also grown. "Our people are fed up with the
corruption that they face. We must understand this," Sonia Gandhi said.
"We cannot allow growing educated middle classes to be alienated from the
political process," she added. The issues behind urban street protests
last year, such as corruption and safety of women, which shook the government,
must be proactively taken up, said the Congress leader. "We see various
protest movements across the country, relating to land, forest, water and
livelihood, tribal and gender issues. Our party must proactively take up these
causes," said Sonia Gandhi.
She exhorted party leaders to understand the new India,
keeping in mind the flash mobs that sprang up in the national capital on the
gang-rape issue and caught the government unawares. "We have to recognise
the new changing India, an India increasingly peopled by a younger, more
aspirational, more impatient, more demanding and a better-educated
generation," she said. "Our youth is getting more assertive, it wants
its voice to be heard," she said.
