Sonia urges Congress to work on shortcomings
19 Jan 2013 7:59 AM IST
Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Friday set the agenda for ‘serious business’ during her inaugural speech at the two-day Chintan Shivir which started at Birla Auditorium on Friday. The Congress president said, ‘The shivir focuses on serious business which will determine our future.’
After setting the tone, Sonia asserted the need to remove corruption, focus on removal of discrimination and atrocities meted out to women and also on the importance of youth. Addressing the session she talked about ‘the new changing India’ as she mentioned ‘today’s India is better informed and better equipped to communicate.’ While people are ‘rightly fed up with levels of corruption they see in public life at high levels, they are equally troubled by the corruption they have to deal with in their daily lives.’
During her nearly 20-minute speech, Sonia talked about the ‘five themes’ which have been designated to draw out a concrete strategy for 2014, which include - political challenges, emerging social and economic concerns, issues related to discrimination against and atrocities to women and children, India’s changing role in regional and global sphere and finally the one related to party organization. Later in the day, Sonia joined deliberations with the sub-group on gender sensatisation whereas Prime Minister Manmoham Singh spent time with the group discussing foreign policy.
Sonia also talked about ‘inclusiveness’ of the party which was not used as a ‘political ploy’. She also admitted, ‘we now face increased competition and inroads have been made into our traditional support bases.’ This clearly indicates the need for the party to discuss on the lines of the alliances which they would want to forge.
Talking about other issues, she said, ‘One crore youth seek productive jobs’ in India, which was a big challenge. She attributed ‘lack of employment that thwarts aspirations and also fuels frustration, crime and violence.’ Highly upset by the issue of crime against women, she said, ‘gender issues are fundamental.They should be of concern to all of us.’
She also talked about ‘better and closer relations with our immediate neighbors’, but the dialogue even if based on ‘civilized behaviour’ would not compromise on issues such as ‘terrorism and threats on our borders.’
After Senior Congress leaders Motilal Vora welcomed the PM, Sonia and AICC general secretary Rahul Gandhi, who sat on the dais along with heads of the five sub-groups which include Ghulam Nabi Azad, Digvijay Singh, Girija Vyas, AK Antony and Anand Sharma. Also sitting along with them was Ambika Soni, who has been a key person in organizing this conclave along with Mukul Wasnik. With around 350 delegates, the auditorium with a capacity of 1200 was packed with veteran Congress leaders and members of the youth wings as well.
After setting the tone, Sonia asserted the need to remove corruption, focus on removal of discrimination and atrocities meted out to women and also on the importance of youth. Addressing the session she talked about ‘the new changing India’ as she mentioned ‘today’s India is better informed and better equipped to communicate.’ While people are ‘rightly fed up with levels of corruption they see in public life at high levels, they are equally troubled by the corruption they have to deal with in their daily lives.’
During her nearly 20-minute speech, Sonia talked about the ‘five themes’ which have been designated to draw out a concrete strategy for 2014, which include - political challenges, emerging social and economic concerns, issues related to discrimination against and atrocities to women and children, India’s changing role in regional and global sphere and finally the one related to party organization. Later in the day, Sonia joined deliberations with the sub-group on gender sensatisation whereas Prime Minister Manmoham Singh spent time with the group discussing foreign policy.
Sonia also talked about ‘inclusiveness’ of the party which was not used as a ‘political ploy’. She also admitted, ‘we now face increased competition and inroads have been made into our traditional support bases.’ This clearly indicates the need for the party to discuss on the lines of the alliances which they would want to forge.
Talking about other issues, she said, ‘One crore youth seek productive jobs’ in India, which was a big challenge. She attributed ‘lack of employment that thwarts aspirations and also fuels frustration, crime and violence.’ Highly upset by the issue of crime against women, she said, ‘gender issues are fundamental.They should be of concern to all of us.’
She also talked about ‘better and closer relations with our immediate neighbors’, but the dialogue even if based on ‘civilized behaviour’ would not compromise on issues such as ‘terrorism and threats on our borders.’
After Senior Congress leaders Motilal Vora welcomed the PM, Sonia and AICC general secretary Rahul Gandhi, who sat on the dais along with heads of the five sub-groups which include Ghulam Nabi Azad, Digvijay Singh, Girija Vyas, AK Antony and Anand Sharma. Also sitting along with them was Ambika Soni, who has been a key person in organizing this conclave along with Mukul Wasnik. With around 350 delegates, the auditorium with a capacity of 1200 was packed with veteran Congress leaders and members of the youth wings as well.
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