Congress President Sonia Gandhi today laid the foundation stone of Indira Gandhi Bhavan at Kotla Road in New Delhi on the occasion of 125th anniversary celebrations of the Congress Party. This building will be the new headquarter of Congress party.
On this occasion she said that this is the time to take inspiration from the golden history of the party. Congress President said, "We have gathered here to celebrate the 125th anniversary of our party and we will try to find the source of strength which has guided us in facing the challenges over the years. In the coming year, we will remember our ancestors whose sacrifices and contributions have brought us here, without which it would not have been possible. We will remember those events which built a new India and which brought changes in the social, historical and economic life of our nation. Indian National Congress has always led a secular, democratic and accommodative India. It has empowered those who have been deprived and downtrodden for centuries. It has linked the tradition with modern ideas and developed unity among diversity. Indian National Congress was a people's movement which led this country towards freedom from an imperial rule. It also led a movement to provide its citizen the social, economic and individual liberty. It was the party which laid the foundation stone of a modern India. It is a party which built the infrastructure for a powerful nation and pushed overall development."
Congress President said, "Our party has built India which knows it's destination in modern global world with full confidence. Our past is a live document of our work in the field of public sector. This is our fortune that our party was led by such men and women who were unparallel in honesty, farsightedness and devotion They showed us the right path. Mahatma Gandhi was pioneer in pushing the idea of independence in the hearts of millions of Indians without any use of violence and suppressing any soul. He was such a leader whose resolve and devotion shook powerful empire. He created a wave of reform and change in the public life and groomed a group of committed leaders who are the heroes in our freedom struggle."
Talking on the role of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, Congress President said, "After independence, Pandit Nehru pushed forward the idea of secularism, parliamentary democracy, scientific point of view and modern schemes. He played a major role in reshaping India and putting it respectfully on international map. He brought the Non-alignment Movement to a new height. It was due to the policies of Pandit Nehru and his colleagues like Sardar Patel, Maulana Azad and various leaders of the country that we managed to face major hurdles and storms after ourt independence. He laid the foundation for a strong and self-dependent India."
Congress President said, "When Shastriji became Prime Minister, he did not get ample time to execute his policies. But we still remember his contribution. Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan the
Talking on former Prime Minster Late Indira Gandhi, Congress President said that it was she whose policies threw a far reaching impact on contemporary India. She further said, " Indiraji did not care for vested interests and moved forward with a firm resolve. She protected the boundaries of our country even after facing great pressures from world powers. She was the voice of the poor and children and she maintained the self respect of our people. She loved this country and its people. "
Congress President said that it was imperative to remember the speech of Rajiv Gandhi on the occasion of Congress Centenary Celebration. She said, " Rajivji's speech is especial in many sense but what he thought for the 21st century's India became historic. He got little time but his contribution is huge in nation building. He traveled every part of the country and tried to know the aspirations of the people. He recognized the power of the youth and engaged them in nation building task. This is not a simple fact that Rajivji brought peace in many part of the country which were passing through turbulent phases. The foundation of our democracy, the Panchayats and Municipalities were empowered during Rajivji's tenure. He had immense faith in the miracle of science and he considered it as am empowerment tool for the poor and downtrodden. He initiated Information Technology Revolution in this country which opened new avenues for millions of youth. Though today, he is not among us but we can have an idea about his vision in the manifesto of 1991 general elections. That manifesto was the basis of economic reforms which was implemented in coming years and pushed our economy and society in a new direction."
Congress President said that after the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi, the party had to face difficulties and even its existence was questioned. She further said, "But we moved forward and did not abandon our fundamental ideology. We faced all the hurdles and won the election of 2004 and 2009 with great devotion and commitment. Since then, Dr Manmohan Singh ji is our Prime Minister and leading the country with great abilities and skill. One thing I can say with full confidence is that; there is a great role of party workers in our overall success. This organization has reached this height with the full devotion, cooperation, bravery and struggle of our party workers. In this way, a great relationship and understanding have been established between the party and the people which are unparallel in the history. We can say that our party is the reflection of people's aspiration. The desire and hope of the people get reflected in the policy of Congress and we try our best to fulfill them."
Congress President said, "We have got overwhelming support from all the sections of society and this relationship is the basis of our existence and strength. With the start of 125th years of the party, we have to prove that the Congress is for the nation and the Nation looks towards the Congress for the leadership. We have to go to the villages, mohallas and kasbas to know what people feel. We have to send the message of the party to the people and let them know about the policies and schemes of the government. We have to struggle for their cause without any selfish feeling. This should not be done for the sake of elections but for the sake of true service."
Congress President concluded her speech by saying that the next one year is the year of resolve and devotion; this is the year for moving ahead with analysis of our past. "What ever we have got in our legacy that is precious; this is our responsibility to look after that legacy. We have to work for national reconstruction and add a new chapter in the history of our party.
All the prominent leaders of the party including Prime Minister Manmohan Singh were present on this occasion.
Author RSS Views:
Print this article
Ask about this article