Sonia Gandhi delivering speech at 82nd Plenary Congress Session

82nd Plenary Congress Session
Address by Congress President at the AICC Plenary
Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singhji
AICC Members,
PCC Delegates,
My Fellow Congressmen and women,
And friends from the media
We are meeting in Andhra Pradesh for the fifth time and in Hyderabad for the third time, in our long 120 year-old history.
And what a glorious history it has been.
It has been a history of remarkable men and women who, by their struggles and sacrifices, brought us our freedom. They bequeathed to us democratic and secular values that form the bedrock of our Constitution.
It has been a history of enormous progress that has seen the establishment of the modem Indian nation-state and its flowering as a major political, economic and technological power in the world.
It has been a history of profound transformations. The people of India have rediscovered the wells-springs of their creativity and enterprise, and are scaling new heights of achievement.
With all humility but with confidence we can say that the Indian National Congress has decisively shaped contemporary India.
And, in turn, the Indian National Congress, has been enriched by a large number of leaders and workers from Andhra Pradesh. Andhra Pradesh has produced outstanding entrepreneurs, scientists, doctors, engineers and other professionals. This land, so much part of our traditions and heritage, has also given birth to very many eminent cultural and literary personalities. Many diverse faiths and cultures have intermingled here in harmony.

Last year, the people of Andhra Pradesh not only brought the Congress back with a massive mandate in the assembly, but they also voted overwhelmingly for us in the Lok Sabha elections. This enabled us to form the Congress-led coalition government at the Centre. We owe a deep debt to the people of Andhra Pradesh, a state in which Indira Gandhi's memory is still recalled with so much affection.
We met last as a Plenary in March 2001 in Bangalore. On that occasion, we had resolved to wage every war, fight every battle, make every sacrifice, to remove the BJP-led NDA government at the centre. That milestone was reached in the May 2004 elections.
Across the country, people came out to express their resentment on the divisive politics of the BJP that had damaged social harmony. They came out to express their opposition to the elitist economic policies of the BJP, that had neglected kisans, khet mazdoors, weavers, workers and other weaker sections of society.
Lakhs of Congress workers all over the country worked tirelessly and selflessly to ensure our victory.
I want to acknowledge their contributions and say that without them, without their devotion and dedication, we would not be in power today at the centre.
The Congress has always been a party of karyakartas. We have workers in every village, in every basti, in every mohalla of our vast country. They give us strength No words are sufficient to appreciate their contributions. I should add here that, time and again, whether it is the earthquakes in Gujarat and Jammu & Kashmir or the floods in different states or the tsunami in the Andamans and south India, I have been moved by the spontaneous manner in which our party workers have engaged themselves in relief and rehabilitation activities.
Twenty months ago, we formed a coalition government at the centre with the support of parties committed to secular values. Dr. Manmohan Singh, a Congressman of integrity and learning, a man of compassion and humility, became our Prime Minister.
Under his leadership, together with our allies, we formulated a Common Minimum Programme.
This CMP is based predominantly on the Congress's own election manifesto. So, it should be-clearly understood by all of us that when we fulfill a CMP pledge, we are fulfilling a commitment of our manifesto itself.
Being in a coalition is a new experience for us. But we have adapted well and have steadfastly followed the discipline and decorum of a coalition.
True, in some states we are opposing the very same parties that are supporting us at the centre. We see no contradiction in this. National challenges demand that we cooperate. But state-level issues and concerns are very different. Let our colleagues from Kerala and West Bengal have no doubts — in these states, we are opponents and we will fight as opponents.
We are running coalition governments in some states as well. I know that our party workers feel that these coalitions diminish opportunities for them. But coalition does not mean abdication of party-building. There is no doubt in my mind that though we run coalition governments, we must at the same time strengthen our party at all levels.
What have we done since May 2004?
We have restored the secular foundations of governance. No longer are external tensions being exploited for the polarization of our society.
We have fought terrorism with determination without targeting any particular section of society.
We have replaced a prejudiced, bellicose nationalism with an all- inclusive nationalism in keeping with our pluralistic ethos.
We have transformed the agenda of public debate that was obsessed with rewriting our past to a focus on the day-to-day concerns of our people. We have called a halt to the distortion of our education syllabus.
We have changed the manner in which economic reforms were perceived, from an excessive pre-occupation with FDI and privatization, to an over-riding emphasis on employment, education, agriculture and health.
We have given India a new stature in the world community.
The 2004 Verdict showed that our people will reject divisiveness of any kind, social or economic.
The 2004 Verdict showed that our people will reject arrogance and insensitivity on the part of those who are in power.
The 2004 Verdict also showed that a party that is complacent, a party that under-estimates its opponents and exaggerates its own strengths will be humbled by the people.
In that verdict lie many lessons for us also, in both the party and the government. These lessons have to be absorbed fully. They must not be forgotten.
Our Prime Minister will be speaking later on the accomplishments of the central government. But I would like to highlight some of our major initiatives that are of great political significance.
We now have the historic National Rural Employment Guarantee Act that, as the name suggests, will, for the first time, provide a legal guarantee for employment. This is an unprecedented step for which the Congress party and none else can proudly take credit.
We now have the landmark Right to Information Act. It is a major initiative for making administration at all levels transparent and accountable and for making people fully aware of their rights.
We have a huge Rupees one lakh seventy four thousand crore Bharat Nirman programme that will transform our villages, and bring new prosperity over the next four years, by investments in irrigation, housing, drinking water, electricity, roads and telecommunications.
In future, more and more of our people will live in urban areas. That is why we have launched the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission in 63 cities across the country. Over the next seven years, through this mission government will be investing about Rupees one lakh twenty thousand crore, to expand infrastructure and basic services.
We have started a national rural health mission, to ensure delivery of basic health facilities to our brothers and sisters in villages. Over the next six years, the central government alone, will be investing over Rupees one lakh crore in this mission.
We have doubled the allocations for the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan and mid-day meals, and significantly increased spending on ICDS and nutrition programmes for women and children.
We have succeeded in increasing bank credit to farmers. Our commitment was to double the credit supply in three years and we expect to achieve this target much earlier. We are also strengthening cooperative credit institutions.
All these programmes add up to unprecedented, massive investments. The Prime Minister has taken close personal interest in each of them and I know it has not been easy for him to balance different considerations. We have to recognize that we will achieve our goals only, if we can raise and sustain the rate of growth of the economy. We have stepped up the momentum of both public and private investment. We must understand, that it is imperative to grasp opportunities for faster growth, to generate more employment and resources for social sector expenditure.
I want to draw your attention to another feature of these programmes. For the most part, they benefit backward districts; the majority of which happen to be in non-Congress states. This means that, unlike the BJP, we do not play partisan politics when it comes to the needs of our people.
More importantly this means you will have to ensure these programmes are not usurped or subverted by non- state governments. You will have to make people aware of their entitlements, and organize them effectively to demand and receive these entitlements. You must network more closely with activists and civil society organisations. The new Right t Information Act is your main weapon in this Endeavour.
In keeping with our manifesto pledge, we have moved decisively to enact new legislation for the welfare of women and children. The Hindu Succession Act, 1956 has been amended to give women equal rights in inheritance of property. A law to prevent domestic violence against women has been passed. Our most precious resource-our children—now have a National Commission that will ensure their rights are protected.
Just a few weeks ago, as a demonstration of our unflinching commitment to social justice, the 104th Constitution Amendment Bill was passed to provide for reservations for scheduled castes, scheduled tribes and OBCs in all private educational institutions, other than those run by religious and linguistic minorities. This will expand opportunities in higher and professional education for students belonging to the weaker sections of our society. A Bill has been introduced to give legal guarantee for reservations in government employment, for scheduled castes, scheduled tribes and OBCs. A comprehensive Bill to protect the rights and livelihood of tribals living in forest areas, has also been introduced.
We have taken a number of measures to address the concerns of minorities. POTA has been repealed. A new law on the prevention of communal violence is on the anvil, and we expect Parliament to approve it soon. A National Commission on Minority Professional Institutions has been set up. A Bill to make the National Minorities Commission a Constitutional body has been introduced.
We have invigorated the defence modernization programme. We created a new department for the welfare of ex-servicemen and their families. There is a long standing demand of ex-servicemen relating to their pension benefits. We hope that this demand would be resolved soon in keeping with the pledge in our manifesto. I want to take this opportunity, to convey our greatest appreciation to the armed forces, not just for the valour with which they defend our borders, but also for the magnificent manner in which they come to the aid of our people during natural calamities.
Now that we have a government at the centre and in a number of states, we can certainly expect the concerns of the aam aadmi to receive the highest priority. Prices of kerosene, for instance, have not increased even though world oil prices have sky-rocketed. I know at times, governance has its compulsions but our cadres should not feel shy of highlighting people's concerns, nor should such expressions be seen as criticism of our governments at the centre or in states My fellow Congressmen and women, a meeting such as this is as much a moment for celebration as of reflection. It is as much an occasion for self-congratulation as of introspection. It is as much an opportunity for looking back as for marching ahead.
We derive inspiration from our past.
We take confidence from our history.
We are conscious of the many responsibilities that have been placed on us.
We are aware of the many challenges that confront us.
Today, let us renew our commitment, to discharge these responsibilities, in a manner that assures a life of security, prosperity and dignity to each and every Indian.
Today, let us renew our commitment to face these challenges unitedly, with urgency and determination. Only by doing so will we be able to reinforce our position at the commanding heights of Indian politics.
Jai Hind.