Bastar: Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi, for the first time after May 25 Maoist attack that killed frontline party leaders in Chhattisgarh, addressed a mammoth Congress rally – Adivasi Adhikar Sammelan- at Jagdalpur in tribal dominated Bastar region in the poll-bound state. He launched a blistering attack on the opposition for blocking the pro-poor schemes and policies of the Congress-led UPA Government at the Centre and reiterated that his party's aim was to empower tribals and aam aadmi.
The Congress Vice President began his speech making a direct reference to the May 25 Maoist attack in Bastar and recalling how the then PCC chief Nandkumar Patel, who was among those killed, had apprised him that the people in Chhattisgarh were eagerly waiting for Congress to come to power. “Once during a meeting I had asked former PCC chief Nandkumar Patel about the Congress’ chances in the coming assembly polls. He told me that Congress cannot lose this election. I asked him why he says so. He answered “When I told you that Congress can’t lose this election, not Nandkumar Patel is saying so; the entire Chhattisgarh says so. I am just a soldier of the people of my state and I am just sharing the people’s voice with you”, recollected Rahul Gandhi.
Striking an emotional chord with the gathering, the young Congress Vice President added “We want to empower the middle class, the poor, the Adivasis or the Tribals because we realise their strength. But the opposition thinks just opposite. They are not bothered about the upliftment or welfare of the poor and aam aadmi. They think that just 2-3 people can run the country. They think that development would be complete if the infrastructures are made. We also agree that we need roads, railway lines and airports. But at the same time, we also want the welfare and progress of the people who put in their hard work for those development works”.
Addressing the massive rally, the Congress leader emphasised that the Congress had brought a number of landmark legislations aimed at empowering the people at various levels. Rahul Gandhi said the Food Security Act, RTI, Land Acquisition Act, Tribals Bill and Right To Education (RTE) Act were all in that direction.
Rahul Gandhi also exhorted the tribal youth of Bastar to come forward in mainstream politics and fight for the issues of poor and their tribal brethren and assured that he would remain firmly with them in all such efforts. “ I request my Aadivasi youth to stand up and join politics to work for your people as well as for the country. I am here to support you; I am here to fight for you” promised the Congress leader.
Rahul Gandhi's presence at the rally and tribal convention witnessed the presence of all state party leaders, after the Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) was re-constituted following the killing of the then PCC chief Nandkumar Patel in the Naxalite bloodbath in Bastar.
Full text of Rahul Gandhi’s speech at Adivasi Adhikar Sammelan- at Jagdalpur,Bastar(Chhattisgarh)
Once during a meeting I had asked former PCC chief Nandkumar Patel about the Congress’ chances in the coming assembly polls. He told me that Congress cannot lose this election. I asked him why he says so. He answered “When I told you that Congress can’t lose this election, not Nandkumar Patel is saying so; the entire Chhattisgarh says so. I am just a soldier of the people of my state and I am just sharing the people’s voice with you”. He was so confident about that.
I was there at my home on May 25th. I received a call from my office informing that there is some bad news from Chhattisgarh. He did not say anything else. I asked him whether the PCC president was killed. He said that he didn’t know but someone had abducted the PCC president.
In fact, with the death of good leaders like Nandkumar, Shukla ji and others, what actually happened was that the voice of the poor got silenced. Nand Kumar Patel ji was a leader of the people; attempt was being made to muffle voices he was trying to raise.
When I got the information about that tragic incident, I decided to pay a visit to Chhattisgarh. Many people prevented me and warned me that I should not go now. But I was determined and went on with my decision to visit the state. I came here; I visited the hospital.
There were two reasons for my coming. Nandkumar ji and other leaders were our leaders and so we had a good relationship. Further, these leaders always carried your voice and they were fighting for the poor. With their killing the voices of the poor, adivasis and tribals of Chhattisgarh were being silenced; I could not stand it. I wanted that the voices of the poor here should continue to be heard and that is why I had come here then.
There are two different ideologies in politics at present. One is that of the Congress; In brief, we can say that Congress now thinks about empowering the people. We want to empower the middle class, the poor, the Adivasis or the Tribals because we realise their strength. But the opposition thinks just opposite. They are not bothered about the upliftment or welfare of the poor and aam aadmi. They think that just 2-3 people can run the country. They think that development is complete if the infrastructures are made. We also agree that we need roads, railway lines and airports. But at the same time, we also want the welfare nad progress of the people who put in their hard work for those development works.
We want the poor in the country to have proper education and sufficient food. Few years back I had come to Bastar and had visited some Adivasi villages. During my interactions with them I asked them how many people reside in the village and how many of them were 12th pass. I could know that only one person out of 2000 total villagers had passed 12th. Why? What the state government is doing here? This is a pathetic situation; there are a total of 2000 people and only one is 12th pass!
Where was the state government when 32 Congress leaders were brutally murdered here? Where was the state government when the top-most leader of the opposition in the state was murdered? If they cannot protect our leaders, how they can protect our aam aadmi, adivasis and others?
Centre sends huge amounts to Chhattisgarh. It sent about Rs. 10,000 cr for the food programme in the state. But the state Govt claims that it is their programme.
We changed the law. Like the way we gave the right to Job to the people – though it is not being implemented in Chhattisgarh properly-, we decided to grant right to food to the poor. That is why we enacted Food Security Law. Every poor is guaranteed with food now. But what was the reaction of BJP leaders? They tried to block this important legislation inside Parliament. They tried three years to block this but Congress was determined and finally got it passed.
We gave the right to education. We passed the tribal bill for the tribals so that they get to own land they rightfully deserve But, I came to know that the tribals here are not able to get the benefit of this Bill because of the inefficient BJP government here. I assure you that, if we come to power, Congress will definitely implement the Tribal Bill properly in the state.
We implemented Panchayati Raj system to empower the rural poor. We also introduced several policies to ensure people’s rights. But the people of Chhattisgarh are not able to avail any benefit because of the misrule by the state government. Please tell me, Are doctors seen in Chhattisgarh's hospitals? How many have died from Gastroenteritis? Thousands die of epidemic and what the state government has been doing?
The lands of poor people are being grabbed forcibly here. We brought in the Land Acquisition Bill to prevent such land grabbing. Now no one can grab lands of the poor forcibly. In Niyamgiri too what we were fighting for? We argued that consent of adivasis is a must before acquiring their lands for development. When they were asked, the adivasis said that they cannot give their lands. There was nothing wrong with Adivasis stance.
Congress fights for the rights of the poor, adivasis and aam aadmi. We want to empower the poor and downtrodden. Why did we enacted the historic RTI law? Any one in our country – the poor, adivasis, the rich, are now empowered to gather any information about the government and its functioning. Lots of corruption cases came to open after this law came into force. We had done remarkable works in our 9 years tenure, may be, better than any other previous governments. We had given the people only a single promise that we would form a government that works for aam aadmi, the poor, downtrodden, underprivileged and downtrodden. We therefore implemented policies like MNREGA, Right to Education, RTI, Tribal Bill, loan-waiver scheme for farmers.
The opposition just gives toll promises but Congress believes in action. Our actions speak for us – the good work done by Sonia Ji and Manmohan ji will speak for us. I assure you that the Congress party will form a government of Adivasis, tribals and downtrodden here in Chhattisgarh too and we will not let your voices die.
Finally, I request my Aadivasi youth to stand up and join politics to work for your people as well as for the country. I am here to support you; I am here to fight for you. Thank you.
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