HVK Archives: Casteist policies of parties dividing society: Scindia
Casteist policies of parties dividing society: Scindia - The Hindustan Times (New Delhi)
HT Correspondent
()
21 July 1997
Title: Casteist policies of parties dividing society: Scindia
Author: HT Correspondent
Publication: The Hindustan Times (New Delhi)
Date: July 21, 1997
Former Union Minister and senior Congress leader Madhavrao Scindia has said
that the nation was facing the worst political and social chaos witnessed
during recent times. The onus to extricate the country out of this mess
lies on the younger generation, he said.
Addressing the national council and State presidents meetings of the Youth
Congress here today, he said that the casteist policies being pursued by
political parties are dividing the society. Such policies pose a grave
danger to national interest as the casteist fervour can sometimes overcome
our conscience, he said.
He said that the tendency to pursue such policies has been increasing among
the political parties, including the Congress. This is fraught with
dangerous consequences for the nation, he said. Under such circumstances,
the Youth Congress has an important role to play through creating awareness
among the people which could be achieved by educating the people, granting
social justice to those who have been exploited for centuries and through
eradication of poverty.
Counselling Youth Congress activists to eschew the casteist and communal
feelings which are being spread around by certain vested interest, he
advised them to spread the message of the Congress which was based on
sambhav among the people. The Congress is the only party having a
nationwide network, he said. The need of the hour was to activate its
workers, found even in the village and block levels, to counter casteist
and communal forces.
He said that the Youth Congress has an important role to play in the
country's affairs as it is the youth who are gradually taking over the
world's affairs. He said that younger people should be brought forward at
all levels, particularly in the Congress, as had been proposed by Mr Sanjay
Gandhi and then by former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.
Mr Scindia exhorted the youth activists to create an image for themselves
through their public service and the espousal of the cause of the
downtrodden. It would become difficult for party leaders to ignore you once
you achieved that, he added.
He further said that the policies pursued by Mr Sanjay Gandhi while he was
the Youth Congress president, were aimed at creating such an image for the
youth. Unfortunately, his intentions were misunderstood and even the media
overlooked the points which he was trying to make to solve the basic
problems being faced by the country. One such point was giving the youth
their share in guiding the destiny of the nation - something in which India
is still lagging behind, he said.
He suggested that the Youth Congress should take up issues like illiteracy,
proper representation for women in all spheres of life, the protection of
the environment and subjects related to the country's defence. The
revolutionary step taken by Mr Rajiv Gandhi in lowering the voting age
would remain meaningless if 18-year-old youths remained illiterate. This
gap has to be filled by Youth Congress workers, he added.
The two-day meet was inaugurated by Congress president Sitaram Kesri
yesterday. Delivering his inaugural address, he had cautioned the youth
activists against the Communal and communal forces which were working
against the interests of the party.
He said that these forces were gripped by a sense of insecurity whenever
the Congress starts emerging stronger. The communal and Left forces have a
common agenda to weaken the party against which the Youth Congress should
remain vigilant.
Referring to the fall of the Deve Gowda Government, he said that the
Congress had to withdraw support under growing pressure from the party's
rank and file to do so.
Mr Kesri said that he would start the task of revitalising the Congress
after the Calcutta plenary session next month. Referring to the recently
concluded 'rath yatra' of Mr L.K. Advani, he said that the Congress was
formed and strengthened by the sacrifices made by its senior leaders.
Nobody will be allowed to hijack its ideals, he added.
He said that communal and divisive forces were posing a grave danger to the
country. The situation in the North-East and Kashmir is alarming and
terrorism is again raising its ugly head in Punjab, he said. The Youth
Congress has an important role to play in fighting back these forces, he
added.
Similar views were expressed by other senior leaders of the party while
addressing the meeting. Prominent among those who addressed the meeting
were the political secretary to the Congress president, Mr Tariq Anwar and
Mr Ahmed Patel.
Earlier welcoming the leaders IYC president Satyajitsinh Gaekwad, said that
the Youth Congress was committed to the ideal of Congress leaders like
Jawaharlal Nehru, Maulana Azad, Sardar Patel, Indira Gandhi and Rajiv
Gandhi. He expressed his revolve to finish the culture of sycophancy in the
youth wing and spread its influence among the people through a spirit of
public service.
IYC general secretary Ajay Maken spoke about the need to have a national
youth policy. Among the other IYC functionaries who attended the meet were
Mr Salim Ahmed Tilotma and Mr Rupinder Singh, its spokesman.
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