Asks leaders to be humble, accessible and accountable
I DC
THIRUVANNATHAPURAM, JAN 19
Opposition Leader in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, on Monday said that while the Congress-led UDF’s victory in the upcoming assembly polls is certain, the bigger question for him is what they will do for the people of Kerala after they win.
Speaking at the Mahapanchayat in Kochi to felicitate the newly elected local body office bearers, he urged UDF and Congress leaders to clearly outline their plan of action. Highlighting the state’s massive unemployment problem, he stressed the need for a vision that addresses this issue, expressing confidence that Kerala’s leadership understands the people’s needs and can deliver on them.
Rahul said that for any government to succeed, the leadership needs to be accessible to the people. “The leadership must connect with the people, I am confident that Congress and UDF leaders will be humble and truly become an expression of the people of Kerala,” he said.
The opposition leader said a political battle is taking place in Kerala, alongside an ideological and political battle at the national level. He said while serving as MP from Wayanad, he learned a tremendous amount from people of Kerala. “Your history, your traditions, your language, your political depth, and most importantly your ability to stand together. Different religions, different cultures, and different ideas all coexisting respectfully — you have shown me how this is done,” he said.
“I am filled with pride seeing how our nurses work outside our country. I feel proud when I see people of Kerala achieving success in Dubai and many other cities around the world. But we need to free the people of Kerala so that whatever they do abroad, they can also do here in Kerala,” he said.
He said there is a superb political culture at all levels in Kerala.” I don’t think there are panchayat presidents of this quality anywhere else in the country because you are emerging from a political process where you are held accountable by the people of Kerala. I am confident you will stand together and win a thumping majority in the assembly elections,” he said.
Many young people elected for the first time must realize they have been given trust by the people of Kerala. Respect this trust, cherish it, and defend it. “In the end, as a member of the Congress party, you are defending the Constitution of India. You are not going to allow a culture of silence to pervade this country,” he said.
The Congress delivered superb results in the local body elections, performing strongly at all levels—grama panchayat, block, district, municipality, and corporation. The third tier is the foundation of democratic institutions. “If we want to protect the Constitution and ensure its survival, we must safeguard the panchayats and nagarpalikas. Remember, the idea of the 73rd and 74th Constitutional Amendments came from Congress,” he said.
Rahul said the foundation of the Constitution is one person, one vote—every citizen of India should have a voice in running the country. “If you look closely at the difference between the BJP-RSS and the Congress Party, you’ll see they stand for centralization of power, while we stand for decentralization,” he said.
BJP RSS creating culture of silence
The BJP-RSS wants compliance from the people of India; they do not want to hear their voices.
Earlier, Rahul Gandhi presented the Priyadarshini literary award to noted Malayalam writer and literary critic M Leelavathi in Kochi.
Recalling his meeting with the writer, he said;’`in our conversation, she said something very powerful. She spoke about the culture of silence and explained how it is spreading across India.”
Rahul said the ideological attack by the BJP and RSS is designed to create this culture of silence. They want India to remain quiet, not to express itself, and to hand over the nation’s wealth to a few select business houses. They envision an India where all the people’s assets belong to a small group of individuals.
“I can say with 100 per cent certainty that no one can silence Kerala’s voice. The coming election will show that the people of Kerala speak loud and clear,” he said.
