Rahul Gandhi warns Congress leaders against groupism

New Delhi: Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi, while interacting with the newly elected office bearers of the party on Saturday, warned the Congress leaders against groupism and said that coordination and cooperation is the key to success.

Rahul Gandhi told them in no uncertain terms that accountability will follow responsibility. He also felt there was something amiss in the functioning of the outgoing party set-up. With a series of assembly polls due this year and Lok Sabha elections by May next, Rahul Gandhi said the Congress should project a picture of a united family where the young give respect to elders and draw from their experience. He said the general secretaries should prepare a roadmap for the states under their charge and the secretaries should visit the district and block levels as per the plan.

The Congress vice president, who has frequently talked about the system being closed to youngsters, asked the leaders to help open it up. AICC secretaries, who had in earlier meetings with Rahul Gandhi, complained of not having been given adequate responsibilities, have been given the charge this time and they will have to do lot of touring of the states. The young Congress MP said factionalism is detrimental to the party's interests and should be shunned.

Rahul Gandhi also chose the occasion to flag the issue of inadequate representation to women in the AICC and other party wings. The Congress leader assured that in two-three years, 50 percent of the office-bearers will be women.

A surprise visit by Rahul Gandhi at a workshop of women sanitary workers

New Delhi: Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi has done it again. He had surprised many on earlier occasions with his unscheduled, sudden visit to poor villages, spending nights at their huts and sharing their meals. And on last Thursday the young Congress leader paid a surprise visit to a workshop of women sanitary staff.

Rahul Gandhi was not among the participants at the day-long 'National Workshop on Awareness of Rights and Upliftment of Women Safai Karamchari', yet he chose to attend it to directly get a feeling of the participants. Some of the women attended, told Rahul Gandhi that he will not get 'Dalit' votes unless he works for them to which the Congress VicePresident boldly said he did not care for votes but was interested in their welfare.

The Congress leader also assured the workers that the Congress-led UPA government at the Centre was committed to abolishing the "inhuman" practice of manual scavenging. "It was an impromptu interaction and some women did ask questions which had nothing to do with the workshop. But they were very happy to talk to him and it was all very pleasant," an official present there said.

The woman sanitary staff welcomed Rahul Gandhi’s assurance for abolishing manual scavenging and taking up their other concerns, which he said had brought him there to listen to them."We are very sensitive to your problems and need and will do our utmost to help you," Rahul Gandhi said. When quizzed about the presence of manual scavenging in different parts of the country, he said such practice could not be allowed in 21st century.

Officials said they had no knowledge of Rahul Gandhi's visit to the workshop and learnt about it in the afternoon when SPG officials arrived to put in place required security arrangements. The one-day workshop was inaugurated by Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Kumari Selja.

Progressive vision:Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi for 50 percent representation to women in AICC

After taking over as the Congress Vice President, Rahul Gandhi has been putting his efforts to strengthen the party. He has been visiting all the states, interact with the Congress leaders and curiously listen to their opinions and suggestions. Further, he always believed that the political system can be cleansed only if more and more young people join politics. He has been gradually implementing in the Congress party by inducting more young leaders at the organisational leadership making it a blend of youth and experienced. And, now Rahul Gandhi has started his next initiative, a move with progressive vision, to ensure adequate women participation in the party.

The young Congress Vice President on Saturday vowed to ensure 50 per cent representation to women in All India Congress Committee (AICC) and other party outfits as he held his first formal interaction with newly-appointed party office bearers. "Rahul Gandhi talked about how to ensure 50 per cent representation to women in AICC...It's not about reservation. It's about their representation. "When he observed that their (women) presence is not in the proportion it should be, he said the presence of women is less but it will definitely be 50 per cent in the coming two-three years," Congress Bhakta Charan Das told reporters after the meeting.

Ambika Sonia is the only women among the 12 AICC general secretaries, while of the 44 secretaries only five are women. Rahul Gandhi also made it clear to the office bearers that those who have been given responsibility will also be held accountable. As the reshuffled AICC now wears a younger look with 52 being the average age of office bearers, the Congress Vice President  also chose the occasion to remind the party leaders that youths should move forward by respecting seniors and taking the help of their experience. Rahul Gandhi’s statement signals that senior leaders won't be overlooked.

Yes, with his moves with clear intention the Congress Party is surging ahead and his new policies have boosted the confidence of party cadres and supporters and all in the Congress now hopes that the party will perform well and Congress-led UPA will retain power at the Centre for the consecutive third term.

Sonia Gandhi and MGNREGA

 For Sonia Gandhi empowerment of our brothers in the villages has got a new dimension through this MGREGA. This has proved itself as the lifeline particularly for Dalits and Adivasis. It is providing social security as well.

 Amongst the beneficiaries of this scheme , women constitute 50%. This scheme has helped in controlling the migration from villages under compulsion. Village based Post Offices and Banks have also got a new boost by keeping and maintaining the accounts of this scheme. Farm labourers have started getting better wages due to the implementation of this scheme.
One salient feature of Mahatma Gandhi NREGA is that it has not only generated jobs but it has created `Green Employmen.

 She believes that through the help of Women Self help Groups and NGO's it can be build stronger and  MGNREGA has the capacity to improve farm productivity and bring in more Green revolution. It's budget of 40 thousand crores should be utilized in

Improving the quality of the land owned by marginal farmers and to provide them water for irrigation. Because such farmers possess 80% of our farmland.