Indian Congress President Rahul Gandhi concluded a lively tour of Germany and UK from 22 to 25 August along with a ten member delegation, in order to address the diaspora. He attended a number of events in the UK including a lunch interaction with the journalists organised by the Indian Journalists' Association and an interaction with a 'select' audience at Parliament. His latest remarks in London on 1984 riot have already stirred up controversies back in India and aggressive protests from Sikh extremists.
Shortly before Gandhi’s address at the greet and meet organised by the Indian Overseas Congress at a South Ruislip hotel, three Khalistan supporters were escorted out by Scotland Yard after they tried to disrupt the event, chanting ‘Khalistan Zindabad’ loudly inside the venue. They were reported to have been angry over Rahul Gandhi’s remarks on Congress not being involved in 1984 anti-Sikh riots. The event had 1300 people invited to it, besides many hundreds who waited outside trying to enter the premises
In an opening statement, Chairman of the Overseas Congress Department of the All India Congress Committee (AICC), Sam Pitroda said, “Our message is all about democracy, freedom, inclusion, diversity, jobs, growth, prosperity, bottom-up development. We need your (diaspora) help in taking the right message to the media as well because one little mistake gets blown out of proportion”.
Gandhi addressed a supportive audience about half an hour later. In his brief speech, he blamed the Indian Prime Minister and the ruling party BJP for subverting the country’s institutions such as the judiciary, academia, election commission, RBI, and so on. He urged his supporters to recognise that when PM Modi spoke of Congress not achieving much progress in the last 70 years, he was “insulting the Indians’ ancestors and forefathers who toiled day and night to build today’s India”. He spoke to the audience and said, “You are just defined by a simple term - NRI. But our party was started by ‘NRIs’. Mahatma Gandhi was an NRI, Nehru was an NRI, Sardar Patel, Ambedkar, all of them were NRIs. We are all walking in their footsteps."
He also attacked the current Indian government and said, “In today's India, there is no place for Dalit, poor, minorities, farmers, tribals - only for Anil Ambani. The government defrauded the country and gave the illegal contract to Anil Ambani instead of HAL. The price of aircraft miraculously rose from Rupees 526 crores to 1600 crores and they say they don't have money to waive farmer loans”.
He further said, “Our youth need jobs, the elderly need adequate healthcare and those are the challenges no one is talking about”. He gave the example of China, where 50,000 jobs are created every single day whereas India creates only 450. Gandhi claimed that “Congress is the power (shakti) that eliminates anger and hatred” and that “Congress has the ability to look its enemy in the eye and embrace them. Congress works to unite Hindustan”.
He also mounted an attack on Prime Minister Modi and accused him of insulting Indians by saying that there was no development in the country before 2014. He highlighted the rich history of India’s oldest political party, pointing out that NRIs were deeply involved in its formation.
Previously Gandhi addressed a gathering at the Indian Journalists' Association where he spoke about Congress alliance in Bengal and claimed that fugitive businessman Vijay Mallya had met some BJP leaders before leaving the country. "Before leaving the country, Mallya met senior BJP leaders, it is recorded in the document."
However, Rahul refused to name those leaders. Vijay Mallya has been living in England since leaving India in 2016. The Government of India has requested for extradition from England. Rahul said, “As far as Mallya is concerned, Indian prisons are fine. Justice should be the same for all Indians.”
Interaction with NISAU at LSE
In an interaction with the National Indian Students and Alumni Union (UK) at the London School of Economics, Gandhi spoke of alleged corruption in the Rafale deal, accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi of favouring a businessman who had no experience in manufacturing aircraft.
The issue of corruption was among a range of topics covered by Gandhi during his question and answer session with students from the LSE and other British universities, including Brunel and King's College London, organised by the National Indian Students and Alumni Union (NISAU) UK to launch its 'Perspective India Townhall'.
On the issue of his association with dynastic politics as the grandson of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and son of Former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, he said, "I come from a certain family but I am an elected person; I have been democratically elected. So the term dynasty is not precise.
"I am actually elected and the important thing is I operate in a democracy and take the punches and have learnt a lot from my experiences over the years".
Calling on youngsters to join politics, he stressed that the Congress was determined to defend the "onslaught on the Indian Constitution" and "remove the BJP from power".
"We are constructing a manifesto in the Congress that brings in all ideas, stakeholders, farmers and allies and potentially have a structure with which to go to the people," Mr Gandhi said in reference to the 2019 general election, adding that his party would not be making any alliances with anybody not "ideologically on our platform".
He described the essence of the Congress party as its ideology of non-violence and one that feels deeply for the people in the country who are weaker.
The event with LSE South Asian Centre director Mukulika Banerjee covered a wide array of subjects.
Congress President addresses 'select audience' in Parliament
In an event organised by Indian Overseas Congress that was chaired by Keith Vaz, MP in Parliament, Gandhi addressed a number of issues including the 'trampling of freedom of expression including that of media in India' at the Grand Committee Room of the UK Parliament, becoming the first foreign Leader of Opposition to do so. He exclaimed his shock to think that once India was 'ruled' from 'this very room'. But then lightened the mood by adding 'now Indian MPs are helping to run Britain'.
When asked about BJP's criticism of his reference of ISIS while 'warning about the impact of excluding people from development' in his Germany speech, he told Asian Voice, “What I stated was that there are a number of ideas running around the planet and one has to make sure one is giving a vision to one’s people. If one does not give vision, someone else is going to give that. It’s important that we involve people and carry people and that people feel they are part of nation building.”
Speaking about the 1984 anti-Sikh riot, Gandhi said he was, “100 percent” for the punishment for those involved in any violence against anybody.
“I think any violence done against anybody is wrong. There are legal processes ongoing in India but as far as I'm concerned, anything done that was wrong doing that period should be opunished and I would support that 100 percent.”
He added, “I have no confusion in my mind about that. It was a tragedy, it was a painful experience. You say that the Congress party was involved in that, I don't agree with that. Certainly thrtr was violence, certainly there was tragedy.”
The event was attended by Virendra Sharma MP, Seema Malhotra MP, Lib Dem Party's Kishan Devani to name a few. He also attended a dinner with the Mayor of Richmond which was attended by Dr Vince Cable, leader of the Lib Dem party.
Gandhi meets Labour MPs and Shadow Cabinet members
Accompanied by party leaders Anand Sharma and Milind Deora, Rahul met the senior leadership of the Labour Party in London, which included the Shadow Cabinet members.
Labour Party was represented by Barry Gardiner MP & Shadow Secretary for International Trade and Climate Change, Ms Valerie Vaz, MP & Shadow leader of the House of Commons, Sir Keir Starmer, MP & Shadow Brexit Secretary, Gareth Thomas, MP & Shadow Minister of Foreign Commonwealth Office, Stephen Pound MP & Shadow Minister for Northern Ireland, Preet Gill, Shadow Minister for International Development, Rajesh Agarwal, Dy. Mayor of London and other senior officials of Labour Party Headquarters.
Congress President and Labour leadership discussed bilateral, regional and global developments of shared concerns. These included issues of unemployment, growing protectionism, trade wars and threat to rule based international order. Gandhi specifically referred to fallout of Brexit, increasing inequality and youth unemployment. He referred to concerns over the visa for Indian professionals and students following the change in UK Visa Policy and the fall in the number of Indian students in the UK after the closure of Old Tier- 1 post study work route.
He said, “India has made huge intellectual investment in UK Contribution of Indian Doctors and Nurses to the NHS is immense. Nothing should be done to hinder the movement of professional.”
Both sides expressed concern over the threats of terrorism and forces of violence to stability and peace. Both side also acknowledged the value of UK-India Economic partnership including growing investments and technology cooperation.
INC and the Labour leadership agreed to reinvigorate party to party exchange and create an institutional mechanism for a regular exchange between the leadership of the two parties.
Address at the IISS
Gandhi on Friday's first event in London on Friday, compared the RSS to the Muslim Brotherhood, a political Islamist group with strong presence in the Arab world, particularly Egypt, and said that the Sangh fountainhead wants one ideology to run through every single institution and crush all other ideas. He also continued his criticism of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's foreign and economic policies.
Addressing an event at London’s International Institute of Strategic Studies (IISS), Rahul said Modi does not have a “deeply thought-out strategy” on Pakistan but admitted that it is “very difficult” to converse with Islamabad, as there is no single institution in that country that holds supremacy.
He said the standoff with China over Doklam was not an “isolated issue” but part of a “sequence of events”, and that India could have stopped it had Modi been carefully watching the process.
During his interaction at the IISS, Rahul was asked about the lessons he has learnt from the Congress’s defeat in 2014 Lok Sabha elections. He replied: “You have to listen. Leadership is about listening, about empathy to the person who is speaking regardless of whether you agree with him or not...”
Gandhi explores NHS style healthcare model for India
Rahul Gandhi met with medical students, doctors, clinicians and academics from across the UK and Europe to launch the process to produce a blueprint for an affordable Indian healthcare transformation at the Royal school of Medicine on Saturday 25th. The event itself was attend by over 200 medical and other professionals. Rahul Gandhi answered questions from the audience and in private interactions including on diabetes, mental health and ageing challenges in India, as well as lessons that could be learnt from the NHS.
Gandhi, in conjunction with the Indian Overseas Congress, initiated the work of this broad-based working group during his ongoing 2-day trip to London. The working group includes medical professionals from King’s College, Imperial College and the National Health Service (NHS). It have a 6-month turnaround period for the blueprint, and is anticipated to meet regularly in London and elsewhere in Europe. It will focus on two key areas: affordable healthcare for the masses, and prioritising prevention over cure.
He said: “This is a committee of professionals that has come together for the benefit of India. This blueprint will act as a living bridge between global best practice and India’s needs. It will help the Congress Party realise its vision for a more inclusive, affordable and modern Indian healthcare system.”
(Additional report by Charusmita)
