CPP General Body Meeting, Central Hall, Parliament House
Thursday, 19th August, 2010
Address of the Chairperson, Smt. Sonia Gandhi
I
As we meet this morning, our hearts go out to the people of Leh and its surrounding areas who have experienced a terrible tragedy. We are deeply pained by the loss of life and property on account of this unprecedented natural disaster. Our heartfelt condolences go out to all those who have suffered the loss of their dear ones. The whole country stands with them in their hour of grief. From the government to NGOs and ordinary people, we are committed to doing all we can to mitigate this calamity. Different agencies of the central government—the army, the national disaster management authority, the ministry of health—have been mobilized to provide succour and relief. At the party level, the Sewa Dal has been active in distributing relief material. The Prime Minister visited the region day before yesterday and I am sure that our government will take all steps necessary to address the needs of the people there, especially of shelter with winter not being too far away.
II
Jammu and Kashmir has witnessed an upsurge of violence and tensions in recent weeks. I am anguished at what has been happening there. It is a call to our collective conscience. I want to express my deep-felt condolences to each and every family that has lost its loved ones. I feel their grief. Jammu and Kashmir has a special place in our polity and indeed in our hearts. Reaching out to the people of the state, most particularly to the youth, is the need of the hour. A whole generation has grown up under the shadow of brutality and conflict. The anger and pain that is manifesting itself, especially among the young, needs to be addressed. They are our very own and their suffering is ours. Dialogue and mutual understanding are the key to ending the cycle of violence and tragic killings. Our security forces have a difficult task to discharge.
The Prime Minister in his recent meeting with the all-Party delegation, on the 10th of August, has unveiled a blueprint for reconciliation and reconstruction stemming from a sincere and genuine desire to engage the people of the State. This is and will remain our agenda.
The monsoon has been generally normal in many parts of the country. However, some districts in eastern Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal, are affected by drought. Our government has responded proactively and teams are being sent to these districts to assess the damage and estimate the amount of assistance needed.
The Commonwealth Games are just a few days away. This is the time for all of us to come together and ensure their success. The success of the Games is that of our country—not of any party or of any individual. The Prime Minister has himself intervened decisively. The prestige of the nation is involved. Let us not forget this even as we take steps to ensure accountability. I trust that as soon as the Games are over the government will look into the allegations of malpractice and spare no one found to be involved in them.
III
Both Houses of Parliament have had informed debates on a number of important subjects. On the Bhopal Gas Tragedy, I am the first to acknowledge that there have been inadequacies in how successive governments have dealt with this calamity. But we cannot remain prisoners of the past. We must look ahead and answer the question—what can we do now? —rather than—what could we have done in the past? The Group of Ministers has prepared a detailed agenda for action. Compensation has been increased. Medical facilities are being strengthened. Judicial decisions are being reopened. Waste disposal, decontamination and remediation activities are being finalized. Not a single victim should be denied justice. Equally important is the necessity to put systems in place that will ensure that no Bhopal-type man-made catastrophe repeats itself.
While we are proud of our economic growth as indeed we should be, controlling price rise remains our top priority. Both Houses have adopted a Resolution to contain inflation. Sometimes, there is simply no option as in the case of petroleum products some weeks ago. Even so, a constant vigil has to be maintained. The cooperation of state governments is essential. The Prime Minister has spoken of the need to bring about reforms in the management of our food economy. The National Advisory Council has taken up this subject and steps are being taken to fulfill our manifesto pledge on food security.
The Lok Sabha has just debated illegal mining and I understand that the Rajya Sabha is scheduled to do so later today. This has emerged as a most serious menace in a number of states with profound political, economic and social implications. Our Government is taking a number of initiatives like the setting up of a Commission of Inquiry and a mining regulatory authority. What is most worrying is the high degree of convergence between areas that are mineral and forest-rich and areas that are the arenas for tribal deprivation and for left-wing extremist violence. Protecting the rights of the tribals and ensuring their livelihood are central to bringing about an end to their exploitation and sense of alienation. Dealing with the Naxalite challenge, which the Prime Minister has described as our single biggest internal security challenge, will call for fundamental innovations in the manner in which our mineral resources are exploited and our forests are managed.
IV
Friends, the Bihar state assembly elections will be held shortly. Our party is galvanized to fight the battle ahead. Ours is the only party to have an all inclusive development agenda.. Never before has Bihar received so much financial assistance from the Centre for development and welfare programmes. This is the essential message that we need to communicate to the people of Bihar. In many states, including Bihar, schemes and programmes funded by the Central government are appropriated by the state governments which then claim credit that justifiably belongs to the Centre. This is where we as party workers must actively engage ourselves in making people aware of these false claims and projecting the tangible accomplishments of our government.
In the coming months we will celebrate a number of festivals, so let me conclude by wishing you all Id Mubarak, a joyful Dussehera and Diwali.
