I

 

Today, we meet to launch the 125th anniversary celebrations of the founding our party.

 

Over the next year, we will revisit our glorious past and derive renewed inspiration from it; we will rediscover the well-springs of our resilience that have enabled our party to respond effectively to the challenges India has had to confront from time to time.

 

Over the next year, we will recall those remarkable men and women without whose sacrifices and contributions, we would not be where we are today; we will also mark those events that have defined contemporary India, events shaped by our leaders that have left an indelible imprint on the nation's social, political and economic history.

 

II

 

The Indian National Congress has always represented a secular, democratic, just and inclusive India, an India that is empowering the disadvantaged and the discriminated, an India that is blending tradition with modernity is anchored in unity amidst its many diversities.

 

The Indian National Congress has been a mass movement that brought us freedom from colonial rule. And then it evolved into a mass movement committed to bringing other freedoms - economic, social, individual - to our people.

 

The Indian National Congress has laid the foundations of a modern nation-state. It has been the binding force that has firmly stitched together the concept of a strong and unified India, confident of its place in the world.

 

III

 

The past is an index that bears testament to our central position in the nation's public life.

 

We have been extraordinarily fortunate to have had men and women of courage, integrity, sagacity and dedication to lead us. These men and women showed us the path when we were in doubt or peril and reminded us constantly of our true calling.

 

Mahatma Gandhi ignited the thirst for Swaraj in the hearts of tens of millions without succumbing to the use of violence or abdicating the conscience of the people. Gandhiji was that pillar of strength whose unfailing resolve and commitment to the path of non-violence shook an empire. He led by example and in doing so he brought about a wave of transformational change in public life.

 

He gathered around him and led a galaxy of uncommon men and women whose names continue to light up the history of our Independence movement, names of unusual distinction each of whom left his or her mark on our history.

 

Jawaharlal Nehru, more than anybody, shaped and influenced post-independence India with his profound commitment to parliamentary democracy, secularism, economic planning and scientific temper. He gave India a place of special prominence in world affairs. If India was able to withstand the many tempests that engulfed us in the years immediately following 1947, it was largely due to his leadership. Together with Sardar Patel, Maulana Azad and so many others from across our country, he laid the foundations of the India of today, strong, vibrant and self-reliant.

 

After Jawaharlal Nehru, Lal Bahadur Shastri became Prime Minister. He was in office only for about eighteen months. But we still recall and remember his slogan 'Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan'. Closer to our times the one single individual who has had the most decisive influence on the Congress of today is Indiraji. She stood upto vested interests around her, heralded the Green Revolution, abolished privy purses and princely privileges, nationalised banks and launched the most ambitious poverty alleviation programmes. She defended our borders and safeguarded our interests in the face f military might and the most formidable international pressures. She gave voice to the poor and the deprived. She gave self-respect and dignity to our countrymen and women. Indiraji always led from the front with the courage of her convictions and a fierce passion for her country and its people.

 

As we embark on our 125th anniversary celebrations, it is only appropriate that we recall the historic speech given by Rajivji in Mumbai in 1985 on the occasion of our centenary. His speech was remarkable for many reasons, but particularly so for its new vision of a 21st Century India.

 

Rajivji achieved much in his all-too-brief tenure. He travelled the length and breadth of India, seeking to understand the aspirations and challenges of every region, every community, every Indian. He recognised the energy of a young nation and sought to harness it for national causes. He brought peace to troubled parts of our country. Rajivji worked tirelessly to ensure that panchayats and nagarpalikas would occupy their rightful place in our polity. He had an unflinching belief in the power of science and technology, but emphasized that it must serve the needs of the common man, the poor and the marginalised. He ushered in the information revolution that opened unprecedented new opportunities for our youth.

 

Rajivji did not live to see the India of his dreams become a reality, but he left his personal imprint on the Party's manifesto of 1991. This became the basis for our economic policies in the five years thereafter. These policies imparted a new strength and direction to our economy and society.

 

The years that followed saw some of the most difficult moments in our party's history. Doubts were raised about our party's very existence. Nonetheless we soldiered on, anchored in our core values and overcame many seemingly insurmountable odds. Our tenacity and hardwork enabled us to secure a fresh mandate from the people in 2004 and 2009. Since then Dr. Manmohan Singh has led the government with great wisdom and sagacity, respected both at home and abroad.

 

I can say this with greatest of confidence that whatever success we have had it is largely because of our Party workers. It is on the strength of their commitment and struggle that our great organisation has reached such heights.

 

IV

 

The Indian National Congress has a unique relationship, a unique bond with the people of India. It has mirrored their aspirations. It has reflected their hopes and been a vehicle for their accomplishments. It has enjoyed tremendous goodwill and support from them. It has derived sustenance from each and every section of our society.

 

It is this relationship with the people that is the foundation of our very existence, the singular source of all our strength. Through our sustained efforts in this 125th year, we have to once again establish that the Congress is always for and with the people of our country and that the people look towards the Congress only.

 

Reaching out to the people in our towns and villages, listening to them and what they feel and what they want, spreading the message of our party's work and propagating our government's achievements will also be our principal focus.

 

And we need to do so in a spirit of selflessness, not seeking benefit, consolidating power or success in an election.

 

V

 

The next year will be a period of reaffirming our resolve and dedication. It will be an occasion for both looking back and marching ahead.

 

Our leaders have bequeathed something very precious to all of us.

 

On us falls the obligation to nurture that legacy, build on it and write a whole new chapter in our Party's history.

 

Let us do so with the utmost sincerity and devotion.