Jan 20, 2013 16:10 (IST)
Rahul Gandhi speech (Hindi): highlights
- I want to thank you all for the support shown to me.
- It's a huge honour for me.. The party has taught me a lot in the last 8 years.
- In 1947, India was liberated not by arms but by non-violence and through the voice of the people.
- The Congress said we will use non-violence and sent the British home.
- Gandhiji's successors ensured democracy was the bedrock of our Constitution.
- Every Indian is going to be supported by the Congress, no matter what caste, religion.
- The Green Revolution restored the voice of the farmer; the IT revolution literally gave people the voice.
- Manmohan Singhji unleased the voice of thousands by giving entrepreneural rights.
- For the first time, people are being ensured their rights.
- Why is it that ministries do the work of Panchayats? Why does the SC do the work of lower courts?
- No matter what state or which party, why do a handful of people control the entire space?
- Power is grossly centralised in India, we only empower people at the top
- I meet people in high positions with no understanding of issues - this happens because we don't respect knowledge, we respect position
- No matter how much knowledge you have , if you don't have position you are not heard - this is the tragedy of IndiaMediocrity dominates discussion...
- Success in these systems does not come through building but by excluding; not by pushing people forward but holding them back
- Sab ko diktha hai, but we pretend it is not there
- Corrupt people stand up and talk of eradicating corruption
- People who disrespect women everyday talk of women's rights
- We need the aam admi to participate in politics
- There is a young and impatient India that is demanding a greater voice
- The time has come to question the centralised, unresponsive systems - the answer is not to run them better but to transform them completely
- India is more connected today than it has ever been - no longer possible to contain an idea whose time has come
- Direct cash transfer will allow us to realise dreams with an empowering system - 99% of people's money can go to them
- We prepare a revolution - giving people their due is bribing the country
- They say because they are scared because they understand what adhaar can do, and more importantly what people in Congress can do
- Balance of power must shift away to the PanchayatsCong must continue to wage a relentless battle against social prejudices against women, tribals
- This is a party but is infact a family - maybe the largest not just in India but the worldI am optimistic because I see the compassion, the energy within you
- Rahul Gandhi will work for everyone - youth congress, Mahila Congress
- I promise you that I will treat everyone alike - try and listen and understand you
- I have understood that in politics - we need to work in depth and not in a hurry. Change should be long-term
- Congress is the largest political outfit in the world - but there are no rules here
- We make new rules every two minutes - maybe no one here knows what the rules are
- Even I ask myself how does this party win, how do they win elections?
- Yeh Gandhiji ka sangathan hai, isme Hindustan ka DNA bhara hua hai
- We do not focus on leadership development. In 5-6 years there should be a situation that if a chief minister is required in any state we have giants
- We need 40-50 leaders who can run not just states but the whole country - each state should have 5-7 people who can lead it
- If someone asks what the Congress does, we should say we build leaders for India - leaders who are backed by everyone in this country
- When tickets are distributed the distric , block presidents are not asked - the decision is taken top down
- People from other parties come in, lose elections and move on, workers see these leaders parachuting in
- If leaders do not perform, someone else should be given a chance
- Our people stand against us in elections, there are independents contesting - we need to take action against them
- We know this but we don't implement, the day we do no one will be able to compete with us
- We have no dearth of capability; we have lot of depth and that is seen in Parliament and everywhere else
- I do not know everything, no one does, but there are millions of people and someone somewhere has the knowledge
- I will look for that knowledge, I will ask senior leaders
- I will work like a judge (impartially) and not like a lawyer