The Congress has a tradition of welcoming members of the Indian diaspora to work for the country, party vice-president Rahul Gandhi told a community gathering on Wednesday, urging them to contribute to resolving the economic and social challenges before India.
The Congress leader said the “original Congress movement was an NRI movement,” citing how Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, B.R. Ambedkar, Maulana Azad, and Sardar Vallabhai Patel were all leaders who “went to the outside world, saw the outside world, returned to India and used some of the ideas they got and transformed India.”
Mr. Gandhi concluded his two-week tour of the U.S. with a speech in which he recalled the contributions made to India, by people who had gone abroad, using the Congress platform. He reiterated the theme of his tour — social harmony and job creation— in his concluding speech also, but the emphasis was on how people of Indian origin abroad could contribute to it.
Active role sought
“You need to get involved. You have tremendous knowledge, you have tremendous understanding, you work in different fields. I invite you to come and work with the Congress party and discuss the vision going forward. We want to take your help,” Mr. Gandhi said.
He cited the examples of Sam Pitroda, the U.S. based telecom expert who pioneered the telecom revolution in India and Verghese Kurien who returned from the U.S. and pioneered what came to be known as the White Revolution in India’s dairy sector.
Mr. Gandhi said his party has the vision to give the space and opportunity for many more such people.
The BJP and the Sangh Parivar have significant influence among the Indian American community and the diaspora in general, and Mr. Gandhi’s American tour was aimed both at projecting his leadership on a global stage and mobilising Indian Americans in support of his politics back home.
Mr. Pitroda, Mr. Gandhi’s close associate, who is in charge of the Indian Overseas Congress said the organisation’s footprint is expected to expand to at least 30 countries from the present 18.
