Source : INDIA TODAY NEWS
Sam Pitroda, the chairman of the Indian Overseas Congress, has defended young protesters facing criticism over abusive slogans and remarks directed at Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Cockroch Janta Party (CJP)-led recent protest in Delhi, saying their language may appear offensive but should be seen in the context of their frustration.
“You have to see it from the perspective of the student. Of course, the Prime Minister’s perspective is a privilege. I’m not undermining that. I don’t want to insult the Prime Minister because he’s the Prime Minister of the country. But for someone to insult and say all these things, he must be or she must be really, really frustrated. People don’t do these things out of fashion. They do it out of frustration,” Pitroda said in an interview with news agency ANI.
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He added, “Galigula (verbal abuse) is okay, these are our children. Now there may be some galigula here and there. I don’t like it, but it’s okay. These are our children.”
Citing a metaphor from one of his articles, the US-based technocrat leader said that young people may “throw some mud”, but what matters is listening to them.
“I wrote an article in the newspaper about the monsoon season in India. This is an Indian monsoon where it’s pouring heavily, and it’s going to carry with it some mud, which is the metaphor. Young people may throw some mud, which is OK, perfectly acceptable, you know, but we got to listen to them because their future is at stake,” he said.
Pitroda said younger protesters were expressing concerns that previous generations had struggled to articulate. “That they are finally vocal. They have enough courage to stand up and criticise. They have no fear”, he commented, adding that young people believe the political establishment is “fake” and “incompetent” and has failed to deliver on its promises:
“This is the future India. If they don’t get a good education, if they don’t learn to live together, if they don’t love each other, there is no future, because then there won’t be peace,” the Congess leader added.
The alleged abusive language used by protesters during the Delhi agitation, as well as in online posts around the same time, primarily targeting the Prime Minister, drew criticism from several quarters. Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself addressed the issue, saying he forgave the students who had used abusive language.
REJECTS PM’s ‘DIMAGI NAXAL’ LABEL
On PM Modi’s use of the term “dimagi naxal”, Pitroda rejected the characterisation of people who advocate for disadvantaged communities as Naxalites or communists.
“If you are for the poor, you are not Naxalites. If you are for the Dalits, if you are for the minority, you are not Naxalites, or communists. It’s all bogus,” he said.
“You are more human. I put humanity way above everything else. We all came from the same place,” Pitroda added.
The Prime Minister used the term “dimagi Naxal” in his Independence Day address to refer to those he accused of perpetuating Naxal ideology even as armed Naxalism declines. He said that while armed Naxals had been pushed out of the jungles, “dimagi Naxals” continued to pose an ideological threat by seeking to create unrest and violence.
‘DEMOCRACY IS UNDER ATTACK’
Sam Pitroda futher alleged that Indian democratic institutions had been weakened by what he described as excessive centralisation of power in the Prime Minister’s Office.
“The situation in India is such that democracy is under attack. Democracy has been on attack for the last many, many years, ever since the BJP came to power,” he said.
“Now it’s an issue of perception. My perception is that we have weakened our institutions by centralising too much of our power in the Prime Minister’s office,” he added.
Pitro alleged that institutions including the judiciary, Election Commission, Enforcement Directorate, Income Tax Department and local police were reluctant to take independent positions.
Pitroda also alleged that civil society organisations and NGOs were facing pressure through regulatory and financial investigations.
Second, our civil society is under attack. NGOs are told that you’re not following this law and that law and money laundering and all kinds of labels are attached to people. As a result, we don’t have real watchdogs in society,” he added.
‘RAHUL GANDHI CUSTODIAN OF CONGRESS’ IDEA OF INDIA’
Pitroda described Rahul Gandhi as the custodian of the Congress party’s “idea of India”, which he said was rooted in dignity, equality, justice, diversity, secularism, freedom and liberty.
The Congress Party had an idea of India articulated by our founding fathers, well documented in our Constitution. And that idea of India is more about dignity of everybody, equality, justice, diversity, secularism, freedom, liberty,” he said.
“And to me, Rahul Gandhi is the custodian of the idea of India for the Congress Party,” he added.
Pitroda praised Gandhi for maintaining his positions despite what he described as attacks from political opponents, the media and institutions.
“He has done an excellent job sticking to his basic values against all the odds, attacks not only of opposition but of media, of institutions,” he said.
“Rahul Gandhi has, to me, come out very strong as a solid person with intellectual capacity, tenacity, with courage, conviction. And to me, he’s the key to articulating the idea of India that the Congress Party has. And I must compliment him for what he’s doing,” he added.
Pitroda also argued that the political debate was being diverted towards issues he considered less important, while concerns over education, healthcare, employment, the environment and the cost of living were being overlooked.
– Ends
SOURCE :- TIMES OF INDIA
