Sam Pitroda: 'Congress needs Gandhian approach of public service'

Congress needs to take “Gandhian approach” of public service and get 5,000 workers in every district dedicated to cause of helping people to get its mojo back, techcrat-turned-politician Sam Pitroda said on Wednesday. Pitroda said that all Congress leaders must spend six months studying Far of Nation on his 150th birth anniversary to be ideologically equipped. Sam Pitroda, a long-time advisor of Gandhi family and head of Indian Overseas Congress, said that country is facing a “major conflict” for idea of India.

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Congress needs to keep talking about this ideological battle and take its mess to people, 77-year-old told PTI over phone from Chicago.

“We are perhaps t doing eugh of that. We need to educate our young. Need to learn Gandhi. Understand real history of India and t through sound bites and WhatsApp,” he said, adding that all young leaders coming into Congress need to read about far of nation.

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He said that challenge for party is to rebuild its cadre and have about 5,000 Congress workers in every district. “Everybody wants to work in Delhi, body wants to work in districts, everybody wants a ticket. We need to take Gandhian approach of service (to people),” Mr. Pitroda said. Politics is t a career, it is service to people, he said, hitting out at leaders who switch parties in belief it would be better for ir careers.

“Until we get 5,000-10,000 people in every district who are dedicated to help local people you don’t have a movement. That is what we need,” Mr. Pitroda said.

Asked what is way forward for Congress, Mr. Pitroda said that party needs to “do a lot more demonstrations” against government’s policies. He also lamented that media is such that party’s mess doesn’t get heard. “India is for everybody and that idea is being damd, that is fundamental issue,” he said.

“If I cant build an India based on freedom, human rights, inclusion, diversity, and if somebody tries to build an India opposite to this, I must fight,” Pitroda said.

'People need to go back to Gandhian principles'

Pitroda asserted that Gandhi’s mess is very important for world in prevailing circumstances and is only way for coming out of “crisis” prevailing around globe with democracy being undermined in several regions. People, he said, need to go back to Gandhian principles which are very fundamental — truth, trust, love, simplicity, inclusion, diversity, and n-violence. Pitroda also hit out at Modi government, alleging that current dispensation’s style of functioning is opposite to Gandhi principles.

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