For Bharat Jodo Yatra, Congress joins hands with civil society personalities who bashed party during UPA rule

By Siddharth Sharma
New Delhi [India], August 22 (ANI): The Congress, which was on the receiving end of the campaign by NGOs in the UPA-II government over allegations of corruption that played a role in its ouster, has now reached out to the civil society groups for support and engagement during the Bharat Jodo Yatra.
The Congress-led UPA-I government also had apparently faced some policy frictions due to the role and thrust laid by non-governmental organisations.
Sonia Gandhi, who chose not to become Prime Minister, chaired the National Advisory Council during 10 years of the UPA government and the opposition parties accused it of being a "super cabinet" over its role in policy formulations.
There had been debates that some NAC recommendations were seen by some UPA ministers as not being helpful towards the goal of the country achieving faster economic growth.
There were strong suggestions from within the government that the Right to Information should not be made so strong that it makes the task of running administration difficult and cumbersome.
A reason for perceived "policy paralysis" during the UPA-II government was the apparent differences within the government over some decisions. The Environment Ministry was seen to be playing a proactive role and some big investment decisions were impacted due to environmental concerns.
After the Environment Ministry rejected Vedanta's bid to mine bauxite in the Niyamgiri hills of Orissa in 2010, Rahul Gandhi congratulated the local tribal community and promised to stand shoulder to shoulder with them "in their fight against injustice".
Social workers and NGOs played a key role in the "movement against corruption" during the UPA-II government. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal then led an NGO and Congress leaders had even raised questions about its funding. Yoga Guru Baba Ramdev, social activist Anna Hazare and Medha Patkar were among those whose actions created an environment against the UPA government.
With Congress having registered its worst performance in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls and the party barely improving its tally in the 2019 elections, it has now decided to join hands with those who had opposed it in the past in its larger battle against the BJP.
For the Bharat Jodo Yatra, which will begin on September 7 from Kanyakumari, the party reached out to civil society groups for support and engagement with the five-month-long yatra.
A national conclave was attended by civil society organisations, movements, professionals and unions.
The conclave engaged in substantive discussions and expressed broad solidarity with the Bharat Jodo Yatra, which will last about five months.
Party leader Digvijay Singh, who is coordinator of the Congress' Bharat Jodo Yatra, and Jairam Ramesh, the general secretary in-charge of the party's communications department, are seen to be behind the reach out to NGOs.
On the role of social organisations and NGOs during the UPA governments, Digvijay Singh said that schemes like MNREGA and farm loan waiver were instrumental in the party's success during the UPA years. He said the national food security law proved to be extremely useful in the fight against coronavirus. Admitting that the party may have been a victim due to RTI, he said the law is "good for the country and the society".
People like Aruna Rai, Yogendra Yadav, Medha Patkar who were active during the Anna Hazare movement, have also joined the campaign of Congress.
About 150 social and civil society organizations from across the country today welcomed the Bharat Jodo campaign in front of Rahul Gandhi.
Jairam Ramesh said that Socialists, Gandhians, Lohiaites, Leftists, Congress supporters and Congress critics are all part of this campaign.
To clear the air about the party's stance on the role of industry in development efforts, Rahul Gandhi has said that Congress is not against corporates but against monopolies as they work against the interest of the common man. (ANI)