Expressing deep anguish at the developments in Assam and its aftermath in some parts of the country, United Progressive Alliance chairperson Sonia Gandhi on Sunday asked the Central and State governments to act with an iron hand against those vitiating communal harmony.
Speaking at the 20th Rajiv Gandhi National Sadbhavana Award here, Ms. Gandhi said the challenges before the country were that of unity and harmony and the developments in Assam were a matter of deep sorrow and anxiety. She called for expeditious action against the guilty irrespective of their social standing.
Similarly all should condemn the kind of treatment that was meted out to the people of the north-east in some parts of the country.
‘Service to mankind’
Emphasising that the country belongs to all its citizens, Ms. Gandhi said all had the freedom to reside wherever they wished to. Social unity was of prime requisite for maintaining such an environment, she said, and doing so was an act of service to mankind.
Stating that enemies of social communal harmony posed the biggest challenge to the country since Independence, she said those who fought them were the true patriots.
Award conferred on D.R. Mehta
Conferring the award on founder and chief patron of the Bhagwan Mahavir Vikalang Sahayata Samiti, Jaipur, D.R. Mehta, Ms. Gandhi said Rajiv Gandhi relentlessly fought against social and communal tensions and hatred, and treading that path he sacrificed his life.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said Rajiv Gandhi played a major role in India’s growth story, always striving for unity among countrymen, peace, tolerance and harmony without which development was not possible.
He recalled Rajiv Gandhi’s new initiatives for environment protection and the country’s unity and said these would continue to inspire the country and people for a better future.
Keywords: Sonia Gandhi, Manmohan Singh, Rajiv Gandhi National Sadbhavna Award Function, Assam violence, Assam exodus, Assam ethnic violence
I think that the statement is made very very late. It is made after
studying the impact it may have on vote bank in 2014 elections. Even
now there is no action from the Central government except shallow
statements for record purposes. I think that the government is
forgetting that it is nearer to hostile territories. We are
forgetting Kautiliyam totally for good governance and the policies to
be adopted for border states. Vote bank politics will only weaken the
credibility of the government. Let there be no vote bank politics
with borders states. Is some one hearing??
Thanks Soniaji.
My heart goes out to the people of North East. We are one people;
the whole community should come together and defeat this evil
propaganda. The country has a serious in balance in labor force.
Kerala for example has a serious shortage of labor force in building
construction, farming , food service etc. Most of the larger cities
has serious shortages of service sector labor. It is good for
everyone to fill in these shortages.
We should not wait for our politicians to make decisions; community
and social forums should take the first steps to support our people
no matter which state they are from.
If the whole episode was created to falsely show off the prowess of some entity or to engage the attention of the people away from other serious macro economic challenges it is a waste of resources.Good judgement should prevail to keep off such temptations in the Government to keep on track till 2014 to gain the good will of Indian people through sincere efforts to better the nation.
It has created so much unrest among the people from the north east. Its more than a week, State police and center should have to assure people about there safety in the southern states.
Rumour is mongered on a very large scale by some miscreants. This seems to be another type of terrorism which caused terror among north easter people and forced them to leave.
Intelligence branch got late in finding out the source of the rumours but now achieved some sort of success.
People should not have to panic with such rumours and try to remain calm in such situation.
Center along with state governments should have to take it on priority and must have to sort out the problems of the north eastern people.
what a quick response and brave statement from Soniaji after two weeks
of exodus of north eastern people. It should have come the day of
mumbai violence or the day the violence started in assam.
We can't afford to wait for the politicians to respond to the crisis
like situations. We the people of the country should feel united and
should have provided solace to the terrified brothrens of our country
from fleeing the cities of chennai, pune, bangalore and hyderabad.
This has not happened shows the civic fabric of our city formerly
called as "civic sense" among the citizens got eroded long back. It is
time we do some thing to re-surrect the city centres and debates to
identify ourselves with the city of our belonging.
India is for every Indian, as Cities are for all the Citizens; the
elected representatives of the Cities, the councillors and Mayors what
are they doing? are the not supposed to come out in open to support
the citizens in the hour of sorrow and fear as the first Citizen?
Strange. The congress present chose to remain silent on the subject so long and suddenly wakes up when the din appears dying.
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