Edited extract from Congress President's editorial, "Letter to CongressWorkers", from the August 2007 issue of Congress Sandesh
We have much to be proud of as a nation on the 61st Independence Day. Over the past 60 years India has overcome many problems and made great achievements...
The UPA government has concentrated both on economic growth and putting in place policies that make growth inclusive. No other government in recent years has increased social sector spending like the UPA government. We have consistently pointed out the need to reach out to those who are being left behind through policy initiatives such as the NREGA, the Bharat Nirman programme, the Sarva Shikha Abhiyan and the focus on overall rural health and infrastructure development. The UPA government while recognising the need for industrialisation is determined to put in place a comprehensive rehabilitation policy that will address the needs of those forced to relocate or those who lose their lands...
The monsoons have brought with them hardships to large numbers of people in many parts of the country. The loss of life and property is tragic and the UPA government has promised help where necessary to meet the immediate needs of food and shelter. Managing our water resources and our rivers is a pressing need for the country and closely linked to the overall issue of protecting our environment. The damage caused by natural disasters is often exacerbatered by manmade degredation and pollution. Judicious and intelligent management of climate change is another goal before us.
This month India and the United States have signed the historic 123 agreement that lifts the decades old embargo agaisnt nuclear trade with India. This will allow India to expand its energy sector to meet the growing demands of our economic growth and put an end to the power shortages that we are all familiar with. It will help us expand power generation for our agricultural sector and our growing industrial sector. Throughout the negotiations with the USA, Parliament, our UPA allies, the Left parties and the Opposition parties have been kept informed. We have negotiated with America keeping our national interest in the forefront and India’s nuclear defence programme has been in no way undermined. This agreement is recognition of the achievements of India’s scientists who have worked dilligently to keep our indigenous nuclear programme alive. We congratulate Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his team of able negotiators who have hammered a treaty that satisfies all the conditions laid out before Parliament, and brought home an agreement that is in the long term interests of India.
And finally, Parliament is once again in session and we hope that our MPs will take their duties seriously and attend Parliament regularly. We also hope that the opposition will use Parliament to air their differences and we will see less unnecessary House adjournments that waste precious time and the taxpayers’ money.
