It's back to school for Congmen in Gujarat

In political wilderness for several years in Gujarat, the grand old party of India, the Congress, has sent its workers back to 'school' to learn the 'basics' before they set out to challenge the Narendra Modi regime in next year's Assembly election.

Their teachers include Union ministers, senior party leaders, experts and social activists.

As for the syllabus, it's a blend of didactic like the history of the Congress, targets and achievements of the Five Year Plans right from Jawaharlal Nehru days till now, and the rhetoric like secularism of the Congress as opposed to Modi's alleged communalism.

Then comes tactical issues, say, for instance, how to highlight the UPA government's flagship programmes like the National Rural Employment Guarantee scheme, National Rural Health Mission, et al.

Termed as 'Jana Mitra', these two days long training sessions are the brainchild of AICC general secretary and Congress Working Committee member BK Hari Prasad.

He told Business Standard: "It's not a routine programme. It is meant to galvanise, consolidate and educate party workers before putting them on the path of agitation against Modi government."

The last such training session was organised at Koba near Gandhinagar on Sunday. Playing the teachers were Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office Prithviraj Chavan, who spoke on the financial aid given by the UPA government at the Centre to the state government, and his ministerial colleague Suresh Pachauri, who dealt at length on the controversial Narmada issue.

BK Hari Prasad spoke on general political scenario in the country, while others dealt with different subjects like secularism.

As in a classroom, there are heated question-answer sessions. On Sunday, Pachauri faced the most number of questions with many agitated local Congress workers seeking clarification on the party's 'pro-Medha Patkar' and 'pro-Aamir Khan' position in the context of the controversies surrounding Narmada dam.

The Congress has organised several such training sessions in Gujarat in the last few months - at Ambaji, Dakot, and Rajkot, among others.

Several Union Ministers including Parliamentary Affairs Minister Priyaranjan Dasmunshi and Textiles Minister Shankarsinh Vaghela and senior party leaders like Ahmad Patel, Political Secretary to Congress President Sonia Gandhi, have participated in these programmes.

The party intends to cap them up with a massive rally led by Sonia Gandhi some time in August.