Rahul Gandhi's Chennai statement

I found this news item from The Hindu very interesting. Probably for the first time, we have a clear statement from Rahul Gandhi on what he thinks is the way ahead for Congress in Indian political economy. In some sense, it is a throwback to the "Garibi Hatao" Congress, but it is also packaged with new innovative inputs. Interesting times ahead for the Left.

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CHENNAI, September 10, 2009

NREGA gave the poor support in labour market: Rahul

Arguing that the Congress had a different view from that of other parties in India, Mr. Gandhi said, “On the one side you have the BJP and its view is of an ‘India Shining’ concept. They say: let us focus all our efforts on that India with opportunity and let us not worry about the India with no opportunity.”

On the other side are the Left parties, which focus on the India without opportunity and ignore the India with opportunity, according to Mr. Gandhi.

“That is the difference between the three formations. What we are saying is, we are going to bridge these two Indias. And we are going to make sure that this one India that is formed has opportunity for all.”.....

Underscoring the redistributive nature of welfare policies adopted by the UPA government, Mr. Gandhi said, “The idea is that you take the India of opportunity, you grow that India. Then you take some of the benefits and put them into the villages and thus engage and integrate that India into the first India.”

Mr. Gandhi said that in the effort to bridge the gap between the poor and the rich Indias, “NREGA is one such weapon we are using. Massive expansion of the education system is another weapon. Massive expansion of the health system is the third. Universal ID is the fourth weapon.”

(http://beta.thehindu.com/news/national/article18261.ece)