Sonia Gandhi, who handed over the charge of Congress presidency to son Rahul on Saturday, bid an emotional goodbye as head of the party, recalling her unsure beginnings as a politician, the tragic circumstances that led to her entry into politics, and the personal assaults that Rahul has had to face from his political opponents.
“This is my last address to you as Congress president, as you face a new era under a new leadership. Nearly 20 years ago, when I stood before you to address you for the first time as your chosen president, I was so nervous that my hands were shaking,” Sonia said in the beginning of her speech.
She said it was through her marriage that she came into contact with politics, and spoke nostalgically about the influence of her mother-in-law and former prime minister Indira Gandhi on her. “Indiraji accepted me as a daughter and from her, I learned about the culture of this country, about those principles on which this nation was founded,” she said.
Sonia said when Indira was assassinated in 1984, it felt as if she had lost her own mother. “That catastrophe changed forever the course of my life,” she said, referring to her initial reluctance to let her husband Rajiv or her children to have anything to do with politics, which she had to give up.
“Then, just seven years after the death of Indiraji, my husband too was assassinated. I lost my anchor and my support,” said Sonia.
It was many years later that she could emerge from her shell, she said, referring to her decision to come into the Congress as she “came to feel that the Congress was facing a crisis, and the communal forces were gaining strength.”
“I felt that my turning away from this summons would negate the sacrifice of my mother-in-law's life and my husband's life. So I entered politics—to fulfil a duty to my family, party and country,” said Sonia.
She recalled the ups and downs that the Congress has seen in the last 20 years, when she has been Congress president, a time when it has been at the Centre for 10 years, and then faced its worst defeat in the Lok Sabha elections in 2014.
Sonia spoke about the Congress having lost several state elections since 2014, and said that the party faces a kind of challenge that it has never faced before.
In an obvious reference to the ruling dispensation, she said, “We are all witness to the daily attacks against freedom of speech and expression, against our culture of diversity, and its replacement with an atmosphere of suspicion and fear.”
On Rahul taking over from her, she said she was confident that a new and young leadership of the party will bring about the necessary changes. She said it would not be proper for her to praise Rahul as he is her son. “But this much I will say—while from his childhood, he has borne the experience of violence, the savage personal attacks he has confronted since entering politics has served to make him a brave and stout-hearted man,” she said, adding that she was proud of his “endurance and firmness.”
It was an emotional moment for both Sonia and Rahul, and the latter kissed her on the forehead after she finished her speech and returned to take her place on the dais.
The 71-year-old Sonia has been at the helm of affairs in the Congress for almost 20 years. Now, as she handed over charge to Rahul, there is intense speculation on her future role. Senior leaders says she will continue in a mentor-like role, and perhaps continue to be chairperson of the United Progressive Alliance as also chairperson of the Congress parliamentary party.
Meanwhile, daughter Priyanka Vadra termed as false reports that said Sonia would not contest the 2019 Lok Sabha elections from Raebareli, and that she would be the candidate. “There is no question of my contesting. My mother will be contesting from Raebareli,” Priyanka said on Saturday.
“My mother is the bravest woman I have seen. She faced a lot of difficulties,” she said.
Celebrations interrupt speech
Congress workers, in celebration mode as Rahul Gandhi took charge as party president, maintained a constant flurry of crackers going outside the AICC headquarters in Delhi. However, they were oblivious to the fact that the loud noise of the crackers had interrupted the speech of Sonia Gandhi inside the party office, and she waited for a letup in the decibel level to be able to continue.
Shortly after Sonia began her speech as she handed over the charge of the party presidency of the Congress to Rahul, party workers outside began bursting crackers, making her pause. She signalled to the leaders on the dais that she could not shout over the din.
“Band kara do na (Please make it stop),” she said to the leaders, and soon AICC general secretary Janardan Dwivedi announced from the stage that the bursting of crackers be stopped immediately. He instructed volunteers from Congress' Seva Dal to quickly go out and convey to the party workers that the sound of crackers was interrupting the function.
Sonia waited for a few minutes, but there was no letup in the noise level. She said to the leaders on the stage that if she would shout to be heard, her voice would go. When the bursting of crackers continued, Rahul swung into action, and asked his aides to do something about it. In the entire confusion, he came back to the stage and sat on the chair meant for Sonia. He soon realised his mistake and went back to his seat.
A few minutes later, there was finally a pause in the bursting of crackers, and Sonia continued with her speech.
