JAIPUR: In his first address after being appointed vice-president of the Congress, Rahul Gandhi on Sunday spoke of the anger of the youth saying they feel alienated from the political class and demanded a complete transformation of the system to give them a role in the political space.

Addressing the AICC session in Jaipur, he made an emotional speech in which he said “the Congress Party is now my life and people of India are my life.”

“I will fight for the people of India and for this party. I will fight with everything I have. I invite all of you to stand up and take on this fight,” he said to a thunderous applause and a standing ovation from nearly thousand delegates at the AICC that included his mother and Congress president Sonia Gandhi, Prime Minister Manohan Singh, union ministers and top party leaders.

After the speech, Rahul hugged his mother and later the Prime Minister, while other senior leaders greeted him, with some of them giving him a warm embrace.

Echoing the concerns expressed by his mother to the conclave on Friday in which she underscored the need to respond to the “more aspirational and more impatient” youth and urban middle classes, Rahul posed a question: “Why are the youth angry.”

“They are angry because they are alienated from the political class. They watch from the sidelines as the powerful drive in lal battis (cars with red beacon). We need to meet their urgent demands of jobs,” he said.

Rahul said only a handful of people control the political space and power is highly centralised. “We don’t empower people at the bottom. People feel they are outside of the system. That happens because we don’t respect knowledge. We respect only positions. If you don’t have position, you mean nothing.

“Why people are angry. Because they are alienated from the system,. Their voices are trampled upon. All our systems — justice, education, political, administration — are designed to keep people with knowledge out. Mediocrity dominates discussions,” he said in his 40-minute speech that was repeatedly cheered by party leaders. — PTI

Introspect why people should vote for us, Sonia tells party men 

JAIPUR: Congress chief Sonia Gandhi on Sunday said people were getting disillusioned with the political process and urged party workers to introspect why people should vote for them. 

“We must accept that people are getting disillusioned with the political process. We must introspect why they should vote for the party,” Sonia Gandhi told the All-India Congress Committee session on the final day of the ‘Chintan Shivir’ (brainstorming meet) in Jaipur. 

“Our answers should be clear and we have to explain it to people with simplicity and confidence,” she said. 

Sonia Gandhi also urged party workers to oppose those who levelled false allegations on politicians, parties and institutions. 

The Congress chief also suggested a rethink on electoral reforms, especially political funding, saying she would set up a group in the party to examine the issue and suggest an action plan. 

Calling corruption a “deep rooted malice”, the Congress president said the party must lead the ‘struggle’ to counter its effect. 

“Let me reiterate corruption at all levels is a deep rooted malice and all sections of society are affected by it. As a party we must lead struggle to combat its effect,” Sonia Gandhi said at the party’s ‘Chintan Shivir’ in Jaipur. 

The ‘Chintan Shivir’, the Congress’ introspective meet, began here on January 18 and will conclude on Sunday. 

The Congress president said corruption was the main concern of the nation when the party held its session at Burari in July 2011. 

Gandhi said that a five-point agenda to deal with corruption was given and the party has moved on with it. 

The key among the steps taken was introducing the Lokpal Bill in Parliament and introducing more transparency in the process of allocating natural resources, said the Congress president. 

“We have introduced path-breaking legislation for grievance redressal, whistle blowers, and the historic ‘apka paisa apke hath’ (your money in your hands, the direct cash transfer scheme) initiative,” she said. 

The Congress president targeted the youth, women and the middle class in the party’s quest for widening its base ahead of the Lok Sabha elections. 

Opening the AICC session, she also made some plain speaking to her partymen saying they should not indulge in nepotism and should show unity to face the challenge of elections which are 15 months away. 

She said party leaders should work for the welfare of all and not restrict themselves to their "favourites". 

“I am sure if we make the right efforts with unity, there is no doubt in my mind why we will not get the mandate again,” she said. 

Gandhi said she was happy with the participation of the younger colleagues in the brain storming conclave and hoped that it will help the party project new leadership. — Agencies

JAIPUR: Asserting that the recent beheading of the Indian soldier along LoC has cast a “negative impact” on bilateral ties, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Sunday asked Pakistan to reciprocate India’s efforts for friendship with it. 

“We take a consistent review of our ties with Pakistan. The incident has cast a negative impact on our ties. We will take steps with care and due consideration,” he said addressing a meeting of AICC in Jaipur. 

“We want friendship with Pakistan. They should also make efforts in this regard. It is not possible only with our efforts,” the Prime Minister said. 

His remarks were greeted with applause from the gathering of delegates at AICC meeting which was presided by party chief Sonia Gandhi. — PTI

NEW DELHI: Asserting that it will not be influenced by "jingoistic conversations" in sections of the media, the government said on Sunday the peace process with Pakistan was back on track "considerably" but made it clear that "atmospherics" have to be right to move forward.

External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid, while underlying that it is sensible not to hasten and rush into things, also denied that the government has been boxed into a corner over the ceasefire violations at the line of control and the beheading of an Indian soldier by Pakistani troops.

"It is unfortunate that out of context debates take place in media. But the media is free. You have to take the good and bad of the media if you believe in a free society. But we are not going to be influenced necessarily by jingoistic conversations that take place on some sections of the media," Khurshid told Karan Thapar on CNN IBN's Devil's Advocate programme.

He said that the recent talks between directors-general of military operations (DGMOs) of both countries were a "positive signal".

When asked if the peace process has been put on hold, the minister said, "I don't think so. I think the peace process is going well. What are indications is we have got back on track quite a bit. I don't even know to what extent we had gone off track but certainly there was a sense that we were slipping.

"We have got back on track considerably. That is a good sign and we would want that to continue. But obviously time would tell if we are back on track or not."

On India's reluctance to Pakistan Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar's offer for talks, Khurshid said "atmospherics" need to improve.

"What we need to do is to ensure that multi-dimensionally the atmospherics improve. We did hit a low point obviously a few days ago and I think it is important that we get back to a level of atmospherics that can be described as near normal (in which) the LoC remains peaceful and there is no incident that is counter-productive and then we can think of moving forward in a meaningful way," he said. — PTI

MUMBAI: Pacemaker Jackson Kiprop of Uganda and rookie Valentine Kipketer of Kenya set new course records on their way to the men and women's titles respectively in the $350,000 10th Standard Chartered Mumbai Marathon here today.

Debutant Kiprop, who was supposed to set the pace in the closing stages, overcame a strong field that included defending men's champion Laban Moiben of Kenya to storm to the finish line in 2 hours, 9 minutes and 32 seconds, thus dipping under the two-year-old course mark of 2:09:54.

The victory made the 26-year-old richer by USD 55,000 which included the USD 15,000 bonus for breaking the record.

In second place was Jacob Cheshari of Ethiopia who, too, bettered the previous course mark by finishing in a fast 2:09:43, while Elijah Kemboi came third in 2:10:03.

Last year's winner and pre-race favourite Moiben was 5th in 2:10:55.

Kiprop, who is the training partner for London Olympics men's marathon champion Stephen Kiprotich, said he came here straight after his three-month-long training stint with the Olympic gold medallist in Kenya and it stood him in good stead.

"This is my first marathon. I have been training with Kiprotich in Kenya. I came here straight after training with him for the last three months. I started running in half marathons in 2005. This year, I have started my full marathon," said Kiprop, who won USD 40,000 as winner besides the bonus for breaking the course record.

Asked about the conditions, Kiprop said the weather was cool initially and became a bit hot towards the end.

The men's race, in comparison to the women's in which 20-year-old Kipketer destroyed the field with front running from 20km out, was a close one with the bunch of nine, including Moiben, leading the field from the halfway stage --the Rajiv Gandhi Sea Link in Bandra.

Kiprop and Cheshari stepped on the pace just after Kemp's corner flyover on the return leg and the former pushed further ahead of the rest on the Marine Drive stretch before breasting the tape well ahead of the Ethiopian.

Both Cheshari and third-placed Kenmboi said the weather was good.

Women's champion Kipketer, for whom this is her second marathon after the Hamburg race in April 2012, said she had no complaints about the weather or the course. She said she could better her time in Germany where the conditions were much cooler as she drank more water during the race.

"The weather (in Mumbai) was good, no complaints about the weather or course. I am very happy to break the course record. But I can do better in future, do 2:20. I drank more water too than in Hamburg.

"My time here is a big improvement on the 2:28 I did in Hamburg," she added.

In fact, she was the odd person out among the top ten finishers, the rest being Ethiopians, and won USD 55,000 in all, including the bonus for breaking the course mark. The results (Top 6):

Men: 1. Jackson Kiprop (Uga) 2:09:32, 2. Jacob Cheshari (Eth) 2:09:43,3. Elijah Kemboi (Ken) 2:10:03, 4. Abraham Girma (Eth) 2:10:15, 5.Laban Moiben (Ken) 2:10.55, 6. Abay Tadesse (Eth) 2:14.14.

Women: 1. Valentine Kipketer (Ken) 2:24:33, 2. Dinkesh Mekash (Eth)2:28:46, 3. Aberu Mekuria (Eth) 2:29:03, 4. Fantu Jimma (Eth) 2:30:22,5. Yeshimebet Tadesse (Eth) 2:30:52, 6. Megra Marta (Eth) 2:31:01. — PTI