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In tune with the times
Many young netas from the region feel that the archaic guidelines need to be junked, report
Naveen Garewal, Shubhadeep Choudhry &
Geetanjali Gayatri
IT
should be left to the Congressmen to decide what attire they want to
wear. Khadi is my favourite. During pre-Independence times, use of
khadi was emphasised because there was no alternative. The idea was to
benefit our own economy and people while discouraging use of British
goods. Now, with everything manufactured within our own country,
choosing it should be a matter of preference. —
Deepinder Hooda, MP
from Rohtak.
Before Independence,
swadeshi was a religion for the Indians. The emphasis on khadi was
Gandhiji’s way of promoting our own handloom industry and boycotting
British goods. This made donning khadi the done thing those days. In
the changed times, a lot of options are open and we must make a
concession to that. There can be no comparison between the 1947
movement for freedo and the times of 2007. — Randeep Singh
Surjewala, Haryana Power Minister
The Indian National
Congress was formed with a view to fight the British. Use of khadi and
refraining fro alcohol were merely the media to succeed in this fight.
In the 21st century, when obsolete laws can be amended, why
should the Congressmen live in the past?
Rahul Gandhi’s
suggestion is very "forward-looking". It is best to learn
from the past and push forward instead of adopting a hypocritical
stance. — Kiran Chaudhary, Minister of State for Tourism, Haryana
— G.G.
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Khadi
was promoted by the Congress as a part of Mahatma Gandhi’s aim
to support rural weavers. He wanted all patriotic Indians to
wear only khadi. In India public figures and politicians are
expected to abstain from taking alcohol. It is a good tradition.
— Raghubir Singh
Kadiyan, Haryana Assembly Speaker
Clothes and
abstinence from alcohol are external factors. The merit of a
politician should not be judged on either of the two criteria. A
politician or anyone holding an important public office should
refrain from drinking publicly because people reaching high
positions were often considered role models by many people.
Drinking might send a wrong message. After one drink too many, a
politician can speak loosely, with disastrous consequences. — Karan
Singh Dalal, Congress MLA and Chairman, Administrative Reforms
Commission
Khadi has lost its
significance in the current era. Gandhi promoted it during the
freedom movement to support to the rural cottage industry. The
situation has vastly changed since then. The party prescribed
abstinence from alcohol and members should follow this principle
in letter and spirit. — Dharampal Malik, Congress MLA —
S.C. |
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In
today’s world you have to be practical. Behaviour and
dress code should be in tune with the changing times. Being
hypocritical and doing something that you don’t believe is
nothing but fooling yourself and the most important thing in
life is to be true to yourself. If you drink then why must you
do it in hiding? Homespun cotton has its utility in summers but
some times wearing western clothes is more appropriate. The
first impression is the last impression, therefore, why not be
at your smartest best, even if it means wearing modern and
western clothes? Rahul Gandhi has proved to be a practical in
his thoughts and I welcome it.
—
Sukhpal Singh Kahira, the young Congress MLA from Bholath
(Kapurthala) who defeated Bibi Jagir Kaur
Rahul
Gandhi has taken a bold stand and started a debate within the
party which needs to be applauded. Having lived most of my life
in the UK, I have seen people from India and other countries
integrate with the rest of the world by adopting western attire.
Similarly when you see Chinese in Washington, you find they are
impeccably dressed. Our leaders too must be presentable for any
national or international forum. We have the advantage of being
English speaking; now we must also be flexible about the dress
code. As far as drinking is concerned, it is difficult to impose
a policy decision on the subject, but being practical is more
important than being hypocritical. Rahul Gandhi has taken a
pragmatic position on the issue, which most youngsters like me
support. However, there is a need for caution here and the
leadership has to ensure that the freedom to drink does not mean
compromising with discipline within the ranks.
—
Jassi Khangura, Congress M.L.A from Qila Raipur, who returned to
India after 44 years in the UK
— N.G. |
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