The Ernakulam District Congress Committee, described as the important district committee in Kerala, and its young president Mohammed Shiyas have reasons to be happy. By Wednesday, it has been disclosed that many book publishing houses in the State have come forward offering books, either free of cost or at highly discounted rates, to the initiative by the Propaganda Wing of the party to make party cadres and workers read books.
“Leading publishers like Mathrubhumi, DC Books with umbilical connections with the Congress have come forward offering books at subsidised rates to the EDCC so that our party activists could read these books,” Shiyas told The Pioneer on Wednesday.
He said that the new generation is not fully aware of the contributions made by the Congress towards India’s freedom struggle and the role of party leaders like Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi in the development of the nation as a progressive liberal democracy. “Each Congressman should be able to address any public meeting or conclave with erudition. We have lined up a series of management development programme to intellectually strengthen party workers. The general feeling among the people is that Congress workers do not take the pain to learn issues. I am shocked how such notion crept into the minds of the people,” said Shiyas.
As part of the re-education campaign of the party, the Prachar Vibhag of the KPCC organised a meeting at Ernakulam which was addressed by well known writer and film personality John Paul. He explained to the party cadre about the significance of Congress in India’s development and progress. “It is impossible to see Congress and India as two separate identities. They are intertwined and one cannot visualise an India without Congress or vice versa,” Shiyas told the gathering.
Coming days will see economists, scientists, historians and literary figures addressing the Congress workers on a weekly basis. A committee of senior leaders would hold routine viva voce with young Congress workers to check the quality of their understanding about local, national and international affairs.
One of the book lovers who was elected as the winner in a book lottery gave away books worth Rs 6,000/- to the library to be set up by the EDCC. Coming days will see other DCCs replicating the Ernakulam models in their districts to mould new breed of party workers.
The district committees are also planning exclusive sessions for party workers with former president of the AICC Rahul Gandhi MP and Priyanka Gandhi. Despite the claims by some sections that the Congress has lost its fighting power, the party is alive and kicking in Kerala, sans any fanfare.