Congress works more but not good at marketing: Rahul Gandhi

The Bangalore conclave for the Congress youth manifesto brought together disparate youth from a cross section of society — including HIV/AIDS affected persons, the differently abled, panchayat representatives, entrepreneurs, researchers and social activists Among the issues raised by the youth was the need for more public toilets in the country, especially for women, the rehabilitation of victims of acid attacks, and creation of jobs.

The Congress is promising to introduce many of the youth’s demands in its 2014 election manifesto. “We need more opportunities in the political sphere, not help,” a young doctor was quoted as telling the Congress vice-president.  Rahul, while talking about opening up the political space, claimed that an opaque system for entry and promotion in the political field was primarily responsible for the absence of larger numbers of youth in politics.

The Congress leader stressed that change is about creating institutions and processes that empower people. “Building systems takes time, it is not as easy as it looks,” he said. Among the ideas that Rahul brought out at the conclave was opening up higher education, establishing strong ties between the education system and industry, and empowerment of women. “One of the biggest problems in our country is the lack of power women have and the way they are treated. If I want to bring about one change, it would be empowerment of women,” he said.