Women empowerment organisation: The women reservation bill has been in the court for long. As a Congress leader, what are your thoughts on it, and how are you going to deal with it? In India, it is very hard for women for the safety issue (they face), so what are we going to offer the next generation of the girls in India?

Rahul Gandhi: We are committed to the women reservation bill. We wanted to pass it in the last government. But some of our allies were not too happy with it, and they didn’t give us the support for that bill. But I’m confident (that) when we come to power we’ll pass that bill. Part of the answer to your second question lies in the first question. If we empower women, if we involve women in the political system, if we give women space in the governance of the country, if we give women space in the businesses of the country, we will automatically make them safer. So, involving them in politics, involving them in business, in running the country is the way to give them power.

Tamil community organisation: Like United States of America, what’s your thought on making India a true united states of India?

Rahul Gandhi: The definition of India in the Constitution is a union of states. And within our constitution, is the idea that the languages, cultures, histories of each one of our states has to be protected under the union. What you are talking about is already there in our constitution. The BJP and the RSS is attacking that idea and also the constitution. That’s the fact. For me personally, I understand that the Tamil language is more than a language to Tamil people. It is not just a language it is their history, it is culture, it their way of life. And I will never ever allow Tamil language to be threatened. Because for me, threatening the Tamil language is to threaten the idea of India. Just like threatening Bengali, or threatening Kannada, or threatening Hindi, threatening Punjabi are all attacks on that idea. Our strength, unlike many other countries, comes from out diversity, from accepting that we are all different but we can work together. And that is the idea that, I’m sure, you and the Congress party are protecting.

Ambekarite community: What is the plan of the Indian nation Congress uproot the economic and social inequality which creates the condition for fascism in the Indian subcontinent and also the global level?

Rahul Gandhi: When we were in the government, we had carried out a caste census, and the idea behind it was to take an X-ray of Indian society to find out what are the exact demographics of the country. Because without understanding our demographics, … who is who, it is very difficult to distribute wealth, power effectively. And we are putting pressure on the BJP government to release the numbers in the caste census — they are of course not doing it yet — and we’ll continue to apply pressure. And if we come to power, we will do that. But we are committed as the Congress party to make India a fair place. And we understand deeply that India today, in terms of its treatment of Dalits, tribals, poor people, minorities, is not a fair place. And there are many many things that can be done. There is the Nyay scheme which was aimed at providing a minimum income to all Indians, there are ideas like MNREGA. I think an increase in public education, increase in public healthcare. These can all be done to make India a much more equal and fair place.

Christian community: The Lok Sabha seats is increasing to 888. It is going to be entirely based on population. It is going to tilt the orientation towards the highly populous states giving them more and more lion's share of revenues and everything. What’s your take on it?

Rahul Gandhi: I’d have to look at exactly how they are thinking about doing it. But I think one has to be very, very carefully when once changes the representative structure of a country. So, I’d be quite interested to understand how they have come up with the number (888), what are the criteria they are using. These things should not be done flippantly. India is a conversation, India is a negotiation between its languages, its people, between its histories and cultures and that negotiation has to be fair. All parts of India should feel that there is fairness in the process of negotiation. If I see how they are coming up with the number (888), and what is the design, then I would be able to answer whether I agree with the number. But I haven’t seen the way they are calculating it. In think the Parliament House (etc.)... these are all distractions. The real issues in India are unemployment, price rise, spread of anger and hatred, crumbling education system, price of education, price of healthcare… these are the real issues. The BJP cannot discuss them, so then they have to do the whole sceptre thing.

Muslim community: Muslims (in India) have the security threat today as there was never before. What strategy are you willing to adopt or what hope are giving to Indian Muslims which is going to change the whole thing to the point where we were, and get back to the normal stream to develop India?

Rahul Gandhi: The best way for me to explain that is the line: Nafrat ki bazar mein mohabbat ki dukaan -- that is the best way I can say. It (the atrocities) is felt more strongly by the Muslim community because it is done most directly to them. But in fact, it being done to all minorities. The way you are feeling attacked, I can guarantee you my Sikh brothers are feeling the same thing, I can guarantee you my Christian brothers and sisters are feeling the same thing, I can guarantee you the Dalit community is feeling the same thing, tribal community is feeling the same thing. In fact, anybody who is poor in India today, when he looks at the extreme wealth in the hands of limited people, in a way he feels the same thing you feel. They think what is going on that how these five people has lakhs of crores but I have nothing to eat...You feel it most because it is directed at you most aggressively. And you cannot cut hatred with hatred. It is impossible... Also I want to point out another thing: This happens periodically in India. What is happening to Muslims in India today happened to Dalits in 1980s. We have to fight it with affection, not with hatred. We will do that.

Students' community: We want to go back to India and represent our country. But we see the way the athletes, the youths, the wrestlers, were treated in the recent time is very undignified, we feel very discouraged. What would you say to us to bring the sense of wanting to go back to our country?

Rahul Gandhi: There is a huge distortion. India is not what the media shows. The media likes to show a particular narrative, that is not what is going on in India. It was very clear to me in the Yatra. It was in the media’s interest to show those things, it helps the BJP. So don’t think everything you see in the media is the truth. And as a young person, your country needs you. Your skills and your energy will be very useful to the country. So if you feel like going back, do go back and help out.

Women’s safety to inequality: 6 questions Rahul Gandhi answered in interaction with Indian diaspora in California

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi Wednesday addressed a gathering of the Indian diaspora in Santa Clara, California, in the US, and at the end of his speech took six questions from the audience.

Taking a dig at the BJP, Gandhi quipped no question answer session would ever take place in a BJP meeting. “No questions there, only answers,” he said jokingly.

Here are the 6 questions Rahul Gandhi answered in his interaction with Indian diaspora in California

01
Women empowerment organisation: The women reservation bill has been in the court for long. As a Congress leader, what are your thoughts on it, and how are you going to deal with it? In India, it is very hard for women for the safety issue (they face), so what are we going to offer the next generation of the girls in India?
Rahul Gandhi: We are committed to the women reservation bill. We wanted to pass it in the last government. But some of our allies were not too happy with it, and they didn’t give us the support for that bill. But I’m confident (that) when we come to power we’ll pass that bill.

Part of the answer to your second question lies in the first question. If we empower women, if we involve women in the political system, if we give women space in the governance of the country, if we give women space in the businesses of the country, we will automatically make them safer. So, involving them in politics, involving them in business, in running the country is the way to give them power.
02
Tamil community organisation: Like United States of America, what’s your thought on making India a true united states of India?
Rahul Gandhi: The definition of India in the Constitution is a union of states. And within our constitution, is the idea that the languages, cultures, histories of each one of our states has to be protected under the union. What you are talking about is already there in our constitution. The BJP and the RSS is attacking that idea and also the constitution. That’s the fact. For me personally, I understand that the Tamil language is more than a language to Tamil people. It is not just a language it is their history, it is culture, it their way of life. And I will never ever allow Tamil language to be threatened. Because for me, threatening the Tamil language is to threaten the idea of India. Just like threatening Bengali, or threatening Kannada, or threatening Hindi, threatening Punjabi are all attacks on that idea. Our strength, unlike many other countries, comes from out diversity, from accepting that we are all different but we can work together. And that is the idea that, I’m sure, you and the Congress party are protecting.
03
Ambekarite community: What is the plan of the Indian nation Congress uproot the economic and social inequality which creates the condition for fascism in the Indian subcontinent and also the global level?
Rahul Gandhi: When we were in the government, we had carried out a caste census, and the idea behind it was to take an X-ray of Indian society to find out what are the exact demographics of the country. Because without understanding our demographics, … who is who, it is very difficult to distribute wealth, power effectively. And we are putting pressure on the BJP government to release the numbers in the caste census — they are of course not doing it yet — and we’ll continue to apply pressure. And if we come to power, we will do that. But we are committed as the Congress party to make India a fair place. And we understand deeply that India today, in terms of its treatment of Dalits, tribals, poor people, minorities, is not a fair place. And there are many many things that can be done. There is the Nyay scheme which was aimed at providing a minimum income to all Indians, there are ideas like MNREGA. I think an increase in public education, increase in public healthcare. These can all be done to make India a much more equal and fair place.
04
Christian community: The Lok Sabha seats is increasing to 888. It is going to be entirely based on population. It is going to tilt the orientation towards the highly populous states giving them more and more lion's share of revenues and everything. What’s your take on it?
Rahul Gandhi: I’d have to look at exactly how they are thinking about doing it. But I think one has to be very, very carefully when once changes the representative structure of a country. So, I’d be quite interested to understand how they have come up with the number (888), what are the criteria they are using. These things should not be done flippantly. India is a conversation, India is a negotiation between its languages, its people, between its histories and cultures and that negotiation has to be fair. All parts of India should feel that there is fairness in the process of negotiation. If I see how they are coming up with the number (888), and what is the design, then I would be able to answer whether I agree with the number. But I haven’t seen the way they are calculating it.

In think the Parliament House (etc.)... these are all distractions. The real issues in India are unemployment, price rise, spread of anger and hatred, crumbling education system, price of education, price of healthcare… these are the real issues. The BJP cannot discuss them, so then they have to do the whole sceptre thing.
05
Muslim community: Muslims (in India) have the security threat today as there was never before. What strategy are you willing to adopt or what hope are giving to Indian Muslims which is going to change the whole thing to the point where we were, and get back to the normal stream to develop India?
Rahul Gandhi: The best way for me to explain that is the line: Nafrat ki bazar mein mohabbat ki dukaan -- that is the best way I can say. It (the atrocities) is felt more strongly by the Muslim community because it is done most directly to them. But in fact, it being done to all minorities. The way you are feeling attacked, I can guarantee you my Sikh brothers are feeling the same thing, I can guarantee you my Christian brothers and sisters are feeling the same thing, I can guarantee you the Dalit community is feeling the same thing, tribal community is feeling the same thing. In fact, anybody who is poor in India today, when he looks at the extreme wealth in the hands of limited people, in a way he feels the same thing you feel. They think what is going on that how these five people has lakhs of crores but I have nothing to eat...You feel it most because it is directed at you most aggressively. And you cannot cut hatred with hatred. It is impossible... Also I want to point out another thing: This happens periodically in India. What is happening to Muslims in India today happened to Dalits in 1980s. We have to fight it with affection, not with hatred. We will do that.
06
Students' community: We want to go back to India and represent our country. But we see the way the athletes, the youths, the wrestlers, were treated in the recent time is very undignified, we feel very discouraged. What would you say to us to bring the sense of wanting to go back to our country?
Rahul Gandhi: There is a huge distortion. India is not what the media shows. The media likes to show a particular narrative, that is not what is going on in India. It was very clear to me in the Yatra. It was in the media’s interest to show those things, it helps the BJP. So don’t think everything you see in the media is the truth. And as a young person, your country needs you. Your skills and your energy will be very useful to the country. So if you feel like going back, do go back and help out.