Manmohan-led Cong panel on India @75 to expose those who sided with British

Aditi Tandon

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, September 7

Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh-led Congress committee to mark 75 years of India’s independence met on Tuesday and decided to hold events starting October 2 to salute freedom fighters and expose those who sided with the British.

The committee comprising former Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar, former defence minister AK Antony, Ambika Soni, Ghulam Nabi Azad, Bhupinder Singh Hooda, Mukul Wasnik, Pramod Tiwari, Pradyut Bordoloi and KR Ramesh Kumar met for over two hours at the residence of Singh today.

The members said while it was imperative to recall the sacrifices of freedom fighters and highlight how the British divided India into castes and religions to rule, “it was equally important to expose the role of people who sided with the British”.

Separate sub groups will be formed to plan events, sources said after the first meeting of the panel constituted by Congress president Sonia Gandhi.

The meeting also decided to plan events to highlight how a corporate conglomerate, the East India Company, took control of the country starting 1857, and underline the looming dangers of corporatisation.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has occasionally compared the ruling BJP to the East India Company, accusing it of profiting big business at the cost of the poor and party leaders have often accused Bharatiya Jana Sangh founder Syama Prasad Mookerjee of siding with the British and opposing the Quit India movement.

The Congress’ anti RSS position will also be articulated in the events it plans during year long celebrations of India @75.

The party will also hold events at places associated with the freedom movement including Prayagraj, Sabarmati Ashram and Champaran.

“We must dedicate ourselves to the cause of freedom,” Singh said at the meeting.