Congress considering appointing 'anti-Sangh' workers to counter RSS

Congress is considering a proposal to appoint “anti-Sangh” pointsmen at block level across the country to counter RSS ‘pracharaks’ working at the local level and attract them to the party and politicise them, sources said on Friday.

The suggestion for appointing such ‘karyakartas’ is part of discussion points prepared by a committee on social justice led by senior leader Salman Khurshid for the three-day Chintan Shivir where the party is discussing ways to move forward.

Half of party positions should be earmarked for Dalits, tribals, OBCs and minorities and adequate representation of the third gender and prompting women leaders who have spent five years at leadership positions in SC, ST, OBC and minority departments and Mahila Congress should be given representation in main party committees are among other suggestions.

Sources said the panel has suggested an “intensive study across India to inform social re-engineering” and has suggested a series of surveys to systematically study and map the demographics, identities and issues and political representation pattern of Dalits, tribals, OBCs and minorities.

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After the study, the inputs should be used by the AICC as well as state and district units for elections and shaping the political climate in their respective areas. This task should be completed within one year of the Chintan Shivir, the concept note has said.

Based on such a study, sources said, the SC, ST, OBC and minority departments of the party should identify and appoint “key stakeholders and community leaders at the block level to counter RSS pracharaks.”

These karyakartas must speak the local language, and be trained in social media, booth management etc, sources quoted from the panel recommendations.

The panel also has suggested that the party should force “alliances of equality” like in the freedom struggle. It said the Congress needs to address the concerns of the marginalised and resist the attacks on Constitutional rights “boldly”.

The idea of bringing out position papers on contentious issues that have an impact on the life of SCs, STs, OBCs and minorities to clarify Congress position and articulate specific demands to the government will also be discussed at the session. Twenty suggested topics include subjects like “Uniform Civil Code, Population Control Bill, BJP’s misuse and weaponisation of Hinduism, Adivasi versus Vanvasi, River Linking projects as it adversely impacts adivasi lives” among others.

At a time the BJP is winning massively in reserved seats, the panel has suggested a leadership development programme in SC and ST reserved constituencies. The envisaged programme has twin objectives – strengthen the party organisation up to the booth level and promotion of leaders at the block level who will work at village level to expand Congress outreach among SC ST OBC and minority communities. The programme should be called Leadership Development Mission in Reserved Constituencies.

The panel has also suggested a Social Justice Advisory Council to the Congress president. There should also be a Sadbhavana Mission to expand Congress' outreach among the marginalised sections.

It has also suggested that the SC, ST, OBC and minority departments of the Congress should be given the status of frontal organisations.