Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09CHENNAI294
2009-09-14 11:45:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Consulate Chennai
Cable title:
RAHUL TOURS TAMIL NADU, WATERING THE GRASSROOTS AND
how-toVZCZCXRO4859 RR RUEHAST RUEHBI RUEHCI RUEHDBU RUEHLH RUEHNEH RUEHPW DE RUEHCG #0294 2571145 ZNR UUUUU ZZH R 141145Z SEP 09 FM AMCONSUL CHENNAI TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 2472 RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI 3855 INFO RUCNCLS/ALL SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIA COLLECTIVE
UNCLAS CHENNAI 000294
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV SOCI IN
SUBJECT: RAHUL TOURS TAMIL NADU, WATERING THE GRASSROOTS AND
STIRRING CONTROVERSY
UNCLAS CHENNAI 000294
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV SOCI IN
SUBJECT: RAHUL TOURS TAMIL NADU, WATERING THE GRASSROOTS AND
STIRRING CONTROVERSY
1. (SBU) SUMMARY: Rahul Gandhi, the Congress Party's leader of the
future, toured Tamil Nadu cities and towns September 8-10, calling
on youth, entrepreneurs, farmers, weavers, fishermen, and Dalits to
support his party in the state. He urged these potential supporters
to bring Congress to power within five years, a bold vision, given
that it has been out of power in the state for 42 years. Gandhi's
decision to avoid seeking a meeting with Tamil Nadu's Chief Minister
upset many in the DMK, a Tamil-oriented party allied with Congress
at the Center, even though Rahul spoke of his admiration for the
state's octogenarian leader and the Congress Party's relationship
with the DMK. The tour was generally well-received, but it is only
the beginning of an uphill struggle to revive the Congress Party's
standing in Tamil Nadu, which in 1967 became the second state in
India to elect a non-Congress government. END SUMMARY.
Watering the grassroots
--------------
2. (U) All-India Congress Committee General Secretary Rahul Gandhi
toured Tamil Nadu September 8-11 in an attempt to widen his party's
base in a state long dominated by regional parties. Travelling
mostly by helicopter, Gandhi campaigned in several cities and towns
across the length and breadth of the state. He spoke with younger
Congress workers in closed-door meetings, reportedly urging them to
"connect with the grassroots... start from the rural folks...and
(encourage them to) rise from the ranks." He also reportedly tried
to instill confidence in young party workers by telling them that
Congress could come to power in Tamil Nadu "in five years" if the
party pulled together and attracted large sections of young people
who are not yet attached to any political party.
3. (U) Gandhi repeatedly underscored the need to develop young
Congress leaders in every ward and promised to build a party
organization that allows youth to contest and win positions of power
in the party. He also promised to eliminate the role money and
informal influence plays in these leadership contests.
Reaching out to new constituents
--------------
4. (U) Gandhi reached out to apolitical youth, students,
entrepreneurs, farmers, weavers, and fishermen in several meetings,
encouraging them to "join active politics.... join the Congress" and
"work . . . to achieve a superpower India." He expounded on this
theme at Chennai's prestigious Anna University, calling on youth to
bridge the "two Indias," one full of opportunities and the other
lacking even basic amenities.
5. (U) Gandhi not only preached the importance of speaking directly
to youth, he practiced it, as well. Unusually, many of Gandhi's
Youth Congress meetings had age limits for participants: 35 for
members and 45 for farmers and other laborers. News reporters
enjoyed pointing out that at a meeting in Thanjavur, 68-year-old
former Union Minister Mani Shankar Aiyar had to stand outside the
hall.
The meeting not taken
--------------
6. (SBU) While Gandhi's meetings and rallies generated headlines, a
non-meeting also generated significant amounts of column-inches in
the press. Unusually for Congress party leaders from the Center
visiting Tamil Nadu, Gandhi reportedly did not ask to pay a courtesy
call on the state's octogenarian Chief Minister, M. Karunanidhi,
although he did meet with the Governor. (The Chief Minister's DMK
party continues to be a key ally for the Congress Party in New Delhi
and Congress is the DMK's key coalition partner in the Tamil Nadu
state government.) Although Gandhi played down the non-meeting when
asked by reporters, stressing his admiration for Karunanidhi and the
strength of the Congress-DMK alliance, several journalists have told
us that Gandhi's intentions are clear: Congress intends, over the
long-term, to distance itself from its DMK ally and control its own
destiny in the state's politics.
Comment:
--------------
7. (SBU) Gandhi's high-profile visit signals that he has his sights
set on Tamil Nadu, a state where the reins of power are beginning to
move from the DMK's geriatric leadership to a younger generation.
Gandhi's visit may well help attract young people to the Congress
Party's fold in time for the elections to its youth wing in the
state, which are slated for later this year. Suffering from decades
of neglect and organizational laxity, however, the Congress Party
remains far from becoming a serious challenger to the state's
Tamil-centric parties in the near future, and will continue to
require strong alliances to remain relevant in state-level politics.
END COMMENT.
SIMKIN
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV SOCI IN
SUBJECT: RAHUL TOURS TAMIL NADU, WATERING THE GRASSROOTS AND
STIRRING CONTROVERSY
1. (SBU) SUMMARY: Rahul Gandhi, the Congress Party's leader of the
future, toured Tamil Nadu cities and towns September 8-10, calling
on youth, entrepreneurs, farmers, weavers, fishermen, and Dalits to
support his party in the state. He urged these potential supporters
to bring Congress to power within five years, a bold vision, given
that it has been out of power in the state for 42 years. Gandhi's
decision to avoid seeking a meeting with Tamil Nadu's Chief Minister
upset many in the DMK, a Tamil-oriented party allied with Congress
at the Center, even though Rahul spoke of his admiration for the
state's octogenarian leader and the Congress Party's relationship
with the DMK. The tour was generally well-received, but it is only
the beginning of an uphill struggle to revive the Congress Party's
standing in Tamil Nadu, which in 1967 became the second state in
India to elect a non-Congress government. END SUMMARY.
Watering the grassroots
--------------
2. (U) All-India Congress Committee General Secretary Rahul Gandhi
toured Tamil Nadu September 8-11 in an attempt to widen his party's
base in a state long dominated by regional parties. Travelling
mostly by helicopter, Gandhi campaigned in several cities and towns
across the length and breadth of the state. He spoke with younger
Congress workers in closed-door meetings, reportedly urging them to
"connect with the grassroots... start from the rural folks...and
(encourage them to) rise from the ranks." He also reportedly tried
to instill confidence in young party workers by telling them that
Congress could come to power in Tamil Nadu "in five years" if the
party pulled together and attracted large sections of young people
who are not yet attached to any political party.
3. (U) Gandhi repeatedly underscored the need to develop young
Congress leaders in every ward and promised to build a party
organization that allows youth to contest and win positions of power
in the party. He also promised to eliminate the role money and
informal influence plays in these leadership contests.
Reaching out to new constituents
--------------
4. (U) Gandhi reached out to apolitical youth, students,
entrepreneurs, farmers, weavers, and fishermen in several meetings,
encouraging them to "join active politics.... join the Congress" and
"work . . . to achieve a superpower India." He expounded on this
theme at Chennai's prestigious Anna University, calling on youth to
bridge the "two Indias," one full of opportunities and the other
lacking even basic amenities.
5. (U) Gandhi not only preached the importance of speaking directly
to youth, he practiced it, as well. Unusually, many of Gandhi's
Youth Congress meetings had age limits for participants: 35 for
members and 45 for farmers and other laborers. News reporters
enjoyed pointing out that at a meeting in Thanjavur, 68-year-old
former Union Minister Mani Shankar Aiyar had to stand outside the
hall.
The meeting not taken
--------------
6. (SBU) While Gandhi's meetings and rallies generated headlines, a
non-meeting also generated significant amounts of column-inches in
the press. Unusually for Congress party leaders from the Center
visiting Tamil Nadu, Gandhi reportedly did not ask to pay a courtesy
call on the state's octogenarian Chief Minister, M. Karunanidhi,
although he did meet with the Governor. (The Chief Minister's DMK
party continues to be a key ally for the Congress Party in New Delhi
and Congress is the DMK's key coalition partner in the Tamil Nadu
state government.) Although Gandhi played down the non-meeting when
asked by reporters, stressing his admiration for Karunanidhi and the
strength of the Congress-DMK alliance, several journalists have told
us that Gandhi's intentions are clear: Congress intends, over the
long-term, to distance itself from its DMK ally and control its own
destiny in the state's politics.
Comment:
--------------
7. (SBU) Gandhi's high-profile visit signals that he has his sights
set on Tamil Nadu, a state where the reins of power are beginning to
move from the DMK's geriatric leadership to a younger generation.
Gandhi's visit may well help attract young people to the Congress
Party's fold in time for the elections to its youth wing in the
state, which are slated for later this year. Suffering from decades
of neglect and organizational laxity, however, the Congress Party
remains far from becoming a serious challenger to the state's
Tamil-centric parties in the near future, and will continue to
require strong alliances to remain relevant in state-level politics.
END COMMENT.
SIMKIN