Ideology cannot be talked about without speaking the truth boldly even it if may lead to pushback.

We are trying to start a new front to build a secular, inclusive, ideology based movement in the world starting from Canada with the veins connected to the secular forces in India led by an emerging platform of Congress and allies. 

We have planned our first meeting on 20^th August 2024 at 5:30 p.m. in Mississauga, Ontario. Some of you are supporters of Congress at all times who were either active or dormant while some others are joining the cause now and it is important that everyone is aware of the truth to ensure that we all walk together with trust, respect and honor.

While working as an activist and a writer for long, I had stayed apolitical both in Canada and India as there always existed a doubt in the mind about how petty politics and power plays dominate the agenda while ideology takes a back seat. However there was an inclination to support a secular front and that is why I had visited the Congress Head office in New Delhi in December 2023 where I met a few dignitaries and they gave me phone numbers of the Congress officials to contact. Yet I hesitated as I was tuned to the ideology of my family elders, almost all leading Congress leaders and freedom fighters of the past. While my grandfather laid down his life at the time of India’s independence, once India gained independence, the others left the Congress party to return back to their normal life as according to them, there purpose of attaining freedom was served.

Yet the last federal elections in India and the positivity that Rahul Gandhi has instilled in the Indian psyche with his attempts to connect to the ordinary citizens made me ponder over the thought again. And the ideology based fresh thinking that Mr. Kharge, Rahul and Priyanka are trying to instill in the recent  past, made me take the plunge as it is a duty today of all forward thinking world citizens to support the cause by coming under a common secular umbrella.

I messaged to the numbers given of Congress dignitaries in New Delhi and one of them, the Secretary IOC spoke to me at length and then informed me that he will ask a member of a recently formed organization in Canada to connect with me and take it forward. Later the President of the said organization called and asked me to join the same by paying a membership fees which I did. I was later added in a what’s app group and upon learning that I am an activist and viewing my skill sets as the same, he asked me to represent IOC Canada at a TV channel, Y Media which I started doing thereafter while spreading the message of Congress.

However I could see on the website and in discussion that it was a nascent organization with a website which did not focus on political viewpoints of Congress. In a zoom meeting, held this month, it became clear that the organization was established as a not-for-profit cultural and social club and that accordingly as per Canadian laws it was barred from doing any political work for a party outside Canada. More over while the President had talked about a membership of 150 plus, which too was a small figure for a party of Congress’ stature, in reality it emerged that there were only about 30-35 paid members out of which 19 were office bearers. That when the President had mentioned to me that one could only become a member after paying membership fees. It also became clear during the meeting that the organization was not structured well and when I pointed out the concerns thereafter in a post on what’s app, instead of answering any of my queries, the President diverted the topic to his own work in the past and how he single handedly had brought the organization to such a level.

For an offshoot of Congress to allow a single individual to boast of all glory was something which was striking to me as a newcomer. I was added to another group called core and therein when the issue of India’s Independence day celebration came up, I suggested that instead of doing an in-house flag hosting with a few visiting, we should book a stall in Panorama India and propagate the ideology of Congress there. I volunteered to get a stall for the organization in Panorama, arranged for the same and the President thereafter discussed with his team members and got prepared a brochure to be distributed there.

Upon seeing the said brochure which talked about cultural and social activities of this club and seemed like a publicity stunt for the President with three of the four photographs displayed of the President and the fourth being a random one of a blood donation camp, I raised my concerns.

I mentioned that the brochure should talk about the ideology of secular forces and why people should join this forum. Also I mentioned that if at all there need to be photographs there then other than that of Rahul (which was already there besides four photographs as detailed above), they should have the same of the President of Congress or that of the IOC President or important leaders of Congress or the leaders of Haryana/ Maharashtra since we had an upcoming election there. The President did not seem to give up on the idea of his pictures and tried to turn this down.

When some other people also supported the ideas, including an old and reputed Congressman who has been there with the party for more than two decades, instead of understanding the argument or agreeing to do a course correction, in an instant of rage, he threw a few people out of the so called core as well as the IOC Canada what’s app groups.

I was shocked especially because this was supposed to be an offshoot of Congress. As it turned out, it was more of a privately run organization with no laws to protect membership rights or free speech. When I questioned the decision, I was told that I will have to face a 5 day ban!!!!  For doing what? Just suggesting that any literature should be used for the promotion of Congress and its ideology and not for personal PR!

I connected with the President of IOC, Dr Sam Pitroda through a message and while he immediately called back and offered a great amount of verbal outage and hopefully being a gentleman he would continue to support the words he uttered, he promised to look into it to enable all those who were removed to be brought back.  Nothing happened and while the Congress team from India is a part of this group too, has been supportive though silent as yet and hopefully will remain hereafter. Their presence is an inspiration to us that Congress actually believes in democracy and does not support an attempt by a person or a small group to hijack it for personal glroy.

I had contemplated to withdraw, go silent and continue with my work that I had been doing as yet.

But today silence is not an option and it is most important for all of us to support Rahul Gandhi and a bunch of committed Congress men and women and people from all walks of life and parties, in this fight against Modi/BJP/RSS. Some people as the President of this local organization may create undue obstacles and yet the cause is bigger than such petty things and accordingly we had gone ahead with immediately focusing on the future ahead.

Also to enable us to ACTUALLY FOCUS on the ideology and promotion of Congress, we will build this as a worldwide movement and not as any not-for-profit so that we are free to propagate the Congress ideology openly.

I believe that a lot of made-up stories are being spread that I or the senior Congress leaders who were removed had vested interests and that we have no locus standee. 

For the people who know me or the other Congressmen who were removed from our past work, no words are required. For the rest, hope this post may help to know better the real truth. Needless to add, we have all the what’s app messages which can be shared with anyone who wishes to verify the facts while many know already the exact dealings.

I have written all this so that we can put this incidence behind and focus hereafter on the future.

A future where this platform will attempt to spread the message of Congress and secular forces far and wide including Canada and provide support to the India team.

For the Congress men and women from India who are a part of this group, rest assured that unlike many, we have not created this group for photo-ops while visiting India or for any handshakes with the so labelled ‘Big’ names. We are ordinary citizens and proud Canadians and we are here as we are equally proud of our heritage from back home and wish to help them in their just cause against the communal forces. This will be a platform for idea exchange and ideological development and hopefully we can work together on this path.

Hope no further concerns remain about the past and also we continue to wish the very best to the other cultural and social group or any organization in the world which help in spreading the good message of Congress.

Let’s journey ahead!

Devanshu Narang