Congress plans series of events to conclude 125th Nehru anniversary

With the Nehruvian legacy perceived to be under attack from the Bharatiya Janata Party-led government, the Congress party is gearing up to commemorate the conclusion of the 125th birth anniversary celebrations of the first prime minister with much fanfare.

The year-long event, begun in 2014, will culminate on November 14 with a public meeting at Indira Gandhi stadium here.

A series of other programmes have also been planned, including a seminar on November 6 and 7 on Nehru's ideological legacy, his contribution and an agenda for action. The event to be held at Jawahar Bhavan, headquarters of the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation, is slated to feature party leaders and intellectuals, where Nehru’s vision and thought will be discussed through multiple themes. The event will be open to select invitees.

On November 14, the party will be organising its own celebration, distinct from the government, at the IG stadium. Among those expected to address the delegates will be Congress President Sonia Gandhi and Vice President Rahul Gandhi. The day-long celebration will conclude with a cultural programme.

To finalise plans for the event, a committee headed by veteran A K Antony had summoned state unit heads and those of all frontal organisations such as the Mahila Congress and Youth Congress to party headquarters on Wednesday. Quite a few party chiefs could not attend but had deputed representatives.

The plan is for souvenir incorporating all the events that have been held across the states. Anthony asked state heads to list programmes for the next five weeks.

Last year, the party had flagged off the celebrations with an international conference in the capital, attended by prominent names from abroad and some opposition party leaders.