India Definitely needs a Strong Centre, but not Uniformity: Jairam Ramesh

Guwahati, November 30, 2019:

Congress leader Jairam Ramesh, speaking at the 2nd edition of the annual Inside Northeast Youth Conclave, said that the concept of 'one nation, one language' cannot exist in a diverse country like India.

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Ramesh said that if a country with people belonging to a plethora of cultures, languages, and religions is made to stick to a single language, the concept of India, as it exists, would be "finished" forever.

Reacting to Union Home Minister Amit Shah's earlier pronouncement that India needs to be united under one banner with the Hindi language, Ramesh said that Shah backed out of the premise as soon as the resentment against the concept of a 'unifying language' became apparent.

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Condemning the BJP over its usage of its trishool, ED, CBI, and Income Tax --  to silence opposition -- Ramesh said that the BJP has been using this tactics to instill fear in anyone who speaks out against the ruling regime.

Reacting to allegations of the Congress capitulating in front of the BJP's saffron might, Ramesh said that the Congress must discover the art of "popular protest" on order to counter the BJP's massive street presence.

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The senior leader also added that the Congress must make its presence felt to counter the 'populist' sentiments evoked by the BJP leaders, Modi and Shah.

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