Congress' think-tank RGICS to host Left scholars at conclave on liberal values

NEW DELHI: The murder of three rationalists, the Dadri lynching and the mood of communal intolerance seem to have brought the Left and Congress closer. Probably for the first time, the Congress party is hosting Marxist historians Irfan Habib and Romila Thapar and other Left liberals under a Nehruvian umbrella with former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh set to inaugurate a two-day national conference on Friday and Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi expected to deliver the concluding address on Saturday.

Congress party’s think tank, Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Contemporary Studies (RGICS), is hosting the conference, which would have an eclectic mix of top notch historians, writers, journalists, activists and plain and simple Congress leaders. The conference is called, “No peace without freedom; no freedom without peace: securing Nehru’s legacy and India’s future: Agenda for Action.” Commenting on the scope of the conference, RGICS director, Dr Mohan Gopal told ET that, “the range and diversity of thinkers and activists coming together for the conference reflects the sweep and depth of public concern about the erosion of the values of our liberal and democratic Republic, and the urgency for public action to defend our freedoms and rights."

While Irfan Habib will share a platform with Manmohan Singh, Congress leaders will host discussions with a wide array of liberal intellectuals including Kumar Ketkar, Aakar Patel, Mukul Kesavan, Kavita Shrivastava, Teesta Setalvad, Kancha Ilaiah, Brinda Grover, Gopal Guru and others.

Historian Romila Thapar is expected toengage with the audience in a question and answer “interactive session on secularism.” Other sessions are on freedom, equality, democracy and justice.

Left leaders are surprised that Romila Thapar has accepted the invite as she normally does not attend even Communist party of India-Marxist (CPM) functions, shunning political platforms altogether. But CPM leaders have welcomed the Congress move saying that, “on this issue everyone should get together.”

The conference is part of Nehru’s 125th birth anniversary celebration and its goal according to a press note issued by RGICS is to “develop an agenda for action for securing the cornerstone values laid down by Nehru in his Objectives Resolution of the Constituent Assembly (freedom, equality, democracy, secularism and justice — social, economic and political). The Conference convenes at a time when regressive forces have launched an unprecedented attack on the liberal, progressive, social democratic idea of India, as well as on the unity, integrity and social harmony of the nation and on our rights and freedoms.”