Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi left for a two-week trip to the US on Sunday. This is the first time that the Congress leader will be holding public meetings, meet political leaders and deliver speeches in the country.
He will begin his trip with an address at the University of California, Berkeley, on Tuesday. During his speech, he will talk about the contemporary India and the India after 70 years of Independence. He will also discuss the Reflections on the Path forward of the world’s largest democracy. During his visit, he will also be meeting global thinkers, political leaders, the think tanks and overseas Indians.
Before leaving for the trip Rahul tweeted that “Looking forward to addressing students of University of California, Berkeley and interacting with Indian Overseas Congress members with Sam Pitroda during my visit to the US.”
Looking forward to addressing students @UCBerkeley & interacting w/Indian Overseas Congress members w/@sampitroda during my visit to the US
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) September 10, 2017
During his two-week tour, Rahul will be holding meetings with academics, researchers and intelligentsia and discuss issues like emerging technologies, including Artificial Intelligence, nano technology and biotechnology.
The main motive behind the trip is to enhance the presence of the party back into the minds of the people. A senior Congress leader said that the idea was to bring back knowledge and implement at the international level.
Technocrat Sam Pitroda who is looking after the preparations ahead of Congress vice president’s visit has also worked with Gandhi’s father and former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi for nearly a decade to transform India’s telecom sector. Rahul Gandhi’s grandfather and India’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru had delivered a speech at Berkeley in 1949.
Pitroda giving the details of Rahul’s visit said that the purpose of the meeting is to have conversation with global thinkers over world economy, technology, possible opportunities and understand different views from experts on global issues. He also added that Rahul Gandhi will also be meeting overseas Indians at an event in New York. He will also be visiting the Washington DC and is likely to address the think- tank community at an event organised by the Centre for American Progress. The Congress leader will also be interacting with businessmen and people from the corporate world at a programme organised by the US-India Business Council.
The organiser of the two weeks tour for Rahul Gandhi, Pitroda informed that he will also be holding small and privet meetings with some members of the ruling Republican Party as well. “He wants to understand more about what’s happening globally and what’s the global view of the situation is,” he said. Pitroda also added that Rahul may not be talking much about his US trip but it is important that he meets a large number of people hold interactions with them understand the what is going on not just in India but the world over.
“Today, the view of India is one short of protected by one group of people. We need to really talk about Indian aspirations, Indian concerns about what is going on not just in India but the world over. The rise of populism is one topic I am sure will come up in the conversation,” Pitroda said.
Pitroda also informed that Rahul Gandhi will also be holding interactions with the Silicon Valley people in San Fransisco. “So, the idea is if you were to meet a lot of Silicon Valley people, it is better to talk about things in San Francisco,” he said.
The Congress Vice President will also So, the idea is if you were to meet a lot of Silicon Valley people, it is better to talk about things in San Francisco.”
The COngress twitter handle informed that “Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi will interact with students of UC Berkeley on Tuesday, September 12, 7 AM IST.”
Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi to interact with students of UC Berkeley on Tuesday, Sept 12th, 7am IST. #IndiaAt70 #RGinUS pic.twitter.com/XcWuuDziXh
— Congress (@INCIndia) September 10, 2017