New Delhi, March 12: In his days, Jayaprakash Narayan, or JP, was hated by the Congress. But that is a 30-year-old story. Out of power for nearly eight years, the party under Sonia Gandhi has adopted JP’s “nav nirman” slogan of the mid-1970s in an all-out attempt to recapture Raisina Hills.
“Aaiye banaayen desh mahaan; karen rashtra ka nav nirman” — the four-colour poster, with Sonia pictured in a crowd, that calls for building a new India is one of a dozen being supplied to all party candidates.
“Sochiye; Congress ko vote deejiye (Think, vote for the Congress)” — goes another.
The party might be diffident about declaring Sonia its prime ministerial candidate and the Congress president herself might be evasive but the posters and slogans leave no room for doubt. “Aakhir veh log ek mahila se kyon darte hain? (Why are they scared of a woman?)” asks one.
Another slogan invokes nostalgia, going back to the “sacrifices” of Rajiv Gandhi and Indira Gandhi. “Unke (Rajiv and Indira) kaam aur balidaan; hamaari disha aur desh ka maan.”
The slogans, conceived by creative director Roopam Bora for Orchard advertising agency that has been hired by the party, cover the Congress’ oft-iterated commitment to secularism and uplift of the poor, welfare of farmers, empowerment of women and education and employment for the youth.
“Voh hukumat kis kaam ki, jis mein garib ki zindagi mein sukh chain hi nahin?” asks one slogan, questioning the NDA government’s record in addressing poverty. “Congress ka sankalp kisanon ko khush-haali, mahilaon ko hak, naujawanon ko shiksha aur rojgaar.”
Salman Khursheed, a member of the party’s “war room”, says 65 per cent of the slogans will publicise the Congress’ strengths and promises. The remaining 35 per cent would concentrate on attacking the NDA. “As an Opposition party, we have to attack the ruling combine for its various commissions and omissions.”
“Veh sirf apna vikas chahte hain; hum bhaichara aur sab ka vikas chahte hain” — the slogan questions the NDA’s development claims and points out that the Congress is an all-inclusive party.
