The importance of being Sam Pitroda: Overseas links, academic network, plus proximity to Gandhis
A DAY after the Congress reappointed Sam Pitroda as chairman of its overseas unit, the BJP said this was an endorsement by the party of “all the objectionable and unsavoury” remarks he had made about Indians, the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, and the Pulwama terror attack.
The BJP also asked whether the Congress statement “distancing” itself from Pitroda’s remarks during the Lok Sabha campaign was “just to fool and confuse”
the people of the country. Its spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla said: "As soon as the elections are over and Rahul Gandhi is made the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, the Congress reappointed Sam Pitroda as chairman of the Indian Overseas Congress as he is Rahul Gandhi's mentor, advisor and guru.”
Pitroda’s reappointment came weeks after he had resigned following yet another controversy over his remarks, in the middle of elections. The party’s communications in-charge, Jairam Ramesh, said the Congress reappointed Pitroda “on the assurance that he will not in future leave room… (for) controversies to arise”.
But why is the 81-year-old Pitroda so important to the Congress that it has brought him back just days after the election results, leaving itself open to BJP attacks?
As per Congress sources, the reason is Pitroda’s network abroad, which the top party leadership sees as beneficial in spreading its message beyond the country’s shores.
“If you see who Pitroda is, you will understand why the Congress cannot let him go. He has connections with academic circles in foreign countries, especially the West. He helps the party plan events in foreign countries. He has good connections within the diplomatic community too,” a Congress leader said.
Pitroda, in fact, is the main organiser of Rahul Gandhi’s visits abroad, during the course of which he often has interactions at educational institutions or with experts in various fields.
In February-March 2023, Pitroda was behind the series of events held by Rahul during a nearly week-long UK tour, including an address at Cambridge University’s Judge Business School, a discussion at the Chatham House think tank in London, and a meeting with Indian-origin Labour Party MP Virendra Sharma.
Indian Overseas Congress secretary Virendra Vashisht told The Indian Express, “The main work of our organisation is to spread the message of the Congress party and the Gandhian ideology beyond India. We hold conversations with the Indian diaspora on social and political issues, Pitroda ji’s work in this is instrumental.”
Another party leader said Pitroda’s value boils down to his long-standing relationship with the Gandhis. “Pitroda used to take Re 1 as salary when he worked for Rajiv Gandhi ji. Pitroda has stood with the Gandhi family through thick and thin. Now that the Congress party is in a good position in the country, it would not abandon the veteran leader. These things matter to the Congress,” the leader said.
Based in Chicago, Pitroda describes himself as a “telecom inventor, entrepreneur, development thinker and policy maker” on his website. Having first got associated with the Congress as an adviser to Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, he had gone on to become the first chairman of the Telecom Commission in 1989.
Later, Pitroda headed the National Knowledge Commission from 2005 to 2009 under PM Manmohan Singh. In 2009, when Manmohan Singh returned as PM, Pitroda was appointed as an adviser on public information infrastructure, with the rank of a Cabinet minister.
In the most recent controversy triggered by his remarks, Pitroda, when speaking of India's diversity, at the height of the Lok Sabha poll campaign, said: “People in the East look like the Chinese, people in the West look like the Arabs, people in the North look like, maybe, White and people in the South look like Africans… It does not matter. All of us are brothers and sisters.”
The BJP said Pitroda’s comments were proof of the Congress’s attempts to divide the country on the lines of race, religion and caste.
Just days before this statement, amidst the BJP’s attacks on the Congress manifesto regarding distribution of assets, Pitroda described the inheritance tax in the United States as an “interesting law”.
Congress leaders admitted in private at the time that Pitroda had become a “habitual offender”, and that a “stern message” needed to be sent to him.
Pitroda also threatened to shake the Congress’s tightrope walk in the run-up to the consecration of the Ram Temple at Ayodhya when the BJP was accusing Opposition parties of disregarding Lord Ram and hurting sentiments.
“When the entire nation is hung up on Ram Temple and Ram Janmabhoomi, it bothers me… To me, religion is something very personal,” Pitroda said.
Earlier, ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, Pitroda had said in a TV interview that the middle class should be prepared to pay more taxes to guarantee minimum income for all poor households, asking them not to be “selfish”. Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram had to clarify there would be no additional tax burden on the middle class if the Congress returned to power.
Then came his remarks on the counter-strike in Balakot by the Modi government, saying: “Attack happened in Mumbai also. We could have then reacted and just sent our planes. But that is not the correct approach. Eight people (26/11 terrorists) come and do something, you don’t jump on the entire nation (Pakistan).”
During the same elections, when the BJP accused Rajiv of having given the “instructions” for the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, Pitroda denied the charge and added: “Now what is there to say about 1984? Talk about what you did in the last 5 years. ’84 mein hua to hua. Aapne kya kiya (What happened in 1984 happened. What have you achieved)?”
Pitroda later apologised for his remarks and the Congress issued a clarification.
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