Rahul Gandhi: We have to rethink and transform our system and the country

Rahul Gandhi, the newly appointed Congress Vice President on Sunday delivered a powerful call for change to meet the aspirations of the nation's young and impatient new generation.  "We have to rethink and transform our system and the country," Rahul Gandhi told party members as Congress ended a three-day chintan shivir in the pink city of Jaipur.

“We must listen to the voice of a young and impatient India to ensure they do not feel alienated from the political system”, he said.

Rahul Gandhi's elevation represents a generational shift in Indian politics in which most of the leaders are over 60, while roughly half of the country's 1.2 billion population is under 25.

Striking an emotional chord with the audience Rahul Gandhi continued “As a boy I loved to play badminton because it gave me balance in a complicated world. I was taught by two policemen who protected my grandmother and were my friends. They killed my grandmother and took way the balance”. “In the evening I saw my father address the nation. He was terrified of what lay ahead of him. But I saw a glimmer of hope. That hope has brought India where it is today,” added Rahul Gandhi recalling his father and former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi who was the champion of the modern India.

In his speech drowned often by applause, Rahul Gandhi sought to dispel doubts about his political commitment, declaring the "Congress party is now my life." "I will fight for the people of India with everything I have," Rahul Gandhi promised, adding he was "optimistic as we already have the building blocks for a better future".