On US Tour, Rahul Gandhi Praises China's Manufacturing Prowess, Flags Unemployment In India

During his trip to the United States, Rahul Gandhi underscored the issue of unemployment and skills in India.

Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi receives a warm welcome on his arrival at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport, in Texas on Sunday. (ANI Photo)

Rahul Gandhi In US: Highlighting the need to shift focus towards increasing manufacturing in India, senior Congress leader and Lok Sabha LoP Rahul Gandhi on Sunday said that countries like India, the United States, and other nations in the West are facing the issue of unemployment. He also underscored that, on the other hand, China is not facing this issue as it is dominating the global production.

Gandhi, who is on a visit to the US, was interacting with students at the University of Texas in Dallas on Sunday. He said that there is no shortage of skills in India, and the country could compete with China if it starts aligning itself for production. He also laid emphasis on the need to encourage vocational training to bridge the gap between the business system and the education system and flagged the "ideological capture" of the latter.

The former Congress president is on a four-day unofficial trip to the US during which he will interact with the members of the Indian diaspora and youths, with stops in Dallas, Texas, and Washington DC.

He arrived in Dallas on Saturday night and was welcomed by dozens of members of the Indian-American community led by senior Congress leader Sam Pitroda and president of the Indian National Overseas Congress, USA, Mohinder Gilzian.

During his visit, Rahul Gandhi also has plans to meet lawmakers and senior officials of the US government during his visit to Washington DC, beginning Monday.

"The West has an employment problem. India has an employment problem... But many countries in the world don't have an employment problem. China certainly doesn't have an employment problem. Vietnam doesn't have an employment problem," Gandhi said.

"If you look at the United States in the 1940s, 50s, and 60s, they were the centre of global production. Anything that was made, (be it) cars, washing machines, or  TVs, was all made in the United States. Production moved from the United States. It went to Korea, and it went to Japan. Eventually, it went to 

China Dominating Global Production: Gandhi 

While addressing students in Dallas, Gandhi said that China is dominating global production. The West, America, Europe, and India have "given up on the idea of production," and they've handed it to China, he further stated.

"The act of production creates jobs. What we do, what the Americans do, what the West does, is we organise consumption... India has to think about the act of production and organising production...

"It's not acceptable that India simply says, okay, manufacturing, what you call manufacturing or production is going to be the preserve of the Chinese. It's going to be the preserve of the Vietnamese. It's going to be the preserve of Bangladesh," Gandhi said. He underlined the need to encourage manufacturing.

"Until we do that, we will face high levels of unemployment. And frankly, it's not sustainable. So, you're going to see that if we carry on down this path of forgetting about manufacturing, you're going to see massive social problems coming in India and in the United States and Europe. The polarisation of our politics is because of this..." he added.

India Does Not Respect People Who Possess Skills: Rahul Gandhi 

According to the Lok Sabha LoP leader of opposition, there is no shortage of skills in India. "Many people say that India has a problem with skills. I don't think India has a problem with skills. I think... India does not have respect for people who possess skills," he said. Gandhi said there is a need to link the education system with the business system through vocational training.

"Bridging that gap or linking these two systems, skills and education, through vocational training is fundamental. I think currently the huge problem with the education system is the ideological capture, where ideology is being fed through it...," he said.

He said he is convinced that India can take on China if it starts aligning itself for production and starts respecting skills.

"I'm absolutely convinced of it. States like Tamil Nadu have already shown it. It's not that Indian states have not done it. Pune has shown it. Maharashtra has shown it. So, it is being done, but it's not being done at the scale and with the coordination that it needs to be done," Gandhi said.

(With PTI Inputs)