Lucknow: The Congress in Uttar Pradesh will be launching a series of seminars across the state to familiarise the youth with the life and times of late Indira Gandhi and also acquaint them with the her contribution to nation building.

Historians, intellectuals and also former student leaders will be invited to speak at the seminars that will be held at ten locations in the state. All former MLAs, office bearers and party veterans will be invited to these seminars to share their experiences with the late leader.

The first seminar will be held in Lucknow on September 13 and Congress workers from 12 adjoining districts will be attending the same. Though the seminars are being held to mark the birth centenary of late Indira Gandhi, the Congress is also keen to counter the recent spate of films that have been designed to show the Emergency and Congress leaders in poor light.

“The final event will be held in Allahabad which is the birthplace of late Indira Gandhi on November 17 and we expect members of the Gandhi family to participate in the programme,” said UPCC president Raj Babbar. Mr Babbar said Mrs Gandhi was assassinated almost 33 years ago and the young generation was not fully aware of her contribution to modern India.

“Through these seminars, we plan to inform the youth about the personality, politics and relevance of the late leader. In fact, Mrs Gandhi is all the more relevant in the prevailing situation of the day because she was strongly secular. She had a vision for India which is missing in most leaders today”, he said. The 12 districts where such seminars will be held include Lucknow, Unnao, Kanpur, Kanpur Dehat, Kannauj , Hardoi, Lakhimpur, Sitapur, Faizabad, Barabanki, Bahraich and Farukkhabad . Some more programmes are also expected to be held in districts in western UP.