Himself coming from the most influential political family of the country, BJP member of Parliament Varun Gandhi rapped dynasties playing a role in making or breaking anyone’s fortunes. In a candid admission, he also gave credit to the connection for his political career graph so far.
“If we talk about purity in politics, then dynasty has to be avoided. I have no hesitation in mentioning here that I would not have become an MP at the age of 29 had I not been from a political family. Not only me, but also most of the leaders of new generation barring a few are from well connected families. This is because we here in the country have a system that seldom opens its doors for commoners; be it in politics, in film or cricket,” said the Sultanpur MP on Thursday, addressing a gathering organised under ‘Yuva Samvad’ initiative, aimed to discuss role of youth in nation building.
Stressing on the need to promote right and talented people for a larger nation building, Varun termed centralisation of power equally dangerous. “I am on a mission to work for next generation and prepare a brigade of right and deserving leaders coming from different backgrounds and walks of life. Often in India we wait for any messiha who would come and solve all our woes. That often leads to concentration of power which turns even a good person into bad one. Absolute power corrupts,” said the BJP leader.
Instead, the Gandhi scion iterated the need to strengthen institutions in the country so that no effort to suppress democratic setup could succeed. “I as a member of Parliament had brought a private member Bill about right to recall. This is the need of the hour as the voters should not just confine themselves to voting once in five years. If we claim ourselves as the biggest democracy of the world, then the roots should be strengthened further with greater people’s participation,” added Varun, while citing participatory democracy practices in Britain and some other countries.
The BJP leader, on the occasion, stressed over the need of social reforms for political reforms and called upon youths to come along and bring a change in whatever capacity possible.
“The biggest question is how to better our future as a societyIJ Youth can do that voicing together for a larger cause like we saw in Bengaluru where a group of people forced the State Government to rethink over a steel flyover coming up there after cutting thousands of full grown trees. There are numerous examples in different parts of the country when common citizens have risen for masses and brought change in the society,” said Varun.
He, during his speech, also talked about corruption, farm distress, hunger, income disparity, poverty, gender bias, crime against women and accessibility to even basic amenities for most of the people citing facts and figures and terming those hurdles in the way of setting up a just society.