Gandhi And Modi Inspire Us To Give Our Best For The Country: Tejaswi Surya
JP’s Tejaswi Surya is one of the youngest members of the 17th Lok Sabha. A panelist at the just-concluded Gandhi-Mandela Peace Event in the capital, Surya spoke to BW Businessworld’s Avishek Banerjee.
Excerpts:
How relevant is Gandhi to India’s youth today?
Gandhi is not just a man. Gandhi became a mahatma because he represents and espouses certain values which are universal and eternal. The very fact that our Prime Minister Narendra Modi is celebrating the life and times of Mahatma Gandhi and his 150th anniversary is a testimony to the fact that Mahatma Gandhi and his values of truth, non-violence, taking everyone along, are something that should fire the imagination of the youth.
What similarities do you find between Gandhi and Narendra Modi?
If you look at all great men, all great achievers irrespective of the field of their choice, I always find that they are men of incredible conviction. When I read about the life of Mahatma Gandhi, his conviction to the cause that he believed in — the fight that he led in South Africa or the freedom struggle in India and making it a people’s movement by taking along every single person — was what inspired me. In the same fashion, the Prime Minister is a lion among men. He inspires the common Indian to do better for the country. Both Mahatma as well as Modi today are inspiring us to give our best towards making this country better and making it better for every single Indian.
You are new to the Parliament. What have been your learnings so far?
One, the parliament is a great institution of learning and that you will learn every single day of your parliamentary life. I am learning from parliamentarians, seniors, people of my age and being one of the youngest in the parliament really helps you. Because all the seniors go out of their way to actually help you. It has been a great week of learning.
What would you advise the government on the jobs crisis — the biggest issue facing the youth today?
The Prime Minister in the last five years has already taken several steps to ensure that the young of India get adequate economic opportunities to fulfil their human potential. Even in the Union budget, the government has increased the outlay on Stand Up India, Startup India, the Mudra loans, and has started a new national research fund. It is encouraging entrepreneurship, skill development, vocational education, and making India a $5-trillion economy. So once the size of our economy increases, it is only natural that more and more young people will find economic opportunities.
How can we make our education system more relevant?
India’s education system today is largely dysfunctional. The prime minister of this country has ushered in the National Education Policy 2019 which promises a root and branch reform of the country’s education system. It promises autonomy to good educational institutions. It provides more affordability and accessibility to all young Indians. It enhances the pedagogy and makes our curriculum more industry oriented and also gives the student a voice in ensuring his own future.
