‘I’m more of a news and youth icon than Rahul Gandhi’
20 May 2012 5:52 AM GMT
Till a few years back, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) did not seem to have an answer for the bevy of young leaders the Congress had started promoting. Then came the push for Anurag Thakur, a son of the Himachal Pradesh chief minister Prem Kumar Dhumal. Who rose to fame slowly. He has come on his own now and fast turning out to be the BJP's answer to Rahul Gandhi, at least that's what he claims. Excerpts from an interview to Millennium Post.
How do you see the role of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM)?
I feel that the common man is suffering the most in this country due to policy paralysis. Just compare the regimes of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and the United Progressive Alliance (UPA). In our five years, we created 62 million jobs, while during the UPA tenure they have created only two million jobs. The youth today want jobs and prosperity, but after spending lakhs of rupees on education if they cannot earn anything, then this country is going to face severe challenges in future. When we talk about demographic dividend, we see a lot of potential in this country. At the same time, if we do not use the youth factor in a proper way, then rather than becoming an asset, they can become a liability. It is very important to provide youth with good education and employment.
How does the BJYM connect with the youth?
First, we took up the issue of Kashmir, national integration and how to pay respect to the national flag. We demanded that no changes be made in the Armed Forces Special Powers Act. This helped us educate the youth, as they came out in large numbers to support the issue of national integration and Kashmir. Immediately after that we started a campaign against corruption. Last year, we organised 2,459 marathons across the country in two months, which went off very successfully. We organised a large dharna against the Central government against the corrupt government just a week before the Anna Hazare movement happened in the city. The police used force against us, but that agitation showed what the youth of the country felt about the issue. After that so many elections have been held in the country, and the BJP has won a majority of them. There is a general mood against the Congress, whether it is Delhi, Punjab or Goa. Even in Uttar Pradesh, people voted against the Congress.
Do you think you are more in news than Rahul Gandhi?
I wish that the news he makes is of some use to the common man, and the aam aadmi or the country is benefited by it. I am sorry to say that in the past eight years, the government of his party has failed to deliver. They are divided on every single issue. I do not see anything positive in him always creating news. I am definitely more of news and youth icon than Rahul Gandhi. I can raise the issues concerning the aam aadmi while being in the opposition, but someone like him is doing nothing despite being in the ruling party and is in the news just to show his face.
Omar Abdullah has said that India needs a young vice president. What is your take on it?
I don’t know why there is this hype about youth. We need people to deliver not only on the basis of their age but also by their performance. We have seen Abdullah fail on every issue in Jammu and Kashmir. He has dethroned his father and become the chief minister.
I am happy for Akhilesh Yadav, but I want him to deliver too. Abdullah has failed. If Yadav also fails like Rahul Gandhi, then it will be difficult for us to motivate people to join politics. Leaders need to lead form the front, and not just sit and tweet from Jammu and Kashmir.
What about Gandhi's campaign in Uttar Pradesh?
We have not seen him after the Uttar Pradesh election. I do not know where he is. People have become smart. They not only come to see helicopters, they also want to see who has delivered. They voted for the Congress for a long time in the areas like Rae Bareilly and Amethi. Still there is no development there, that too in a state which has given six prime ministers to this country. They should introspect and see what’s lacking in the party. In the last eight years, the UPA government has failed on every front. He has failed to deliver. That is why he failed in the Uttar Pradesh election.
How are you inspiring youth to join the BJP?
The big attraction for any newcomer is the party's ideology. The people who are titled towards it will join it. The new entries also depends on the programmes of the party and the personality of party leaders. We are lucky enough to have leaders like Vajpayeeji, Advaniji, Sushmaji, Jaitlyji, Gadkariji and Modiji. So, our fan-following is huge.
Many people do not know that my father is the chief minister of Himachal Pradesh. I do not use his surname. I am very proud of my father. I wanted to establish a name for myself through hard work. I started using the 'Thakur' surname rather than 'Dhumal'. Many people in the BJP also do not know that I am his son. This helps, as I do not have a tag attached to my name.
Tell us about the row between the Himachal Pradesh chief minister P K Dhumal and the army over the Annandale ground in Shimla?
We need to be clear that the land belongs to the Himachal Pradesh government. This issue has been raised earlier too. It was given to the army for a certain period. During this, the army did not do anything with it, other than letting 15 to 16 army officers play golf. The state government raised this issue with the Central government. In 1986, the then defence minister K C Pant had said that the Central government was ready to return this piece of land to the Himachal government if it allowed landing of helicopters in case of emergency. We were ready for this agreement.
But, now it seems that it has just become a prestige issue for the army. In case of an emergency, not only this ground, we are ready to give even our houses to the army. While using this land for social activities we will make sure that no tree is cut. Some people have alleged that I, being the chief minister's son, will create a cricket stadium here. But, I must clarify that I am not doing any such thing. We want to convert it into a playground for children. If the army wants to land their helicopters here, they can surely do so. Some politicians and army officers have misled people and the media in the name of the army, which is sad.
Who is the BJP's prime ministerial candidate?
I wouldn’t want to disclose that now. I do not know why there are constant questions about the prime ministerial candidate of the BJP. We understand that people want the NDA or the BJP to come to power, but we are not facing the election next month. There is still a lot of time.
Do you aspire to be the prime minister?
I don’t consider myself in the PM league at all.
Do you think other young leaders are good for the post?
Akhilesh Yadav is the chief minister of one of the largest states in the country. He has done extremely well in the election. But, there is a challenge in front of them, as Uttar Pradesh and especially the Samajwadi Party are associated with anti-social elements. It will be a challenge for him to prove that he can improve law-and-order situation in Uttar Pradesh.
As for Rahul Gandhi, he is not even ready to take the challenge. Either he is afraid or he knows that he or his party cannot deliver. They could not do anything in Uttar Pradesh, despite promising reservation on religious basis. Nothing worked for them and they played every card possible. The Congress general secretary Digvijay Singh went to the extent of saying that the Batla House encounter was fake. The home minister countered him. The Congress speaks in various voices. Whatever suits them becomes their official version. The rest is unofficial. The Congress used Digvijay Singh.
What is your take on the Abhishek Manu Singhvi's sex CD controversy?
It is shocking, because these people use to come on TV and speak. Now, they do not know how to save their face. By merely resigning no one can rid of the shameless act they were involved in. The Congress, which points fingers on others, is in a fix, because every second day there is a new issue it has to address. Whether the act in the CD was was consensual or morphed or manipulated, it has nothing to do with the public. But, Singhvi is a public personality, and we can't deny that. Looking beyond this issue, we must address the larger problem that this government has created a complete mess. We have not been getting investment for the last three years, because of the corrupt practices of this government.
Who will be the BJP's presidential candidate?
Looking at the numbers, we are in a good position. We feel that Kalam has had a very good tenure as the president of India, and he would be a good choice yet again. He was a very popular president. After a long time we had a president who could connect to a schoolboys, college students, industrialists and even farmers. We need someone of that stature, who can gel with everyone. In this era, when we see a lack of political will to run this country, we must come to a consensus not for the government but at least for the sake of the country. We need to have a larger discussion on this subject with all the alliance partners to finalise a name for the president's post. I am sure that the senior leaders in the BJP will soon finalise it.
As the Board of Cricket for Control in India (BCCI) joint secretary, what are your plans?
We are emphasising on getting young talent. We started specialised academies in three centres in Mumbai, Chennai and Mohali. Fifty per cent of the sportsmen in these academies will be selected by the BCCI and the rest will be attributed as raw talent. We are organising overseas tours as well.
Tell us about your plans of inviting politicians of neighbouring countries to play T20 matches against their Indian counterparts in Dharamsala?
This concept is based on the recently held cricket match between parliamentarians from India and the United Kingdom. The basic idea was to be in touch with the UK MPs to discuss various issues, like migration, investment, terror and various other engagements significant to the two nations. We have historical ties. India is the third largest investor in the UK, while the UK is the fourth largest investor in India. The match was successfully organised and the MP to MP interaction worked very well. The UK MPs have invited us to their country next year. Maybe, they are keen to take a revenge after losing to us.
Through this experience I have realised that there is a need to work with our neighbouring countries, especially Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka, because if we have peace in this region, it can bring in prosperity. So, if you have a good relationship with your neighbours, you can have better trade ties with them. Cricket is a common factor for all these countries. So, it can be used as a connecting factor to bring all the MPs.
What is your take on the Anna Hazare movement?
It is good that a group of people who call themselves the members of civil society have come forward to create awareness and address a lot of issues like corruption. But, then we need to decide how we want to legislate in this country. There can be suggestions from all sections of society, but ultimately the decision is taken by Parliament.
What made you choose a career in politics?
I was interested in cricket. I became Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association president at the age of 25 in 2000. My association assets were zero. We used to spend nearly 20 lakh rupees when I took over and never won a single game. If you compare it with the situation today, we now have assets worth 50 to 200 crore rupees. We became national champions in 2005. We have one of the best cricket grounds in Dharamsala. In the meantime, the Congress came and wanted to take over everything. They passed a sports bill also and enacted a sports law to take over the association just to curb me. Other associations are run by the Congress. Only cricket was run by me, though I was not associated with any political party then. But, we fought back and won at all levels. At that time some media houses did a survey on who is the most popular person in Himachal Pradesh, and at that time I was rated much higher than even the chief minister. Luckily, at that time there was a by-election. The BJP gave me an opportunity to contest, and I won by a record margin of 1,75,666 votes. That is how I came into politics and was lucky enough to become the head of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha.
How do you see the role of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM)?
I feel that the common man is suffering the most in this country due to policy paralysis. Just compare the regimes of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and the United Progressive Alliance (UPA). In our five years, we created 62 million jobs, while during the UPA tenure they have created only two million jobs. The youth today want jobs and prosperity, but after spending lakhs of rupees on education if they cannot earn anything, then this country is going to face severe challenges in future. When we talk about demographic dividend, we see a lot of potential in this country. At the same time, if we do not use the youth factor in a proper way, then rather than becoming an asset, they can become a liability. It is very important to provide youth with good education and employment.
How does the BJYM connect with the youth?
First, we took up the issue of Kashmir, national integration and how to pay respect to the national flag. We demanded that no changes be made in the Armed Forces Special Powers Act. This helped us educate the youth, as they came out in large numbers to support the issue of national integration and Kashmir. Immediately after that we started a campaign against corruption. Last year, we organised 2,459 marathons across the country in two months, which went off very successfully. We organised a large dharna against the Central government against the corrupt government just a week before the Anna Hazare movement happened in the city. The police used force against us, but that agitation showed what the youth of the country felt about the issue. After that so many elections have been held in the country, and the BJP has won a majority of them. There is a general mood against the Congress, whether it is Delhi, Punjab or Goa. Even in Uttar Pradesh, people voted against the Congress.
Do you think you are more in news than Rahul Gandhi?
I wish that the news he makes is of some use to the common man, and the aam aadmi or the country is benefited by it. I am sorry to say that in the past eight years, the government of his party has failed to deliver. They are divided on every single issue. I do not see anything positive in him always creating news. I am definitely more of news and youth icon than Rahul Gandhi. I can raise the issues concerning the aam aadmi while being in the opposition, but someone like him is doing nothing despite being in the ruling party and is in the news just to show his face.
Omar Abdullah has said that India needs a young vice president. What is your take on it?
I don’t know why there is this hype about youth. We need people to deliver not only on the basis of their age but also by their performance. We have seen Abdullah fail on every issue in Jammu and Kashmir. He has dethroned his father and become the chief minister.
I am happy for Akhilesh Yadav, but I want him to deliver too. Abdullah has failed. If Yadav also fails like Rahul Gandhi, then it will be difficult for us to motivate people to join politics. Leaders need to lead form the front, and not just sit and tweet from Jammu and Kashmir.
What about Gandhi's campaign in Uttar Pradesh?
We have not seen him after the Uttar Pradesh election. I do not know where he is. People have become smart. They not only come to see helicopters, they also want to see who has delivered. They voted for the Congress for a long time in the areas like Rae Bareilly and Amethi. Still there is no development there, that too in a state which has given six prime ministers to this country. They should introspect and see what’s lacking in the party. In the last eight years, the UPA government has failed on every front. He has failed to deliver. That is why he failed in the Uttar Pradesh election.
How are you inspiring youth to join the BJP?
The big attraction for any newcomer is the party's ideology. The people who are titled towards it will join it. The new entries also depends on the programmes of the party and the personality of party leaders. We are lucky enough to have leaders like Vajpayeeji, Advaniji, Sushmaji, Jaitlyji, Gadkariji and Modiji. So, our fan-following is huge.
Many people do not know that my father is the chief minister of Himachal Pradesh. I do not use his surname. I am very proud of my father. I wanted to establish a name for myself through hard work. I started using the 'Thakur' surname rather than 'Dhumal'. Many people in the BJP also do not know that I am his son. This helps, as I do not have a tag attached to my name.
Tell us about the row between the Himachal Pradesh chief minister P K Dhumal and the army over the Annandale ground in Shimla?
We need to be clear that the land belongs to the Himachal Pradesh government. This issue has been raised earlier too. It was given to the army for a certain period. During this, the army did not do anything with it, other than letting 15 to 16 army officers play golf. The state government raised this issue with the Central government. In 1986, the then defence minister K C Pant had said that the Central government was ready to return this piece of land to the Himachal government if it allowed landing of helicopters in case of emergency. We were ready for this agreement.
But, now it seems that it has just become a prestige issue for the army. In case of an emergency, not only this ground, we are ready to give even our houses to the army. While using this land for social activities we will make sure that no tree is cut. Some people have alleged that I, being the chief minister's son, will create a cricket stadium here. But, I must clarify that I am not doing any such thing. We want to convert it into a playground for children. If the army wants to land their helicopters here, they can surely do so. Some politicians and army officers have misled people and the media in the name of the army, which is sad.
Who is the BJP's prime ministerial candidate?
I wouldn’t want to disclose that now. I do not know why there are constant questions about the prime ministerial candidate of the BJP. We understand that people want the NDA or the BJP to come to power, but we are not facing the election next month. There is still a lot of time.
Do you aspire to be the prime minister?
I don’t consider myself in the PM league at all.
Do you think other young leaders are good for the post?
Akhilesh Yadav is the chief minister of one of the largest states in the country. He has done extremely well in the election. But, there is a challenge in front of them, as Uttar Pradesh and especially the Samajwadi Party are associated with anti-social elements. It will be a challenge for him to prove that he can improve law-and-order situation in Uttar Pradesh.
As for Rahul Gandhi, he is not even ready to take the challenge. Either he is afraid or he knows that he or his party cannot deliver. They could not do anything in Uttar Pradesh, despite promising reservation on religious basis. Nothing worked for them and they played every card possible. The Congress general secretary Digvijay Singh went to the extent of saying that the Batla House encounter was fake. The home minister countered him. The Congress speaks in various voices. Whatever suits them becomes their official version. The rest is unofficial. The Congress used Digvijay Singh.
What is your take on the Abhishek Manu Singhvi's sex CD controversy?
It is shocking, because these people use to come on TV and speak. Now, they do not know how to save their face. By merely resigning no one can rid of the shameless act they were involved in. The Congress, which points fingers on others, is in a fix, because every second day there is a new issue it has to address. Whether the act in the CD was was consensual or morphed or manipulated, it has nothing to do with the public. But, Singhvi is a public personality, and we can't deny that. Looking beyond this issue, we must address the larger problem that this government has created a complete mess. We have not been getting investment for the last three years, because of the corrupt practices of this government.
Who will be the BJP's presidential candidate?
Looking at the numbers, we are in a good position. We feel that Kalam has had a very good tenure as the president of India, and he would be a good choice yet again. He was a very popular president. After a long time we had a president who could connect to a schoolboys, college students, industrialists and even farmers. We need someone of that stature, who can gel with everyone. In this era, when we see a lack of political will to run this country, we must come to a consensus not for the government but at least for the sake of the country. We need to have a larger discussion on this subject with all the alliance partners to finalise a name for the president's post. I am sure that the senior leaders in the BJP will soon finalise it.
As the Board of Cricket for Control in India (BCCI) joint secretary, what are your plans?
We are emphasising on getting young talent. We started specialised academies in three centres in Mumbai, Chennai and Mohali. Fifty per cent of the sportsmen in these academies will be selected by the BCCI and the rest will be attributed as raw talent. We are organising overseas tours as well.
Tell us about your plans of inviting politicians of neighbouring countries to play T20 matches against their Indian counterparts in Dharamsala?
This concept is based on the recently held cricket match between parliamentarians from India and the United Kingdom. The basic idea was to be in touch with the UK MPs to discuss various issues, like migration, investment, terror and various other engagements significant to the two nations. We have historical ties. India is the third largest investor in the UK, while the UK is the fourth largest investor in India. The match was successfully organised and the MP to MP interaction worked very well. The UK MPs have invited us to their country next year. Maybe, they are keen to take a revenge after losing to us.
Through this experience I have realised that there is a need to work with our neighbouring countries, especially Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka, because if we have peace in this region, it can bring in prosperity. So, if you have a good relationship with your neighbours, you can have better trade ties with them. Cricket is a common factor for all these countries. So, it can be used as a connecting factor to bring all the MPs.
What is your take on the Anna Hazare movement?
It is good that a group of people who call themselves the members of civil society have come forward to create awareness and address a lot of issues like corruption. But, then we need to decide how we want to legislate in this country. There can be suggestions from all sections of society, but ultimately the decision is taken by Parliament.
What made you choose a career in politics?
I was interested in cricket. I became Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association president at the age of 25 in 2000. My association assets were zero. We used to spend nearly 20 lakh rupees when I took over and never won a single game. If you compare it with the situation today, we now have assets worth 50 to 200 crore rupees. We became national champions in 2005. We have one of the best cricket grounds in Dharamsala. In the meantime, the Congress came and wanted to take over everything. They passed a sports bill also and enacted a sports law to take over the association just to curb me. Other associations are run by the Congress. Only cricket was run by me, though I was not associated with any political party then. But, we fought back and won at all levels. At that time some media houses did a survey on who is the most popular person in Himachal Pradesh, and at that time I was rated much higher than even the chief minister. Luckily, at that time there was a by-election. The BJP gave me an opportunity to contest, and I won by a record margin of 1,75,666 votes. That is how I came into politics and was lucky enough to become the head of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha.
Next Story
