RAHUL CONNECTS WITH STUDENTS
The gripping 50-minute interactive session between India’s opposition leader and UAE students was charged with animated discussions on a wide range of crucial topics starting from the “unjust system of having” NRI quotas in medical schools to the empowerment of rural women in India.
During the lively conversation, Rahul Gandhi answered some hardhitting questions posed by the students, while also throwing a few at them. He also lightened the mood by sharing several witty anecdotes.
As compared to the public event at the Dubai Cricket Stadium on Friday, the interaction with the student community at the Institute of Management Technology (IMT) on Saturday, was more relaxed and entertaining, as Gandhi connected well with the young lot.
After the session, students — who had come from various schools and varsities in UAE — told Khaleej Times that they “really liked the talk, and wished it had lasted longer”.
Most of them had waited eagerly at the venue since 7:45 am, even as the event was slated to begin at 9am.
Rahul is the future: Sam Pitroda
Delivering the introductory speech, Sam Pitroda, OIC president, said, “I don’t know how to introduce Rahul Gandhi, he doesn’t need it. To me, he is the future. He has love and affection for people, and at the end of the day, his heart is in the right place.”
He pointed out that education, healthcare, and employment are key factors on Congress party’s agenda for the future. Later, Pitroda opened the floor to questions.
Responding to a poser, Gandhi said, “Brain drain is not a 21st-century problem. There is a lot of mobility in the modern world and one way or the other, you will be connected to India…. NRI students will act as hubs and ambassadors of India.” He added, “When I was a student at Harvard University, people did not understand India. They would ask questions like – ‘Why do elephants walk on your streets?’ Now, people don’t ask such questions, and that is because of the brain drain. Also, if India provides tremendous opportunity, people will come home. Our job is to give a chance for youngsters in and outside India.”
‘We should move towards NRI voting’
To a question on NRI voting, Gandhi said it is a complex issue. He added, “Many stakeholders in India have an opinion on it. My view is that we should move towards it (NRI voting).” He said many people in India feel there should be a difference between residents and citizens of India and NRIs with regards to the rights and access to services they are given back home. “I think India is more than geography. I think India is a particular set of ideas and I would not say I like to restrict the concept of India just with the boundaries of India. Right now, I feel like I am talking to a little piece of India,” said Gandhi.
The leader turned the tables and began asking questions to the students. He asked them: “What is the essence of the idea of India?” and “What would you do if you were the PM of India?”; “Does politics interest you?” He said, “My father always said — ‘India’s strength is unity in diversity’… I believe India does not attempt to force one idea on the people. Ideas have come to India, and it has shaped India, and India has shaped the people. It is a never-ending process.”
‘Education system in India needs to change.’
Gandhi believed that the education system in India has some excellent strengths, particularly at the toplevel management and engineering institutes. “During the UPA’s regime, we took huge strides in the progress of enrolment of students in schools. Quality of our primary education in UP, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, and Jharkhand are inferior. However, there is some very innovative work going on in primary education in Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Maharashtra,” he said.
Pointing out to the benefits of studying in a place like Dubai, an IMT student told Gandhi that being a student here offers the best of both worlds. “We enjoy the luxuries from the West and have the traditions of
the East.” Students also gave their opinion on how governments and political leaders need to listen to the people at grass root level to understand their grievances.
The opposition leader also praised UAE’s policy for giving equal importance to holistic development by establishment of ministries of tolerance and happiness. A similar department would be a good idea in India as tolerance is embedded in the very core of India.
‘Sports needs to be encouraged among students’
Gandhi said, “Cricket is a big success in India. It is a success because it has been scaled up.” He said promoting sports among students is important. Gandhi praised the efforts of several Indian sports stars, including Mary Kom — the boxer. He said he practices Aikido, a Japanese martial art.
The opposition leader told students he wanted to focus on education,
healthcare, and agriculture as there are tremendous opportunities in both these sectors. “We are sitting on the world’s biggest genetic resource, and we also have the most complex DNA structure on the planet,” he explained. He expressed his desire to build a new agriculture corridor and reduce food waste. “SMEs must also transition into large scale businesses,” Gandhi stressed. He repeated that issues of unemployment and farmers
are the two main problems in India at the moment.
Gandhi told the students that he was proud of them and his doors were always open. “I am proud of what you do, and wherever you are, you will serve India, and as long as you are here, you will serve UAE. If there is anything that I can do, if you wish to complain, talk to me about something, or anything, my doors are always open,” he signed off.