‘The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy’. These lines by Martin Luther King Jr holds true for 31-year-old Omendra Pratap Singh alias Omendra Bharat - the UP chief of Bharat Punarnirman Dal (BPD), who is in the fray from Kanpur Lok Sabha constituency.
Hailing from a well-educated family, Omendra Bharat completed his M Tech from IIT-Kanpur in May 2006 and entered the political arena in Dec 2006. He sacrificed a lucrative job with TCS to wage a battle against caste-based reservation system, which politicians have effectively used as a tool to further their selfish motives. This young techie, who draws inspiration from Bhagat Singh and Chandrashekhar Azad, shared his opinion and outlook with Devika Chhibber of Zeenews.com.
Excerpts:
Being an IITian what urged you to enter politics?
While I was at IIT Kanpur in 2006, the medical reservation issue came up. That time also I took an active part in the protests, but what I observed was that only medical students were concerned about the issue and the dire consequences; engineering students were totally missing from the scenario. After I got a job in TCS, I wasn’t satisfied and as I have always believed that you should do what satisfies you the most, so, I left the job and contributed towards the formation of Bharat Punarnirman Dal (BPD), which is two years old now.
Can politics change our lives?
Politics is part and parcel of our lives. Our day-to-day activities are influenced and affected by it. Just look around and you will find that politics contribute to everything that is a part of our life.
How will you define the relationship between politics and youth?
Relationship between politics and youth is complementary. ‘Politics is cool, but certainly it is not my cup of tea’- this is the statement we hear when we come across youth nowadays. Youngsters try to say that politics and politicians are fun to watch, but they can’t personally associate with politics. What is the motivation that can stimulate the youth to come forth and enter the battleground?
Many young people say that nobody can upgrade the status of Indian politics, but this is not true. There is a great need for positive thinking and motivation, which is lacking somewhere in the youth these days. They become more interested in their careers and forget that they owe some responsibility towards their country and those who realize, for them, the path is full of hurdles.
Then what will your party do in these circumstances?
Our party has never said that we will bring change as soon as we come to power. But we have taken that initial step, which many even find difficult to think. The current degraded political scenario, which everybody is talking about, can only be transformed and reformed when we have faith in ourselves. This is the need of the hour and if we do not respond, it will be really difficult afterwards. Hence ‘change’ is required now.
Today’s political youth icons are synonymous with dynastic legacy. Do you favour the trend?
No, I don’t because they are already standing on the bases, which their fathers have established. The fundamental ground is actually very difficult to gain. For them visiting the poor and the needy could be more of an adventure rather than a true service. Of course, they are educated and can solve the problems of the masses but the respect, which they get, is all because of their hierarchal family support system. What are they without this system? What have they done to gain it? They can’t even contests from new seats and instead prefer to be a part of the constituency from where their fathers contested.
Who are your favourite politicians till date?
I personally feel that instead of Jawahar Lal Nehru, Subhas Chandra Bose should have become the first PM of our country because he could have led the country as a whole instead of creating rifts among masses. Among the current ones, I appreciate Narendra Modi, although he is a controversial figure but I am speaking of his leadership qualities only.
Why do you think people will vote for you?
I agree that ours is a new party and we are very new in the race. I have never said that we will win many seats. This time we are contesting for around 10 seats and I am standing from the Kanpur LS constituency. Younger generation has come out in favour of our campaigns. They support us and make us feel that we are worthier of the respect and love they give us. So, we are confident and will try to give our best shot.
Do you think the older generation will also come out in your support?
Yes, I think they will, because it is high time they realize that they have been voting hopelessly for those politicians for the past 60 years, who have done nothing but made false promises. Now is the time that they should take the risk and give fresh faces a chance.
What are the highlights of your party manifesto and agenda?
Our manifesto basically supports two demands: that education must be provided to all and secondly caste based reservation must not be supported at any cost. First of all, I think that any party or candidate must be ready to debate because through discussion and debate, we can highlight several issues for the common man. Secondly, we will try to bring in electoral reforms like one day for voting is insufficient. At least 3 days of voting for a particular phase must be done.
Third, ID cards must be issued in the form of ATM cards, which can be used all over the country. Fourth, people don’t know about Section 49(O), which says that if they do not want to vote for any party they can ask for a form and fill in and show that they do not support any party although it is very risky because we are exposed to unwanted hazards. So, we also appreciate the idea of negative voting.
What is your take on the shoe hurling incidents?
These incidents show the outbursts of the weaker sections against a deaf government. But personally, I feel that these actions simply leave a negative impact. Why don’t we try to do something positive instead of just hitting hard at the politicians? Suppose, if our party wins even one seat we will get right to enter Parliament and participate in debates. We may not be on the ruling side, but the least we can do is to stand and speak against the wrong decisions made in Parliament. That’s what ‘change’ is all about.
You are continuously talking about ‘change’, so does Barack Obama also impress you?
It is not about impression, but about inspiration. There is a fervent need of educated, uncontroversial candidates in Indian politics. Obama is a graduate from Harvard University. His visions for US are highly appreciable. Only educated citizens can choose between right and wrong. We should lay emphasis on performance rather than making hollow promises.
Today, when the Indian politics is in a decomposing stage, it requires several reforms and changes. So, it is high time that we take up the responsibility to face the situation and take active role in our country’s politics.
First Published: Saturday, May 02, 2009, 00:00