Minister of State for Communications and Technology, Sachin Pilot talks about India and himself in a freewheeling conversation with YourStory
One of those who lead the young politics of today’s India, Sachin Pilot has definitely carved a niche for himself by his impressive work and an array of decisions in the recent past. Be it, bridging the digital divide so that the ‘other India’ has access to high-speed broadband connectivity or getting villages into the tele-loop, Sachin Pilot definitely has higher goals for the betterment of India. Having his own bandwagon of followers at an early age of 32, and being the Minister of State for Communications and IT, Sachin Pilot is definitely one young politician who is redefining the Indian political landscape.
YourStory caught up with Sachin Pilot at his office in New Delhi recently, to quiz him about his journey, his vision for India and his own personal goals.
Born to an established political family and a much acclaimed politician father (Rajesh Pilot), Sachin Pilot went on to study Management at IMT Ghaziabad and Wharton school, only to return to India and join politics. He says, “When my father represented this constituency, I was involved with people living Rajasthan. I was always involved, doing some work for the betterment of the people there. Later though, it was an opportunity that the party gave me to fight elections and I am glad to have won so that I can serve the society more meaningfully.”
Talking about the 2009 elections win of Congress party he adds, “When we work towards a goal it is a collective decision. The aspirations of party workers are obviously taken into account. The Congress is a big party and whatever is in the best interest of the party is also in the best interest of the Congress worker.”
One of his role models, Sachin’s mother, Rama Pilot has also been a known name in politics. The mention of her name gets Sachin in a nostalgic mode, “I am very close to my mother. When my father was in politics and later when she joined politics, I worked with her. And there was immense learning that I derived from working with her. She has been there, showing me the right path. We have a very good support system and I am lucky to have her,” says Sachin.
Sachin’s latest decision of reviving the communications and IT industry and not making it limited to a select group has been much discussed upon. His education has not gone wasted according to him. The young leader adds, “No matter what you do, your education is never going to be a waste. I am trained as an economist and I am using my experience and education in my work. I don’t want this ministry to be perceived as elitist. I want to blur the lines within our nation so that rural India can also be part of the big growth story. We want to open up 100,000 community service centres that will be an interface with villagers and help them access land deeds, caste certificates and other services through e-connectivity. These centres will all be in place by next year in villages throughout the country and will be run on a private-public partnership basis. These centres are already functional in Haryana and Jharkhand.”
As Sachin traces back history of his own self, he is reminded of his inspiration. He says, “I was in USA, pursuing my MBA when I heard the news about my father’s death. Things definitely would have been very different if he was alive, but he still continues to inspire me through his ideologies. I recall and relive moments that I have spent with him. I remember his smiling face.”
As we prepare to wrap up our rich conversation with Sachin, he has a parting message for us that he wants to spread to our readers. “The majority of our nation is comprised of the youth. We have to understand the needs and aspirations of the young electorate. It will be my duty to fight for this class which aspires for jobs, quality education, and social harmony -- issues which are fundamentally missing in our country. For a sea change in our nation, I would appeal to youth to come out and vote.” With this promising note, he heads out for yet another busy day ahead.