Speaking at Democracy Wall, the comedian-turned-MP also hit out at today’s youth for taking shortcuts, as well as taking failure to heart and giving up.
New Delhi: Aam Aadmi Party MP Bhagwant Mann has hit out at the culture of nepotism in Indian politics, taking the example of Samajwadi Party founder Mulayam Singh Yadav and his son Akhilesh to make his point.
Both leaders have headed the party and been chief minister of Uttar Pradesh.
Mann was in conversation with Chitleen K. Sethi, associate editor at ThePrint, at the Democracy Wall event at the Lovely Professional University in Jalandhar.
Democracy Wall is a monthly free speech campus initiative organised by ThePrint in collaboration with Facebook. Politician Vijay Inder Singla , rapper Feyago, comedian Abijit Ganguly, actor-singer Ayushmann Khurrana and Arnika Singh, an online expert from the Centre for Social Research, also conducted interactive sessions at the event.
Mann went as far as to say that entry is only open “for politicians like Mulayam Singh Yadav’s son”, and that opportunities were scarce for “any of us”.
“How will the youth enter politics?” he asked.
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Youth taking shortcuts
Mann also didn’t hold back from blaming today’s youth, who try to find “a short cut to success”.
“Failure teaches you a lot. All those who become successful always tell you how they failed. Today, students get disheartened if they get low marks and commit suicide. Everyone has some or the other talent: Use it, don’t give up so easily,” he advised.
On free speech
According to Mann, while free speech does mean debate, the arguments on prime-time television no longer qualify under that term. “They do not do it in a civil manner. Tune into BBC, and you’ll see the opposite,” he said.
Responding to a student who asked why AAP has not commented on the attempted murder of JNU student leader Umar Khalid in New Delhi, where it is in power, Mann admitted the party was getting a lot of backlash for not publicly condemning the attack. He made no further comment, and then began to recite a poem on corruption.
On politicians’ promises
The young leader also expressed concern over the increasing tendency of politicians to make promises to the public that they cannot keep. Accountability, he stressed, was missing from politics today.
“The seats of the politicians change every five years, but our fate remains the same. Our youth still suffers. We have talent, but no opportunity. Here, only brain drain is happening,” Mann said.
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On comedy career
Apart from his parliamentary responsibilities, Mann is also a professional comedian who performs skits in Punjabi. His father, he says, never wanted him to pursue his craft seriously, but that did not deter him.
“After I became famous, my father started using my fame to get things done,” he said.
For Mann, the decision to join politics emerged from a sense of duty he felt towards the public. “I had a set career in comedy and Bollywood, but Manpreet Singh Badal created a party and asked all those who feel the pain of Punjab to join them” he said, explaining that he felt it was his “responsibly to join them and serve the public”.
Prof PK Sharma,Freelance Journalist,Barnala(Punjab)
The masses had lot of expectations from Aam Aadami Party(AAP).
Mr.Bhagwant Mann must admit that the expectations of people have been belied!
How can party address the issues and problems of public when it always is a victim of bickering and controversies?
He has rightly pointed out that youth’s
plight in India is shaky and desperate.
The brain drain and attraction to greener pastures is the only option before the youth !
But who will apply mind and efforts in the right direction when AAP is mired
in manifold wrangles and conflicts very often ?
Mann Sahib,people have started drifting away from the party !
It will be too late if things do not improve and course correction is not there !
Prof PK Sharma Freelance Journalist Pom Anm Nest,Barnala(Punjab)