Being in Politics do you think you have turned a veteran in Politics?
I never look at myself as a veteran. It is always so much to learn. I think you’re never fully comfortable you always have new things to learn and understand When I entered politics I really did not know anything. No Political back ground. Though my father was in Politics but we were not connected to any Politics. I had to be groomed into politics, so it had truly been a learning experience. You know you sit on the other side of Politics and say…I could do this. I remember as a kid I always fought with my dad and told him,” If I was in politics I would have done this or that. “Why can’t you do this? But being in the system than you realize that being in politics is not nor a cake walk and in a magical way you can do anything, you have to work with certain limitations. You have to understand how you can overcome the difficulties and try to solve the problems of the people. I think that is the biggest learning in politics for me and my focus has always been work.
Has politics changed because of social media, Channels and over dose of media?
I think because of social media…Politics has become positive as well as negative also. For people like us who really want to make a difference by entering Politics our focus is work and connection with the poepel.If I am working I will not care for the cameras and harking publicity. Many people told me that you need to show what you are doing to the public. Your work should be projected; I have never gone onto the level of projecting myself. To certain extent I lack in projecting myself… I never wanted to put in unnecessary posters. It is the work that speaks for you. I was against posters-like happy birthday etc posters should not
Priya Dutt talks about her Political career, dad Sunil Dutt,
Punam Mahajan, Opposition, Sunil Dutt, Sanjay Dutt, her family and bringing in reforms in jail, Sanju’s Parole etc in an
exclusive conversation with Lipika Varma
Priya Dutt
be put. Political space you do get only if you work, I feel your work speaks may be I am an idealist. I firmly believe if you work it speaks for you, nothing will matter not how much money people put in, how much money you spent? It is the connection of the people that works .Pressure is there because of too much of press and
misinformation also people do not know whose work is what?
Corporation issues are the most important issues. But media has never brought it to the knowledge of the people as to what these corporation elections mean? What is the meaning of the Lok Sabha elections? How will it affect the progress of the country? The message has not reached to the grass roots…I do not blame the people who only want their day to day life issues to be solved like nallahas,gutters and living conditions which matter a lot. It is a very sad thing. The M.P has very limited Funds Corporation has enough funds for their ward, but maximum work should be done by the corporation. If you go into the slums the entire energy goes into addressing the issues of a day to day .The basic amenities if not provided to the people he will go to his M.P.
How is your campaigning going on? Your plans? Your
strategies?
I am meeting as many people I am meeting explaining the people why is it necessary to vote. I come to know their issues also .They are all corporation issues. We try to address in many ways
throughout my tenures. I give most of my funds towards the Toilet building. Many people feel, M.P is giving funds for toilets. It is one of the most imp thing, ladies cry and say there is no place for us to relief ourselves.
What are the difficulties you faced as a woman? What will you do for a woman?
I did not face any problems while being in Politics as a woman. Many people may have tried but I am very strong. What you say does not matters…people do not take a woman seriously, where woman are concerned we are working towards their progress. I have seen a great difference-How woman have become more vocal, it’s not only the upper middle class woman but I am talking about the woman in the slums. As well. The older gen is not educated they are not aware about their rights. But every one of them want their kids to be educated. There are not so many schools, so our focus again will be bringing in the Municipal schools to a better level, the up gradation of such Municipal schools is the need, these schools are not good so even a slum dweller does not want to share such schools. Parent wants their ward to be educated. We need to upgrade the neighborhood school system. I have always felt health and education are two important issues which need to be addressed and bring in the essential changes. These are two important issues which can bring in a productive generation and a progressive India. We do a lot of medical camps we focus on lot of woman issues like-gayanec problems …we have noticed austre-phirosis in young girls from the age group of 20 to 24.There is no open space, their house is very dark there is no sunlight, proper diet is also a problem they are child bearing woman, who need to be focused. Proper diet needs to be given to them. The health of woman is very important in the urban slums also. These small little studies we are focusing on -how important it is to bring about changes in urban slums too. All parliamentary group committee in consultation for malnutrition has to b looked after in cities like
Mumbai and many other important cities need to be focused. These are very big civic issues which have to be looked into. I do focus a lot on it.
What steps are you taking to curb Corruption and high prizes?
Corruption is a matter to be looked into if our Govt was so scared then they would have not brought in RTI .Bringing in RTI – is the first step to curb corruption. RTI brings in transparency we all knew corruption is prevalent, but we could not catch hold of anyone. This was happening not only in this particular Govt but in all the other Govt too. It is the part of the system only..You have issues on some people; we should have the
courage to take action against the corrupt person. Whatever was brought to light our Govt tried to take action against the concerned person. This is the first step to transparency. CAG reports which came into during the UPA Govt.CAG always talked about presumptive laws. Even in the Telecom which spoke, if you had optioned it if this mush you get then the loss will be this much. The same is in mining laws to which falls under the presumptive laws only. Unfortunately, we could not put it rightly. The opposition took to that only. The figures of 1000’s of crs the numbers are so big the new laws which are pending in the Parliament which Rahulji is aggressively trying to bring into the Parliament with those laws these things will become water tight. Our system will become better let any Govt come if these issues are left then the problems remain where they are.
Prize rise is unavoidable, this also depends on the International market, if Petrol rates are hiked, and there is a hike in other things too. The Govt has managed to stabilize it. Everyone thinks it is the govt’s job to stabilize the prizes. But there has to be collective support to the Govt…Our finance
Minister Chidambaram had advised the people that the deficient will be over if you stop buying Gold for few months. We stand up and are the voice of the people. I guess this is what we have contributed to the
Country.
If you are in the ruling Party it is very easy for the opposition to only be critical. But I believe the opposition plays an important role.Oppostion sits there and does the check and balances and also needs to bring about
suggestions for improvement. Ruling Party takes decision which may not be wrong but the opposition needs to bring in their ideas also for the
betterment of the Country. That is the role of the oppostiton, the
opposition in the last five years has not been constructive at all. It has only been destructive.
Highlight your learning from your dad Sunil Dutt Sahab.
Whatever I do every day in my life, it is some learning from my dad .I would have not been able to survive here if I had not followed his footsteps. Watching him, I think maximum I learned from him is during his”Pad-Yatra.” At that point I saw him not as my father. But I saw him as another human being. Millions of people followed him, I had to take a step back, I saw him as an out-sider not someone from within the family. It was a tremendous learning for me how he
connects with the people. And lend his ears to the grievances of the people and then try to solve it for them. How trivial the matter may be, he would be very patient .I do not know how much percentage I have come close to him. I hope may be a little closer to him. It has been almost 8 years that he has passed away but where ever I go even today the people remember him so fondly. Some where Dutt sahib did this for me- I feel very proud it becomes more
challenge for me that I need to keep up to his standards. He has left behind such a good name, me as his daughter should make it better and even bigger, ofcoz I have proved that myth wrong that a son can only carry the legacy she laughs. I think it is not about a man and a woman I never see that difference. It’s nothing like a woman can’t do what a man can do. I again give this credit to my parents. It is very important what your parents inculcate in you. They never made us feel that you can’t do this because you are a girl. Only your brother can do this. He allowed me to explore and do what I wanted to do. He allowed me to make mistakes and learn from those mistakes. He would always say,” I can only advice you.” I always wanted to do what I felt like doing and thereafter learn through making mistakes. I am very stubborn in many things, I was very argumentative, I would only like to know why I should not do it. I used to always do what I felt like doing. Realization of knowing after making mistakes lead to learning experience. I was also aware of the successive security that someone is always there for you to hold me.
Punam Mahajan daughter of Pramod Mahajan is contesting opposite you what do you have to say?
I think there has always been an opposition; BJP has always been an opposition for UPA. I have no problems at all, I always focus on what I have to do I do not bother who is my opposition. It is no need for me to get too tied up and worry about that and lose focus, this is up to the people to decide. I know her and met her at few occasions and I share a good relationship. Like you know personal relationships are personal and being in a different party it is different.
Why did you never approach Stars like the BJP are also making them contest?
I think they need the added value of the stars she says smilingly. That…..but we have never pressurized any stars to campaign for me. Nor did my father ever like to ask them to canvass for him. However, for his first election the entire industry came in for the rally those were different days. I do understand their priority so I do not like to pressurize them. They are artists they will campaign whoever they would like to campaign for.
Any message to the people?
I tell everybody it is important to vote sensibly. Ours is a diverse state and to replicate with any other state is just impossible .The opposition is just selling dream of Gujarat statistics’ which stands great. We cannot have the same statistics’ for any other state. Ours is the largest secular country we should stop selling
negative things. It is sad that even the media portrays only
negative events. I do not allow my kids to read news papers and watch unnecessary media reports. Such negative bent of mind needs to be stopped. People from the Globe are surprised that being the second largest country we are able to conduct fare elections. This we have been able to do for 60 odd years.
How do you balance between your home front and
professional front?
Balancing the home front and the professional front is the
toughest job but somehow I do it pretty well, with the support of my husband the balancing job between the two becomes
perfect. This one month being the election month will be difficult. By the time I reach home they are off to sleep, they keep asking me questions …Why mama you do not meet us? I just tell them I have my exams like how you guys have. So I have to prepare for the exams.Surprisingly,both my kids now about BJP,AAP and Congress Parties…
What kind of a relationship do you share with Manyata?
All of us are very independent. We live in the same building we are all so busy in our lives we come together when we have some family function or we have some work. We do not want to encroach into anybody’s space. It’s not that if I am married my bond has changed. I am always there for Bhai. We give space to each other. We have separate friends .We have our own families, but yet I will always stand by my brother. I share a great bonding with Manyata.
What do you have to say about Sanju’s Parole affair?
However, About Sanjay’s parole, I would not like to comment. Well!Sanjay being a big name yes! All I can say is that media needs a story so they have been focusing on it from time to time.Also people keep saying that Sanju is getting VIP treatment, I request if they could really go in and watch for themselves what exactly he lives in like.
What about his Biopic?
Ya! We did get into the conversation; he said someone is writing it for him.
Do you visit Sanju in Jail?
We are allowed to visit once a month. His family visits whenever allowed. This time I will not be able to meet him. This is the most emotional testing times for all of us. I try to keep my mind occupied all the time so that I do not think about Sanju being in Jail. It is only during the night hours it becomes inevitable for me to forgo his memories.
I remember Sanju would never like to be alone. He would get sacred of the dark. It is then I just ponder over as to how he must be accommodating himself against his wishes. But yes, he has adapted to the circumstances merely because he is a strong man. Also while mom suffered cancer and we had to deal with it I understood the sufferings of the
people suffering from cancer. Similarly now Sanju being in jail I understand the state of mind of the accused being in there.
Bringing in reforms in Jail- Priya Dutt says-
I pity the conditions of accused living in a small space of just 200m almost 4000 people have to fit in such a small space. This needs a change.
The conditions of the woman accused who are treated very badly needs a total reformation.
There are hardcore criminal, murderers who walk free but circumstantial accused are facing jail.
We must introduce probation which is everywhere in the world. We talk about hard core criminals murderers…they get bail and are ready to commit the same offence. People whom you know and those who have a background and are not so bad they are punished. There are petty criminals who need to get reform probation. There are so many ways we can improve the system even woman in prison deal with terrible social stigma. Their families are finished to death.
Last but not the least death penalty can be replaced by bringing in reforms into the person.
