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Deepinder Hooda, Congress MP from Rohtak, Haryana, aims to turn his constituency into Takshila
With a Blackberry cell phone in his hand and dressed in a crisp white kurta, 30-year-old Deepinder Hooda feels politicians have a certain responsibility towards the youth of the country. Deepinder, Congress MP from Rohtak, Haryana, aims to turn his constituency into Takshila of the ancient times with almost every reputed educational institution under the sun having its branch at Rohtak.
One of the first 50 members of the social networking website Orkut, Deepinder believes with progressive ideas and a forward-looking approach, Rahul Gandhi has all the credentials to lead the country. A self-professed geek, according to his Orkut profile, Deepinder loves U2 Metallica, Aerosmith, Sting and Abba.
Beaming with confidence Deepinder shared his vision and mission with MiD DAY.
Excerpts:
What do you feel about the resurgence of youth in Indian politics?
The youth have a lot of confidence in them. They feel that the future is in their hands. For today's youth, sky is the limit. It is the responsibility of the politicians that to see to it that their confidence is not hurt.
What do you have to say about rampant corruption in politics?
The fight against corruption must start at the top. If we could remove it from the top-rung the day is not far when we will be able to remove corruption completely from Indian polity.
Why should Rahul Gandhi lead the nation?
Apart from the Gandhian legacy Rahul's secular and progressive outlook make him an ideal leader. He has a definite roadmap for the progress of the country.
What do you have to say about Varun Gandhi?
It was very shocking to hear someone from the younger generation talking about hatred and religion-based politics. Definitely Varun cannot call himself a part of India's youth brigade. The time has come for such people to shed spicy, stupid and silly politics.
What are your plans for your constituency, Rohtak?
I am working towards developing Rohtak as an educational hub on the lines of Takshila of the ancient times. I want Rohtak to become the educational capital of the country. I have been able to get sanctions from top institutes like the IIM, AIIMS, NID, IIHM, FDDI, NIFT and IIFT to set up their branches in Rohtak. The Film and Television Institute of India will have a bigger campus in Rohtak than the one in Pune. In total, there would be 14 national and state-level institutes with a total expenditure of Rs 3,000 crore.
Your father is the Chief Minister of Haryana, how do you assess the work done by the state government under him?
Haryana has become the number one state in the country as far as per capita investment is concerned beating states like Gujarat. It is ranked second after Goa, which is a very small state. Haryana has been able to beat prosperous states like Punjab. Such progressive transformation has happened only in the last four years due to the pro-active and positive approach of the state government and transparent governance. Earlier, in Haryana, politicians, government, administration and criminals used to be hand-in-glove. The Congress government has been able to break that nexus.
You are also a lover of music. What kind of music do you enjoy?
Apart from traditional Haryanvi Ragini and Bollywood oldies by Mohammad Rafi, I like to listen to some rock bands and heavy metal. U2 is one of my favourite bands. I also enjoy listening to Metallica, Aerosmith, Sting and Abba.
What about movies?
I watch Hindi movies sometimes but am not addicted to them.
Does it mean that you like Hollywood movies?
Yes, I love Hollywood movies. I enjoy watching Clint Eastwood movies and thrillers. The Bond series and also the Ocean series are my favourites. The movies based on the life of politicians, like the one on John F Kennedy make for an interesting watch.
What's your favourite food?
I love parantha with makhan (white butter).
Internet, especially Orkut and blogging have become tools of political campaigning. Do you also communicate with people through the Internet?
The Internet is a very powerful medium. People can directly give their feedback on social networking websites and a leader can interact with a number of people in a very short time. I am very active on Facebook and Orkut. I am one of the oldest members of Orkut. When it was not available for public and only the beta version of the site was on the run, I was in America and became a part of it. I feel people give a more transparent feedback on the Internet and interact freely with a political leader through scraps, blogs etc.
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