I think India is poised to be a superpower. I would like to take part in the evolution of shaping a new India, where there is no poverty, discrimination, hunger, joblessness...- HARDtalk interview with Stephen Sackur, October 2005.
Government Soft On Terrorists But Hard On Nationalists
Why Are We Troubling Varun Gandhi?
Medical Council of India Act, 1956
April 30, New Delhi
Shri Varun Gandhi moved a private members bill in Parliament, today. The purpose of the bill was for the amendment of the Medical Council of India Act, 1956, to be taken into consideration.
Varun Gandhi's Speech in Parliament, on Compensation for Families of the Slain CRPF Personnel
Mr Chairman, Sir, yesterday on the 14th of April, 2010, I, along with some Legislatures and political workers from my party, visited the villages and homes of the families of five slain martyrs in the districts of Bulandshahr and Gautam Buddha Nagar in the Western Uttar Pradesh. Forty three out of these 76 people in Uttar Pradesh have been martyred in this horrific massacre. What I saw, Sir, shook me to my very core. Sir, I went to the Tehsils of Khujra, Jewar, Bulandshahr, Anupshahr and Agota. I learnt from the first village called Bodha that no representation from either the Union or the State government had initiated any contact with them personally. They had no idea that the world was even aware of their deep suffering. Neither the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, nor any Minister of any member of the Union government, nor even, in fact, their local MP or MLA had bothered to meet them. In their grief, they sat in darkness, completely isolated.
As I went to the second village called Pachauta, I sat near the brave young martyr's widow, with his three-year-old son on my lap, as he asked me where his father was. I asked myself, "What should I tell him? Should I tell him of his father's bravery? Would it mean anything to him?" The larger question, Sir, is not whether it would mean anything to that three-year-old child, but, does the bravery of that soldier, the protector of our liberties, of our democracy - does his shahadat, does his martyrdom mean anything to our larger system? I am not just talking about the government here, because this is not really a time to do politics, but does it mean anything to the India of today? Have we become so cynical as a nation that every death, every martyrdom today has become merely a statistic that we can gloss over, that we can take for granted?
In the third village I went to, Sir, they had told me of their desire to erect a statue to celebrate the martyr's bravery, to honour their memory. They have been told that no public funds can be allowed for this. It is a sad day for Indian democracy when State governments have the money to build statues of their living leaders with handbags, but not of the martyred sons of the soil. No financial assistance has been given to them as yet. Why? Because of bureaucratic red-tapism.
When we have to wait for a driving licence because of red-tapism, we will wait. When we have to wait for a telephone connection because of loopholes within the system, we will grin and bear it. But when we have to watch our martyrs wait in silence for weeks and months at a time for what they deserve, rather a pittance compared to what they deserve, then we cannot and should not bear this.
Sir, Henri David Thoreau once said, "The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation." This is not an issue to play politics with, as a said earlier. But the nation must fight for those who have fought with every drop of their blood to protect it.
My suggestion is that immediately a member of each family be given a permanent Government job, some land from the Gram Sabha, the mother of each martyr should be given a lifelong pension. This is something that the NDA government did after the Kargil war - the mother of each martyr was given a lifelong pension. Additionally, assistance should be given to build a small memorial in their respective villages. This would breed a nationalist spirit amongst our youth.
Also, Sir, immediately the CRPF should be given insurance in high risk areas, like the army receives. I pray that as a system we act, act swiftly and act strongly for these brave sons of the soil. Jai Hind.
Bharatiya Janata Party MP and National Secretary Varun Gandhi visited Bulandshahr today, to discuss the issue of compensation announced by the Centre and state governments to families of slain CRPF personnel who were killed by Maoists in Dantewada recently.
Shri Gandhi met families of five slain CRPF personnel who belonged to different parts of the district here.
While visiting constable Dharampal's family in Borha village, he said the deceased's mother should also be given pension by the government along with his wife.
Addressing a rally in Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh, newly appointed BJP National Secretary Varun Gandhi called for a complete ban on cow slaughter. “If somebody attacks my mother, would I not stand in front of her to protect her? Cow-slaughter is not only a social crime it is also a criminal act but not a single case has been filed,” he said. “Why are we silent on this issue?” he added, as the crowds put their hands up in support of the cause.
Referring to the stampede in Kripalu Maharaj’s ashram in Pratapgarh in which 65 people were killed, he said, “there is money for Rs 5-Crore, Rs 10-Crore garlands but when it comes to giving compensation, the government says it has no money. It has done ‘murtikaran’ (filled the city with Mayawati’s statues) of Lucknow.” Raising the issue of Bareilly riots, Shri Gandhi wondered if the violence was a “well-thought out game-plan” of the Mayawati regime.
“I am totally against communalism. But why were they given permission to take out a procession on Holi when it is well-known how people celebrate this festival with such fervour,” he said.
He asserted that during the Lok Sabha elections he had not given a communal slogan when he said “we can get beheaded but would not bow our heads”.
“To give the fight for self-respect a communal colour is not correct,” he said.
Shri Gandhi also mentioned the need to respect Ganga river, an issue dear to the RSS and the Sangh Parivar.
He ended his speech with the slogan of “Jai Shri Ram”.
"Fighting for the poor of the nation is a long struggle that people from well-off families are not interested in. I want to produce at least one lakh Varun Gandhis who will fight that war", Shri Gandhi said, adding that he was in politics to serve and had no love for any post or power.
BJP President, Nitin Gadkari announced a new national team, making Varun Gandhi the youngest appointed National Secretary in the history of the party. Sources in the BJP said that he would be given the post of UP BJP president just ahead of the next assembly elections in 2012.
In January 2010, a large section of the BJP was projecting Varun Gandhi as the future face of the party in the country, especially Uttar Pradesh. A public rally addressed by him in Sultanpur, in December 2009, drew a larger crowd than any of the events hosted by the BJP in the recent past. The RSS sees him as the only hope for strengthening the party's presence in Uttar Pradesh. The inclusion of Varun Gandhi in the team hopes to see a revival of the party's presence in Uttar Pradesh. Speaking of Varun's nomination, Gadkari said, "Varun Gandhi is one of the most popular leaders in the country right now. He is an MP from Uttar Pradesh and one of our best youth faces. He is one of the most dynamic leaders from Generation Next. Let’s not mix the Gandhi angle here. Rahul Gandhi is with the Congress and Varun Gandhi with the BJP. We don’t need to counter Rahul Gandhi."
