Is Politics for Professionals | Pranav Jha | TEDxCaledonian Intl School Youth

The Allure of Public Service

• Politics is a form of public service, and it's a profession that should not be left to politicians alone, as stated by President Kennedy, who believed there's no greater calling than public service (23s).
• Historical figures like Mahatma Gandhi, Pandit Nehru, and Rajin Babu took up politics to affect the destiny of millions, showing that professionals can join politics and make a career out of it (42s).
• The idea that politics is too serious a profession to be left to politicians is emphasized, highlighting the need for professionals to get involved (1m0s).

Early Life and Influences

• The speaker's background is from Bihar, specifically from a place called Bhagalpur, which was made famous by the film Gangaajal, and they were born in a cultivator family (1m31s).
• The speaker's father was one of the first few people to move out of Bhagalpur to look for a government job, eventually working in the steel factory in Bokaro Steel City (1m53s).
• The steel factory was set up by Pandit Nehru, the first Prime Minister of India, in 1957, and it played a significant role in nation-building (2m5s).
• The speaker's early childhood in a village taught them the importance of not wasting time and resources, a lesson that stayed with them throughout their life (2m56s).
• The speaker's experience growing up in Bokaro Steel City, where people from all over India came to work, taught them the value of unity in diversity and the idea that work is worship (4m14s).
• The speaker follows the ideology that the whole world is one community, and they practice the idea of not having narrow hearts, which is rooted in their upbringing and the Indian civilization (4m52s).
• The speaker's experience in school was shaped by the idea that everyone is equal, and people could dress, eat, and live as they wanted without being judged, which is in contrast to the current situation in some parts of India (5m8s).

Education and Early Career

• The idea of India was shaped by a young man who became the youngest Prime Minister of India, Rajiv Gandhi, who had a dream for the country (5m46s).
• Life without a telephone was unimaginable, and the speaker recalls having to leave Delhi University's north campus to make a phone call at a place where the price would be slashed to 1/4 after 11:00 p.m. (6m23s).
• The current generation has the privilege of being able to call their parents from anywhere in the country and connect with them in seconds (6m57s).
• Rajiv Gandhi ensured that there were PCOs in every colony of the country, laying the framework for digital India (7m15s).
• The speaker finished their matriculation from a government school in 1987 and passed their plus two from Kendriya Vidyalaya in 1989 (7m40s).
• The same year, Congress went out of power in November, and the speaker came to Delhi for higher education, as IITs were mostly located in Delhi at that time (8m0s).
• The speaker's father wanted them to become an IAS officer or an English professor, so they had no option but to come to Delhi (8m36s).
• The speaker got admission to Kirori Mal College, where they were thrown into a melting pot of students from different backgrounds (8m50s).
• Ragging in those days was non-violent, and freshers were supposed to wear Hawaii chappals to college, which helped to remove inferiority complexes (9m12s).
• College was a place where students learned etiquette, style, mannerisms, virtues, and vices, and the speaker unfortunately picked up smoking (10m4s).

Entry into Politics

• The speaker quit smoking 16 years ago and hopes to help friends who are still struggling with the habit (10m27s).
• In 1989, rebel Congress leader V.P. Singh became the Prime Minister of India and announced the implementation of the Mandal Commission report (10m48s).
• The college life was marked by protests, with leaders from various political parties trying to intervene and use students to suit their own agendas, drawing students to different political groups (11m1s).
• The general elections were announced after about 8 months, and an observer role was taken on in Madhya Pradesh for the Congress party, which involved crisscrossing the state (11m30s).
• The journey as an observer ended abruptly with the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi in a bomb blast (11m52s).
• College life was coming to an end, and the realization was made that becoming an IAS officer was not the goal, partly due to the influence of seniors who said bureaucrats were not the real politicians (12m9s).
• Many friends were moving to Mumbai, and the college music society was very good, with some members going on to become famous, including KK, Lakshmi, and the lead vocalist of the music group Parikrama (12m58s).
• After college, a year's break was taken to study mass communication, filmmaking, and law, and work was started for a friend's publication, soon leading to a role at the audiovisual news magazine Turning Point (14m12s).
• The role at Turning Point led to meeting brilliant minds, including Girish Karnad and Ninad, and soon things progressed to becoming a news producer, creative director at an advertising agency, and documentary filmmaker (14m35s).
• Documentary filmmaking brought attention to issues on the ground, such as the water crisis in Rajasthan, deforestation problems, and slums, around 2003-2004 (14m58s).
• India was changing, and politics was becoming more open to general people, drawing attention back to politics (15m19s).
• In 2004, a visit was made to the headquarters at 24 Akbar Road, and a meeting was held with the InCharge of Bihar and Jharkhand, leading to work in the Assembly election in Bihar in 2005 (15m40s).

A Professional's Perspective on Politics

• The background provided is a brief overview of the journey from a professional to a politician over the past 20 years (16m7s).
• Politics is more accessible today than it was 20 years ago, with various professionals such as doctors, engineers, data scientists, and researchers contributing to the field (16m16s).
• Despite having no famous family connections, one can still make a difference in politics, as seen in the speaker's own experience of rising to a high position in the organization (16m49s).
• To succeed in politics, one needs to have a relevant skill set, such as communication skills, and be willing to contribute (17m18s).
• Working in politics can be a fulfilling and challenging job, allowing individuals to know the truth behind what is being reported in the media (17m36s).
• Professionals from various fields, including doctors, educationists, economists, and development professionals, are encouraged to join politics and make a difference (18m17s).
• However, it is essential to be financially secure and have the stomach to fight for what one believes in, as politics can be unpredictable and challenging (18m39s).
• Examples of professionals who have made a difference in politics include Rahul Gandhi, who was an investment banker, and Rajiv Gandhi, who was a pilot (19m19s).
• People are drawn to politics when they believe in the cause and the fight, and many individuals have worked their way up and are doing well in the field (19m47s).
• Perseverance is key, and one should not quit, as seen in the speaker's own experience of rising to a high position in the organization (20m14s).