Nandan Nilekani.. It was such a pleasure listening to Nandan Nilekani speak with Barkha on NDTV yesterday- When Bangalore votes for the national elections, its choices will include Nandan Nilekani, the technology entrepreneur and co-founder of software giant Infosys. Nilekani, who was tapped by the government to run its ambitious identity-recognition programme, is running for Bangalore South as a Congress candidate. In an exclusive interview to NDTV, Nilekani spelt out his vision and how he plans to contest election. Here are the highlights: - I think politics is the biggest lever of change in India - When you propose new things your political legitimacy will be questioned and that is why I have to contest Lok Sabha polls - Underestimated the pace of India. There has been such an astonishing change - the rise of young India, people wanting better governance -As a technocrat I had reached the glass-ceiling of change I could initiate -People want performers in politics today, people in Bangalore want a change - Congress is my ideological home, I come from a Nehruvian family - Its the Congress party and the UPA government which let me do the Aadhaar project and backed me to the hilt - When I went to visit the mosque, they asked me to put on a skull-cap and I think it was a courtesy - I come from a belief every Indian deserves a fair chance and equal respect - When I moved from Infosys to government, I severed all ties with Infosys - Similarly Im very careful about mixing business with politics - I would pay attention to campaign reform and election funding reform - In the next few weeks, one has to focus relentlessly on execution. - You have to have a very clear strategy on how to reach voters - Im approaching it as engineering project - it may look more corporate and technocratic way... but that is who I am - This is more tiring that roadshows Ive done when I was in Infosys - Any reform process, certainly if the scale we are trying ( with Adhaar) is going to have some perturbations -A lot more IIT-ians in government now... no longer a Stephens monopoly - Arvinds contribution to political change is great - Hats off to AAP and his team for political innovations but governance is not his cup of tea - When you come from an agitational DNA, it is difficult - As a force of change, they have done a great job - I find Rahul Gandhi very idealistic and committed to change I would like to be a part of change. All I can say is that he has the rig-ht goals - If he is the boss, he is the boss - I have very limited focus...Six weeks and an election to win is all I am thinking about - I have always been a team player. I will be a team player in politics - I am a beneficiary of Indias growth and success. I have benefited hugely from this country and I really dont have any personal needs - dont need to make money - Im in politics to make the lives of millions of Indians better - Im now investing my time in politics and I am in this for the long haul - We have a programme called Ideas for Bengaluru and we have a huge number of ideas. - Im a problem solving kind of guy and I will solve problems Nandan is a class apart. May his tribe in politics increase.
Posted on: Tue, 11 Mar 2014 07:53:28 +0000
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