Youth_Blogger

This pandemic has annihilated the whole globe. Every country, state, and household has
had to rely on its inhabitants to survive, and many of us have lost our loved ones.
Taking the advantage of the lockdown, IICSR conducted a virtual meeting with Shri
Rajmani Patel, an Indian politician from the Indian National Congress who was elected to the
Rajya Sabha from Madhya Pradesh on 15 March 2018. He was the treasurer of the
Advocates Association in 1965. He worked against feudalism. He was first elected to the
Madhya Pradesh Legislative Assembly in 1972 from Sirmour and subsequently in 1980,
1985, and 1998. He also served as Working President of MP Congress

After struggling with this corona and pandemic, let’s hear what the politicians have to say.
And what are the steps taken to combat COVID and many other ground-level problems?

Shri Rajmani Patel was welcomed by the host of ‘Youth Questions’, Harsha, CEO of the
IICSR group.

When the host, asked how he became interested in politics, spokesperson Rajmani Patel
stated that he became interested in politics and themes like child marriage, farmers, climate
change, and other issues during his school years, and he kept his interest in politics during
his college life too. Soon after, the talk turned a little more serious, and topics such as covid
came up, which has been one of the most current and bothersome issues for a few years.
The host further interrogated and raised a question about covid which was: “What
initiatives were implemented during the lockdown in covid?” The senior leader
responded very frankly that as we all observed during the first shutdown, the impoverished
people who are suffering from food, clothing, medications, and other day-to-day necessities
should be brought to an end. Thousands of people were on the streets with nowhere to go
and nothing to eat, so this was a major issue and is still a major issue, and he urged that the
government must take action to address all of these issues from the ground level. The
interviewer then moved on to climate change, a topic on which Patel Ji raised concern in
parliament in 2019. In response, he stated emphatically that the government recognizes that
this is a huge issue and that themes such as air pollution, water pollution, and climate
change should all be taken into account, since these little issues are developing daily and
becoming a large problem, but for the time being, the government has taken no harsh action,
and Patel Ji also said that because this is our land, we should not rely solely on the
government or the system. We all must take care of each other, not just as individuals, but
as a community. After that, the interviewer moved on to topics such as unemployment, which
also became a big issue, especially in covid because many of the big companies were shut
down and there wasn’t any medium to earn money for the middle class and the poor, so
what were the steps taken to tackle this problem? to which the political leader expressed
his worry by saying that the loans should be granted. And also added that government
should spend some money to promote all the NGOs who are working day and night to help
needy people and also for all the small businesses like the startups so that there would be
an increase in employment not only in cities but also in a rural area so that there would also
be developed at the ground level which will eventually increase the employment.

The discussion became increasingly heated as the session progressed, with topics such as
a shortage of medical services, particularly in pandemics, where rural people suffered the
most; even though food is abundant in India, there is still a scarcity of food, which leads to
malnutrition, which has an impact on immunity; and what has the government done to
address these issues. According to the political leader, doctors do not want to operate in
rural areas because of the lack of necessities such as electricity and equipment which are
used in medical science, and there is a shortage of medicines too. As a result, the political
the leader has made recommendations to the government to address this issue. Further,
the presenter asked about the rising crime against women and children in Madhya
Pradesh, to which delegate Patel Ji responded that these are the issues that bother him the
most because, even after 74 years of independence, women still cannot feel free, which is a
significant issue. So, to address such a problem, the government should take very strict
actions, as well as the law, should work more quickly because once a file is filed in court,
the court assign dates, which should be avoided, and people should realize that this problem
is not something that the government can change itself; we, as citizens, must also change
our minds.

Further, the host asked him about how he sees his state MP after 5 years to which he
responded very firmly that Madhya Pradesh has everything which a state should have and
it’s also called the heart of India and, It has been home to the cultural and spiritual heritage
of almost all the religions. Innumerable monuments, intricately carved temples, stupas, forts,
and palaces are dotted all over the State, but the only difficulty is that we are unable to
preserve our state, and he is also hopeful that an effort will emerge shortly to address these
issues. People would become more conscious, and swachh Bharat is one such program that
has aided not only Madhya Pradesh but India as a whole in terms of cleanliness.

Soon after Harsha introduced a researcher, SUNDEEP NARWAN who asked the senior
leader about how he addresses his thoughts to the general public about climate change
because many people believe that this isn’t a problem right now, so they don’t think about it,
but what about climate change in the next 5 years? so how do you see your state Madhya
Pradesh for the next 5 years and how do you make people aware of this problem?
To which senior leader said that Indian students are more concerned with society rather than
education, so these topics to discuss in public require knowledge of how climate factors
affect people’s health. For this, we need our education system to work and make children
aware because they are the nation’s future. Money should not be spent solely on religion,
but also on education.”

I, Prasun Kumar, an IICSR youth blogger, would like to conclude that:

The government is not the only one who can create change. Every single person has the
potential to make a difference. To make an immediate impact, why don’t we all get involved
and volunteer?

Aside from the fact that we all wish India needs to change from the ground level, there is a
difference between wanting and doing, and that difference should just not be addressed
solely by the government or an NGO; it should be addressed by each of us individually, as
these minor issues have a significant impact because it is our world.

This pandemic has demonstrated that so many people have suffered just to have a meal.
Therefore, it would be quite effective if we all wanted to put an end to the agony that is
malnutrition.

There should be campaigns for each company’s employees, and it should be everyone’s
obligation to help others, even if it’s just a tiny step. Extra credit should be provided to every
employee who helps others since this will encourage more individuals to work for a change.

In schools, the administration should also take such initiative to help for a change.