Unlike Rahul-Gandhi and Gehlot’s Advice to Youth to Enter Politics, Pilot Says: “Study Hard and Become an Officer”
Naya Satyagrah, Jaipur: Amid the ongoing debate within the Congress over bringing young people into politics and encouraging them to participate politically, a different message has emerged from Rajasthan. Congress leader Sachin Pilot, while interacting with students in Barmer on Tuesday, told a student, “Don’t enter politics; study hard and become an officer.” Pilot’s remark has now become a topic of discussion in political circles.
Pilot was on a visit to Barmer on Tuesday. During the visit, he had breakfast with students at Virendra Dham Hostel and interacted with them. During his conversation with a student, he advised him to focus on his studies and become an officer.
Pilot’s advice is being viewed in the context of the contrasting messages being given within the Congress regarding youth and politics. Former Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has already appealed to young people to enter politics directly. He has also advocated giving more than 50 percent of tickets to Gen Z candidates in municipal elections.
Rahul Gandhi has also been regularly interacting with students and young people. He has been raising issues related to education, employment, competitive examinations and the political participation of youth. Bringing young people into politics has also been an important part of Rahul Gandhi’s political agenda.
How different is Pilot’s message from his own political journey?
Sachin Pilot’s statement in Barmer has attracted attention because his own political career began at a very young age. In 2004, at the age of 26, Pilot was elected to the Lok Sabha from Dausa. He later also served as a minister in the central government.
In other words, at the same age when he is now advising students to study and become officers, Pilot himself had already entered active politics and become a member of Parliament.
This is why Pilot’s advice is also being viewed in the context of his own political journey. The question being raised is: If young people do not enter politics, how will a new generation and fresh ideas come into politics?
However, it is also possible that Pilot’s message was simply intended to encourage a particular student to focus on his studies and consider the administrative services as an immediate career goal.
In fact, a large number of young people are preparing for competitive examinations and consider government jobs to be a secure career option. In this context, Pilot’s remark can also be viewed as advice about the career opportunities available to young people.
But at the political level, the question remains: When Rahul Gandhi and Ashok Gehlot are encouraging young people to enter politics, does Sachin Pilot’s message—“Don’t enter politics, study and become an officer”—not reflect differing perspectives within the Congress on youth participation in politics?
Pilot’s one-line remark in Barmer has become significant because it was not merely advice given to one student. It came from a leader who himself chose politics as a career at a young age.
