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Opinion National Interest PoV 50-Word Edit

ThePrint On Camera Videos In Pictures

Society & Culture Around Town Book Excerpts Vigyapanti The Dating Story

More Judiciary Education YourTurn Work With Us Campus Voice

What does young India need? Kiren Rijiju and Sima aunty

India is a deliciously young nation. A change of guard is overdue. Enough of megalomaniacs hanging on to their kursis.

Guess who stole the show at a glittering Bollywood event in Mumbai recently? A cheerful, chilled-out Union minister—the “dapper netaji” species isn’t extinct yet.

There was Kiren Rijiju (54), young, energetic, articulate, and very “today”, blushing away as Hema Malini (77), India’s Forever Dream Girl, posed imperiously next to him at her personal milestone event, ‘Celebrating the Dream Girl’s Diamond Jubilee’, held at Mumbai’s iconic Shanmukhananda Hall. Maybe Hemaji was Rijiju’s secret crush when he was still a toddler? Yes, the two of them belong to the same side of the political fence, and Malini is a well-respected MP from Mathura. That evening, in a sea of well-known movie stars such as Shatrughan Sinha (who was once a same-to-same political fencewala) and Jeetendra (well, Stardust had dubbed him Jumping Jack back then—for him, fences are easy).

There were tributes galore as singers, colleagues, and admirers of the Diamond Jubilee Queen (and her husband, the late Dharmendra) came together to mark the occasion. Despite the tough showbiz competition, it was Rijiju who stood out and held his own with customary good humour, dignity, and charm.

It kind of got me thinking.

Here’s a leader India can project for a major global role (I am not getting into trouble defining exactly which role, but hint-hint, it’s the same one being discussed in hush-hush tones by the Big Boys of the BJP). Rijiju’s credentials are pretty good. So is his track record in politics. If one can overlook a few major gaffes, like the one he made in 2022 on the judiciary, for which he was widely criticised. Errr… “opaque” Collegium........

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