“I Have Never Been Scared Of Failure”

Her political career may not be at its peak at the moment, but ex Congress MP Priya Dutt’s spirit to serve people remains undeterred. She talks to Nikshubha Garg about the Nargis Dutt Foundation, its evolution, and Indian politics

- Nikshubha Garg

During the course of our 60-minute telephonic conversation, Priya Dutt makes it amply clear that she has no regrets. She isn’t hesitant to admit that her defeat in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections gave her time to focus on the Nargis Dutt Foundation, and its road ahead. Vision is probably the first quality that strikes us about the former Congress MP. The second being, positivity. Excerpts from the conversation.

Your father Sunil Dutt set up the Nargis Dutt Foundation (NDF) as he wanted India to have world-class medical facilities for cancer patients. How has it evolved over the years?

The foundation was set up in 1981 after my mother’s passing. At that time, cancer treatment was hardly available in India. During her illness, my parents realised that they were fortunate to have got the best medical treatment (they travelled to the US), but not many were as lucky. Today, although India has come a long way in terms of medical facilities, cancer cases are still on the rise. As a result, our focus is that no patient loses his/her life due of lack of funds. We work closely with Tata Memorial Hospital, Mumbai, for the cause. The foundation is also working towards early detection of cancer among patients as that is the only way to reduce mortality rates. We organise medical camps across India, and run a mobile clinic six days a week in the slums. NDF is in the process of setting up an early detection mobile unit especially focusing on women’s cancer (cervical and breast). As for education, we are working with underprivileged children to give them a shot at a brighter future. We are proud of the fact that a number of them are doing well for themselves.

What sets the NDF apart from others working towards health and education?