The first from his family to contest elections, Aaditya Thackeray, the 29-year-old running for the Worli assembly seat, is enjoying reaching out to people. Passionate about protecting the environment, the Thackeray scion is also a strong advocate of a thriving night-life in Mumbai to boost tourism and economy. In an interview to Bhavna Vij-Aurora and Giridhar Jha, the articulate Yuva Sena chief vows to continue the fight for Aarey forest even if it means taking on ally BJP. “It’s the duty of a true friend to caution you if you are on the wrong path,” he says. He is as much at ease talking about civic issues, unemployment, agrarian distress and the Marathwada drought as about security concerns at the impending U2 concert in Mumbai.
This is the first time anyone from your family is contesting elections. What made you take the plunge?
Politics is one field where you can impact so many lives with one decision. Look at plastic. We enforced a plastic ban in Maharashtra last year. I won’t say it’s a 100 per cent success…it has to be a people’s movement. But all establishments with licences—major restaurants, theatres and cafes—have gone plastic free. The Centre has taken from the Maharashtra notification for a national ban. I was part of the team that wrote the law. So, one piece of paper can impact a billion lives in India and the environment globally.
You have taken up the Aarey forest issue. Do youth respond more to the idea of climate change?
For the youth, it’s a very selfish thing. We have to survive the next 5060 years on this planet. We have seen very drastic, dramatic changes. Ice shelves are melting, glaciers are retreating. In Mumbai, we had a winter that extended till March, summers that extended till July and now monsoons are retreating so late. Climate change is for real.
Bu hikaye Outlook dergisinin October 28, 2019 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Giriş Yap
Bu hikaye Outlook dergisinin October 28, 2019 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Giriş Yap
My Secular Mentor
A rare psychologist of Indian culture, Sudhir Kakar leaves behind seminal works that will have relevance for many generations
Battle of the Bahubalis
Gangsters in Bihar no longer enjoy the kind of dominance that they did in the 90s, but that has not kept them away from politics
Memories of Riots
Have frequent communal tensions changed the social fabric of Bihar?
Didi's Achilles Heel
Mamata Banerjee stays the course but her party, plagued by corruption charges, spins out of control
Memory Metamorphosis
What happened on March 14, 2007 in Nandigram? People still ask this question as they take part in the dance of democracy
Minority Report
He has not lost the Dhubri seat in Assam since 2009. Now he is fighting for political survival as Bengali Muslims look to favour the Congress
THE POWER OF PURPOSE
Doing good is good business as it transcends bottom lines and impacts lives positively, yielding profits that go beyond numbers.
CURRENT FARMING METHODS ARE EXACERBATING CLIMATE CHANGE
Andhra Pradesh Community Managed Natural Farming (APCNF) project is supporting transition of 850,000 farmers covering 377,801 hectares of land and operating in 3730 villages. \"Natural farming is in harmony with nature. It is a holistic land management practice that leverages the power of photosynthesis in plants\", says Mr. T Vijay Kumar, a retired IAS officer, who is the Executive Vice Chairman of Rythu Sadhikara Samstha, a non-profit organization set up by the Andhra Pradesh government in 2014. Since 2016, this platform has been utilized to integrate and promote APCNF activities, aimed at fostering the overall development and empowerment of farmers. Excerpts from an interview with Mr T Vijay Kumar:
IN PURSUIT OF SUSTAINABILITY
Harshavardhana Gourineni, Executive Director, Amara Raja Energy & Mobility Ltd, in an interview shares how through its products and operations the company is helping reduce carbon footprints and meet SDGs. Excerpts:
COOLING NO MORE A LUXURY, BUT A NECESSITY
With the rise in demand of air conditioners due to heat stress, sustainable air conditioning is the way forward to bring relief to people as well as manage emissions