Youth icon's London dreams

With sights set on contributing towards global growth, city-based lawyer and the youngest general secretary of BJP youth wing in Karnataka, Tejasvi Surya is soaking up all the praise coming his way. The 26-year-old was recently selected to represent the country at the ‘Young Political Leaders Visit to UK’ programme hosted by the British government in London.

The programme offers proactive young political enthusiasts (below 35) a hands-on opportunity to attend meetings with prominent parliamentarians, civil servants and independent authorities for a better understanding of world politics.  In a candid chat, he tells us more...

Hailing from a modest middle-class background, Tejasvi tells us how it all began with a glimmer of hope to make a difference. “I’ve always wanted to be among people. Not really as a politician, but as an active part of India’s public sphere.

My passion has always been very clear: I’ve always wanted to do something for India by working in the fields of politics, culture, history and administration. The fact that I get to travel across the state motivating and inspiring people is what pushed me to channelise all my energy towards making a difference, showing people that there’s great possibility about India,” shares Tejasvi, who practices at the Karnataka High Court. Stoked about being the youngest delegate at the programme, who doesn’t hold a public office yet, Tejasvi lets us in on how he got zeroed in. “I’m grateful to be among a handful of young leaders noticed by the British government (British High Commission, India Political Office)  who invited me to be a part of delegation. The forum is typically a platform for young adults with the capacity to achieve professional excellence. There’s a renewed enthusiasm among new-age Indian political enthusiasts. I’ve been an active part of youth politics over the past eight years. The fact that I have a serious law practice made things easier for me,” he says. The 12 day tour will entail visiting universities, discussions with Scottish senators and discussing about the scope for young leaders in general. “I believe it’s a great learning experience and I’m extremely excited to see how it all pans out,” adds Tejasvi.

Speaking about his other interests, the proactive Bengalurean enthuses how there’s always time for some creative downtime. “Travelling, watching movies, and writing are some of my interests. I love writing on varied topics, and experimenting around fiction and non-fiction. I believe in the rejuvenating powers of spending quality time with family, and always make it a point to spend time with them. Being a people person, I love networking and interacting with individuals of different ages. Years down the line, I wish to inspire and let people know that making a change needn’t be perceived as a herculean task. A shift in thought and the right perspective is what one needs to make a change,” he concludes.