The idea that everyone in the world is self-centred and only thinks about themselves is frequently expressed. Some good people, though, disprove this idea. These folks dedicate their time to helping those in need and improving society. If you look around, you will find many such persons, social workers, and politicians who see assisting others in getting a better life, one such person is the youth politician Pankaj Pandey. Pankaj started his career as a central media in-charge of the Vikas Morcha Party. In this exclusive interview get an insight into the work he has done so far and the motive behind them:

1. What enticed you towards politics?

Since I was a teenager, politics was something that kept fascinating me. Therefore, when I got a little bit more mature, I joined ABVP (Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad), the student wing of RSS along with that I was also completing my education in political science. It was their strong agendas like educational and university reforms that drew me towards them and while working with them I also got to learn a lot about the workings. After that, I got the opportunity to be the central media in-charge of the Vikas Morcha Party of Jharkhand. After that, I worked with Mr Babulal Marandi, the first Chief Minister of Jharkhand, as a digital media advisor. In the Vidhan Sabha elections, I also helped the BJP in Jharkhand and other M.L.A. candidates.

2. Your campaign ‘Yuva ko Jodo’ grabbed a lot of attention, can you tell us about it?

The world was hit by a deadly virus, Covid-19 and people were confined inside their homes. Everyone was feeling scarcity and could not even meet their basic necessities. That is when I decided to start the ‘Yuva ko Jodo’ campaign. We posted a link to various Whatsapp groups addressing people’s needs at that hour. Some groups had suppliers and buyers, others had doctors or food delivery options and much more. Like this, we had around 1084 groups. Other than that there was a large section of Jharkhand and other states’ Youth who were not able to get study materials like books or recorded lectures due to the prices. So for them, I requested book suppliers and training course companies to give material for free and in return, we ran their advertisements on my official Youtube channel. The ‘Yuva Ko Jodo’ campaign helped a lot of people in those two years of the severe pandemic and still it is there to assist those in need.

 3. What makes you so dedicated to all the philanthropic work that you do?

The only constant in the world is evolution, change, and transformation or else, things would remain undeveloped and unchanged. Politicians, bureaucrats, the media, or regular residents all contribute in a significant way to the long-term goals of developing a nation. Each of the sectors has experienced a change throughout time, which has allowed people to better grasp what is going on. However, sometimes there is a section of society that still is left behind and all I desire is to help them and lift them up. Youth is the future and it is important to properly nourish them, therefore, for them, I started the Sri Krishna Institute of Technology (approved by the Indian government) in 2016 to empower underprivileged youngsters. Along with I.T.I. courses, this school offers free special training to these people. This programme encourages them to develop their entrepreneurial skills in order to decrease people’s dependency on jobs.

4. Are there any new campaigns that you have in the pipeline?

Yes, there are a lot of new initiatives and campaigns coming up at the forefront. One of which is the ‘Yuva ko Pucho’ campaign that will be launched in the first week of November. The motive of this campaign is to bridge the gap between the politicians and the youth of Jharkhand. A lot of money goes into planning and successful inception of any campaign and many times due to communication gaps, people are unable to reap the benefits of them.  So with the ‘Yuva Ko Pucho’ initiative, we will help the youth let their voices be heard by the politicians so that every campaign they plan is in favour of the current requirements. This will also keep the spirit of our constitution alive.  The campaign will first begin in Jharkhand with a ‘pad yatra’ and after some time we will target other states too.

 5. Is there any campaign of yours that is going on currently?

There is a union by the name ‘Rashtriya Yuva Shakti’ whose entire focus is to help Army martyr’s families. We seek to ensure that every family of a martyr in Jharkhand receives a compensation payment of at least Rs 1 crore. This union has been working locally for the past eight years to find solutions to these families’ problems. Since our Jawans battle fearlessly for us, it is also our duty to protect the financial and social security of their families after their sacrifices. This is why I enjoy working in the field of martyr’s family happiness and the campaign is always active.