My parents gave me a birthday party when I turned 12 on 20 September 1999. It was a small get-together and my father’s colleagues and our neighbours in New Delhi attended it. It was the first time my birthday was being celebrated. So I was confused about what will happen on my big day.
The biggest surprise for me was the chief guest of my birthday party—it was my father’s boss, Suresh Prabhu, who is now the Union Minister for Commerce and Industry, and Civil Aviation. Back then, he was Union Minister for Environment and Forests in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government.
I was so thrilled that a Union minister was standing beside me on my birthday. My father was personal assistant to the minister. The office staff and their families were also present. I still remember their names—Shrikant Balerao ji, Syed bhai, Murugeshan anna, Rakesh bhaiya and Santosh bhaiya.
Murugeshan, who was from Tamil Nadu, was the minister’s cook. Idlis with sambar and chilli chutney were prepared by him for guests. Everyone was happy because such celebrations only come once or twice in our lifetime. My birthday party organisers were my parents, especially my father who did most of the planning for my big day. I will always be thankful to Prabhu saab for spending a little time with us.
During my childhood days, my father was mostly working with the minister. What I learned from that is that an Union minister is a very busy man and his staff are his backbone. Looking after a democracy like India is not an easy cup of tea for anyone occupying the top posts. People might think that politics is all about money and power, but that is not always the case. From my perspective, politics is all about looking after our nation and providing better living conditions for our people.
The minister is known for his sharp thinking skills and many regard him as one of the best Cabinet ministers in the Modi government. Our former Prime Minister Vajpayee is said to have liked Prabhu a lot because of his energy levels and workaholic nature, and the minister was known as Mr Clean. His way of doing work might have been tough for others to handle, but we learnt a lot from him.
My father became motivated to do well in life, just by spending time with the minister. Even today, he remembers the minister fondly. India has produced many tall leaders but my favourite will always be Suresh Prabhakar Prabhu.