COIMBATORE: An alumnus of the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad has decided to skip campus placement drives and enter politics. He has been inspired by the leadership and administration of AIADMK supremo J Jayalalithaa, he says.
“I aspire to work with the AIADMK because I like the phenomenal leadership and administration of J Jayalalithaa. I respect the fact that she encourages educated youth to be a part of the party and give them opportunities to contest elections. Many parties claim that youth should enter politics but I feel she is one among a few leaders who actually give youth a chance apart from just words on paper,” said G Ramachandran of Varadarajapuram near Singanallur in the city, who graduated from the premier management institute on March 21.
He completed his schooling at PERKS Matriculation Higher Secondary School, followed by a diploma (EEE) at PSG Polytechnic College and BE (ECE) at PSG College of Technology, before joining the post-graduate programme at IIM Ahmedabad in 2013. After completing his two years of studies at IIM-A, he returned to the city on Sunday.
Ramachandran seems to have inherited his political aspiration from his late father Singai Govindarasu, who was an MLA from Singanallur between 1991-96. It drove him to contest in the student’s affairs council election at IIM-A and become its general secretary.
About his future plans in politics he said, “Nowadays there is a general perception among people that politics is not a place for youth to build their careers. I want to break this perception and bring more youth into politics. I wish to contribute and learn politics by experience so that I can help other youth enter politics.”
“There is lack of diversity in our political system in terms of age, academic background, etc. Not only politics, if some system is not good, then people who complain about it should try to change it. Otherwise they should not talk about the system,” he opined.
If an opportunity was given he would contest in polls, said Ramachandran, who is currently member of the party’s youth wing.
Being the only breadwinner of the family, Ramachandran has now taken up a canteen contract at a private engineering college in Salem.
“With the help of friends, I could manage the canteen business over phone or a visit or two in a month and spend the rest of the time in politics,” he said.