CM walks down memory lane at Himachal Pradesh University
Shimla, June 15
It was a walk down memory lane for Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu when he presided over the two-day ‘Maitree’ programme, organised by the Himachal Pradesh University (HPU) Alumni Association, here today.
Experience makes us knowledgeable
Education can make us academicians, but experience makes us knowledgeable. Various experiences of life make you wiser and give the strength to move forward. My parents used to say that if you want to live an extravagant life, then earn, which I started during my college days. — Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, Chief Minister
Addressing a gathering on the first day of the programme, Sukhu said top leaders in every party have been groomed in the HPU for a larger role in politics.
“Union Health Minister and BJP national president JP Nadda was the ABVP’s national secretary, while Congress leader Anand Sharma was the NSUI’s national president and former CPM MLA Rakesh Singha also held an important position in the party at the national level,” he said.
Flanked by many of his contemporaries like BJP MLA Satpal Singh Satti, who was also an ABVP activist during his university days, Sukhu shared several anecdotes from time as a student at HPU.
“The attendance of netas like me and Satti ji used to be marked on our arrival at the university’s Coffee House. Then we used to sit with our teams inside the Coffee House,” he added.
The Chief Minister said he, along with many of the Congress and BJP legislators, had indulged in a political struggle, which finally led to their entry into the Vidhan Sabha.
“MLA Randhir Sharma and I contested the elections for the post of HPU students’ union president and both of us lost to the CPM candidate,” he said.
Chief Parliamentary Secretary Sunder Thakur lost the election for the post of vice-president, Sukhu added.
“Education can make us academicians, but experience makes us knowledgeable. Various experiences of life make you wiser and the strength to move forward. My parents used to say that if you want to live an extravagant life, then earn, which I started during my college days,” he said.
“When I was the NSUI president, I was running a milk agency to meet my expenses, though my parents used to give me Rs 6, which was a huge amount back then. A film ticket in Ritz cinema cost Rs 1.75, a balcony seat Rs 2.5. When you are a leader, you need to arrange tickets and bear the expenses of acquaintances. So, I started earning from my college days to meet my personnel expenses,” he added.
Former BJP state president and Una MLA Satpal Singh Satti, reminiscing his university days, said though they had different ideologies, Sukhu remains a good friend and both of them learnt tricks of the political trade during their stay in the HPU.
“As of today, 25 former students of the university are members of Himachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly. Moreover, Union Minister JP Nadda and former Union Minister Anand Sharma are products of HPU and have brought laurels to their alma mater and the state,” the MLA said.
