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THE NATION: PRAMOD MAHAJAN
Interview: Pramod Mahajan
"During The Past Three Years
PM Has Tried And Trusted Me"
Pramod Venkatesh
Mahajan, 52, Union minister for communications, information technology
and parliamentary affairs spoke to Editor Prabhu Chawla about his new
assignment, his politics and his relationship with the RSS, the prime
minister and Union Home Minister Lal Krishna Advani. Excerpts from the
interview:
Q. Now that you have got your dream portfolio
of telecommunications, what are your immediate plans?
A. Convergence is now a reality in
India. The relationship between information technology and telecom is
that of the soul and body. If we are to ensure India's global dominance
in information technology, we have to develop telecommunications at super
speed. That is my immediate task.
Q. Does this mean you will ensure faster
privatisation of this sector?
A. Yes,
of course. The disinvestment process will be expedited. I will see to
it that the disinvestment in both the VSNL and the MTNL takes place as
soon as possible.
Q. But the Telecom Ministry has been embroiled
in corporate battles. How will you resolve them?
A.
Information technology and telecom are businesses of the future. Naturally
many corporates want to get into them. But my job is to ensure level playing
fields for every player irrespective of the name tag they carry.
Q. Do you agree with a general perception
that Ram Vilas Paswan has been shifted because of pressure from the business
lobby?
A. No.
The prime minister was always in favour of merging telecom with information
technology. He used this opportunity to carry out his objective. It could
have been any individual. Instead of taking information technology away
from me, he assigned telecom to me as well.
Q. Does it mean that you are now the prime
minister's opening bowler against his opponents both within the party
and outside it?
A. I
am one of his ministers. During the past three years he has tested me
and trusted me. I have been short tempered in the past but now I have
moulded myself according to my job requirements. The Ministry of Parliamentary
Affairs has proved a blessing in disguise for me. I have learnt a lot
from it.
Q. In 1999, you had an image problem and
were moved out of the Information and Broadcasting Ministry. Have you
got over it?
A.
It was more due to media projection. But during the past two years, I
think I have succeeded in correcting this image.
Q. You began as an Advani admirer. Now you
seem to be in the prime minister's camp. Whose interests do you serve
now?
A. I
am a BJP worker. Both Atalji and Advaniji are BJP leaders and I serve
both of them. They don't expect me to serve them personally.
Q. Even the RSS leadership is wary of you
because you are not in regular touch with it?
A. As
far as I know, the RSS leadership doesn't expect us to be in regular touch
with it. They don't like this language. But I must tell you whatever assignment
they have given me I have done it with absolute sincerity.
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