Gurugram: In 1996, while operating a computer at the BJP office in Panchkula, Nayab Singh Saini had never imagined that he would one day become the Chief Minister of Haryana. Years later came an electoral defeat in 2009, a return to the people the very next day, a decisive victory in 2014 and, eventually, opportunities to serve as Minister, Member of Parliament, State BJP President and Chief Minister.
Sharing this journey with young entrepreneurs at the ‘Gen-H Yuva Udyami Chaupal’ at Gurugram University on Friday, Chief Minister, Nayab Singh Saini, summed it up in a simple metaphor: ‘Meri Yatra Mein Koi Lift Nahi Thi, Main Mehnat Roopi Seedhiyan Chadhkar Yahan Tak Pahuncha’ (There Were No Shortcuts in My Journey, Only the Steady Climb of Hard Work).
Referring to the young participants as Gen-H, the Chief Minister gave the expression a wider meaning. ‘You call it Gen-H for Haryana; I would call it Gen-HB — Haryana-Bharat. Gen-HB is the heartbeat of India,’ he said.
In a candid and personal interaction, young entrepreneurs asked the Chief Minister direct questions about advancing in politics without a legacy, recovering from failure, technology, sports, employment, the challenge of drug abuse, startups, the pace of government functioning and family. The programme was watched live across more than 4,000 institutions.
Drawing from his own experiences, the Chief Minister urged young people not to allow failure to become their identity, but to let their work define them. Rather than chasing quick success, he asked them to make consistency, credibility and patience their strengths.
From Electoral Defeat to a Resounding Victory: ‘There Was No Lift, Only Stairs’
Asked how he had reached this far in politics despite having no one behind him, Nayab Singh Saini said his journey had no lift, only stairs, and there were times when even the next step was not visible.
After entering politics, he recalled, his first electoral responsibility was not to contest an election himself but to help someone else fight one. During that election, he worked until 2 am. When he was asked to contest in 2009, he did not have the money, but people came forward and helped him fight the election.
He lost in 2009, but decided that defeat would not become his identity; instead, he would learn from it. The very next day, he was back among the people. There was no position in hand and no assurance of another ticket, but he had made the decision to continue working. It was this approach, he said, that led to his victory by a significant margin in 2014.
The Chief Minister also recalled 1996, when Narendra Modi was the BJP in-charge for Haryana and had a computer sent to the party office in Panchkula. Nayab Singh Saini said that while operating that computer at the party office, he had never imagined that he would one day become Chief Minister.
Learning new technology always benefits young people, he said
Referring to the period before 2014, the Chief Minister said there was a time when youth were used for politics, but if a young person sought to move ahead in politics, that aspiration was suppressed. A young person today would have been only eight or ten years old at that time and may not know the conditions of that period. He said they had witnessed both the earlier period and the present one, and there was a vast difference between the two.
2009 Defeat- I Rose Again the Same Day with Twice the Enthusiasm
Asked what the 2009 electoral defeat had taught him, the Chief Minister said he rose again the very same day with twice the enthusiasm. For him, a position had never been important; the spirit of ‘Nation First’ had always remained paramount.
He recalled that at the time, internet searches would show India among countries associated with high levels of corruption, something that caused them considerable anguish. He said it was the result of the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi that today people from India are viewed with respect across the world.
The Chief Minister said his desire to help people led to the support he received in 2014. People elected him and the party entrusted him with ministerial responsibility. The opportunities that followed, to serve as Member of Parliament, State BJP President and Chief Minister, were, he said, the outcome of people’s affection, his sense of responsibility towards them and the opportunities given to him by the party.
Technology Has Made Delivery of Government Benefits Transparent
Responding to a question on how decisions taken by him as Chief Minister benefit people, Nayab Singh Saini said that before the BJP government came to power, money under various schemes was handed to people through systems in which irregularities occurred.
After the BJP got the opportunity to form the government, technology was among the first tools used to stop such irregularities. Prime Minister Narendra Modi ensured that every person had a bank account, following which benefits under government schemes began to be transferred directly into beneficiaries’ accounts.
Initially, elderly people found travelling to banks to collect their money inconvenient. Today, he said, people are happy with the new system because irregularities in between have been completely eliminated and money is being regularly transferred to every beneficiary’s account.
No Day Completely Off- Last Meeting Ended at 1 am, Says CM
Asked how he manages his time and how much sleep he had got the previous night, Nayab Singh Saini said no day was completely a holiday for him and his normal day began early.
His last meeting the previous night, he said, had ended at 1 am. Even then, he considered it an early night because his engagements in Gurugram were to begin in the morning. He first had to attend the Public Grievances Committee meeting to hear people’s problems and then reach the interaction with the young entrepreneurs.
Today’s Youth Have the World at Their Fingertips, But Patience Remains Key
Asked what a 22-year-old today has that was unavailable to him at that age, the Chief Minister said young people now have information from across the world available at a single click.
In his time, understanding a subject meant gaining access to the right person, book or institution. Today, even a young person from a small town can reach investors, mentors, customers and global markets. Cloud technology, digital payments, social media and Artificial Intelligence have greatly reduced the distance between an idea and its execution. Young people today have a system in which to work, he said.
At the same time, the Chief Minister said patience was one of the great strengths of his generation. Today’s environment constantly encourages young people to hurry. Videos change within seconds, instant responses are expected and everyone wants overnight success. On social media, people tend to display the brightest part of their achievements, he said.
The Chief Minister said the government is developing a major IMT in Sonipat, besides setting up 10 new IMTs for the youth.
Government Job or a Different Dream? I Stand with the Young Person
Asked whose side he would take if a young person wanted to pursue something other than a government job but faced opposition from the family, the Chief Minister gave a clear answer: he would stand with the young person.
Every generation, he said, should have the opportunity to choose its own path Sharing an example from his own family, Nayab Singh Saini said he had advised his son to enter the medical field, but his son expressed a desire to become a lawyer. He is now studying law, while his daughter too is preparing to enter a field of her own choice.
Children today have their own vision because of access to new technology, he said. Instead of imposing their own choices, parents should sit with their children and listen to what they have to say.
The Chief Minister said young people today are increasingly choosing fields of their own interest. While the number of startups in Haryana was negligible before 2014, the state today has 12,500 startups and 17 unicorns after 12 years.
He urged young people to become job creators rather than job seekers. The government has formulated a startup policy for the youth of Haryana. Universities have been provided funds of Rs 20 crore each for young researchers, while incubation centres have also been established. Accessible credit is being provided to young people under the MUDRA scheme introduced by Prime Minister Sh. Narendra Modi and through other schemes.
A 19-Year-Old Girl Has an Idea, But No Money or Family Support- Government Believes in Her Talent- CM
Asked what the government was doing for a 19-year-old girl in a Haryana village who has an idea but neither money nor the confidence of her family, the Chief Minister said the government believes in such talented young people.
The Central and State Governments are helping in several ways to turn the ideas of such youth into reality. When Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the ‘One District-One Product’ initiative, Haryana introduced ‘One Block-One Product’, he said.
Incubation centres have been established for talented students studying in universities, where their ideas are nurtured and financial assistance is provided to help them realise their dreams.
The Chief Minister said the government had recently organised a joint meeting of industrialists and startups in Gurugram so that industry could also provide young people a platform to turn their ideas into reality. Similarly, industries are adopting ITIs so that they can help equip young people with technical skills in accordance with contemporary requirements.
A Medal is Seen on the Podium, But Its Journey Begins Years Earlier- CM
Responding to a question on strengthening sports and sportspersons in Haryana, the Chief Minister said a medal becomes visible on the podium, but preparation for it begins years earlier in a village akhara, on a school ground or during an early-morning run. Haryana’s sporting success, he said, is the result of an entire ecosystem created through a partnership involving the athlete, family, coach, village and government.
To identify talent early, children are being brought onto the playing field through schools, sports nurseries, akharas and district-level competitions. Thousands of sports nurseries have been opened across the state, while 550 new posts have been created in the Sports Department.
A monthly scholarship of Rs 1,500 is provided to sportspersons aged 8 to 14 years and Rs 2,000 to those aged 15 to 19 years. Athletes at 25 residential sports academies are being provided diet money at the rate of Rs 500 per day. Over the past 12 years, around 18,000 medal-winning sportspersons have received cash awards and prizes amounting to Rs 742 crore.
The Chief Minister said that under previous governments, sportspersons were told to win a medal and then get a position. But how, he asked, could an athlete be expected to win a medal without facilities?
The present government has ensured that athletes are prepared and supported from the ground level, which has enabled Haryana’s sportspersons to bring pride to the Tricolour at the international level, he said.
Providing Youth a Safe and Enabling Environment Among Government’s Priorities
Asked what challenge he sees before himself today, Sh. Nayab Singh Saini said providing the people of Haryana, particularly the youth, a good environment and security is among the government’s priorities.
Referring to Haryana before 2014, he said the environment at the time was very poor and jobs were secured on the strength of money and recommendations. Many young people who meet him today, he said, tell him that before the BJP government came to power, they could not secure a job despite making four attempts.
When the present government introduced a transparent recruitment process, some of them were able to secure employment in their final attempt. This, he said, had strengthened the confidence of young people and their parents in the government.
Urging young people to stay away from drugs, the Chief Minister said that if they wanted an addiction at all, it should be the passion to achieve their goals.
Create Opportunities, Don’t Wait for Them: CM’s Message to Youth
The Chief Minister’s message at the ‘Gen-H Yuva Udyami Chaupal’ extended beyond startups and politics. At the heart of the interaction was an appeal to young people to create opportunities rather than wait for them, not regard failure as the end, embrace technology, give due weight to facts and feedback while taking decisions, remain patient in the pursuit of success and never lose sight of their responsibilities towards their families, society and the state.
Drawing on his own experiences, Nayab Singh Saini sought to give young people the confidence that coming from a small town, an ordinary family or having limited resources at the outset need not define the limits of an individual’s journey.
Credibility, consistent hard work, the ability to learn and the courage to rise again during difficult times, he said, are the real strengths that sustain a long journey.
The interaction in Gurugram stood out for its directness: young people asked their questions without hesitation, while the Chief Minister responded not in the manner of a formal address, but through experiences from his own life and the challenges of governance.
