At 37, I am an old person,' says Rahul Gandhi

By K.G. Vasuki

Nanjanagud(Karnataka), Mar.26 : Continuing with the second leg of his "Discovery of India" road show, Congress General Secretary Rahul Gandhi today said that at the age of 37, he considered himself to be an old person.

Interacting with a select gathering of Panchayati Raj members and youth in Nanjangud near Mysore, Gandhi said Panchayati Raj institutions were a part of Indian democracy, and called on youth to ask questions of political parties to change the system.

Gandhi had kicked off his road show from a tribal hamlet in the B.R. Hills area, about 300 kilometres from Bangalore on Tuesday.

Aiming to understand and discover India, Rahul had visited Muttugadagaddepodu, a tiny Soliga (primitive tribe) hamlet atop the B.R. Hills on the slopes of the Nilgiri biosphere in the Western Ghats of Karnataka.

Senior Congress leaders accompanied Gandhi, who arrived by chopper from Bangalore.

The roadshow in Karnataka is being seen as a significant one for the Hadi, or tribal hamlet.

The president of the Vivekananda Kendra in the B.R. Hills areas and Right Livelihood award winner, Dr. Sudarshan, said Rahul Gandhi showed keen interest and understanding of tribal life in Karnataka.

Gandhi will be in Karnataka from March 25 to 28 and is targeting both tribals and the youth. A significant outcome of this visit is his focus on governance, freedom, democracy and poverty.

Union Panchayati Raj Minister Mani Shankar Aiyar and other state congress leaders were present at today's interaction.

ANI