Lighter side of a Minister

As I promised you in the previous blog post, I bring you the lighter side of Sudhakar Anna. Here it is 🙂

I was curious to know if rumours affected him because they’re hard to deal with, especially when you’re someone who has to face the public every day. He said, “I do clarify rumours concerning the public and ignore baseless rumours. I’ve developed a thick skin over the years. I run on the treadmill, listen to music and I read books. This keeps me going amid all the stress. For a politician like me, being in the right state of mind is very important”. I agree with that one!

Since my Mom is a voracious reader, I’d asked him if he likes reading too. “I’ve been reading pandemic history and biographies. He recently read the autobiography of Paramahansa Yogananda “Yogi Aatmakatha”. Helps to know history when you’re responsible for the country’s future. Books make me happy and are my best companions”

I had a few more questions about how he spent time with family, if he was a stress eater like me, if he was helping with chores at home (it’s hard to imagine a politician like him doing household chores). his hobbies and inspirations. It would be an injustice if I didn’t start talking about food yet 😂

He says “I am a good eater but I know nothing about the kitchen or household chores. I had once cooked Maggi for my kids. I assumed they liked it, because, well.. they didn’t complain” 😂

Moving on to his other personal interests, he said “I spend my leisure time playing with my kids. We play football, cricket, badminton and we swim together too. Cricket is something I’ve been passionate about since childhood, so much so that I even wanted to be a professional. It didn’t take off due to lack of trainers and support in the town”.

“I love travelling too. Since I’ve gotten into politics, I’ve limited my travel to in-country visits. I did promise my kids that I would take them on a vacation abroad every year. My elder son is into football and wants to graduate from the IMG academy. I support my kids in whatever they do”.

It was nice to hear someone talk about their travel experiences after 2 months of travel deprivation. Looks like all our travel plans are gone for good anyway (well, at least for a while) 😛

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I asked, “When exactly did you find out I belonged to the same town as you?” He says “ 5-6 years ago, my friend once told me that you’re also from Chikkaballapur. I was happy and proud to know that you’re making great strides in your career. It is nice seeing you take up challenging roles. I’ve watched your songs on TV a couple of times. Well. I used to be a movie buff in college but with time, things change”

He comes across as a very determined and spiritual person and I wondered who he feels inspired by. He named Abraham Lincoln, Mahatma Gandhi, B.R Ambedkar, and Swami Vivekananda as his greatest inspirations. He’s also been running an NGO named “Sai Krishna Charitable Trust”. He likes to quote Swami Vivekananda’s words even today who believed that woman empowerment is of utmost importance to the country. “It is not possible for a bird to fly with only one wing”. He also followed Shankaracharya. Reading about them taught him how to deal with tough situations.

He quotes that it was an absolute pleasure talking to me. Love for our hometown is something we shared in common. It was his first-ever candid conversation with another celebrity. Apparently, he’s been reading my blogs and he hopes to finish reading all the articles soon. That made me really happy! He says the blog titles induce curiosity in the readers!

We bid goodbye to each other. I feel proud to see someone from my town make a difference in the political field, getting along with people to bring a change. Let’s all wish Sudhakar Anna all the best. May he fulfill all his plans for the development of our nation. Let’s all grow together as a country!

-Hariprriya