I am fully aware that everybody has a right to succeed, and success should be with ethics.
Sharad Pawar
If an industrialist can sell his products anywhere in India and the world, why should a farmer not be allowed to do so?
One has to swallow a bitter pill to get cured.
Sometimes sugarcane takes about 15 months to grow, and hence it is inappropriate to ask farmers to pay their crop loans in 12 months.
Dialogue is the essence of parliamentary politics.
Empowering women leads to a more inclusive growth of society and the nation.
During election time, I work over 21 hours. My day starts around 6 A.M., and I address meetings through the day. Between 10 P.M. and 2 A.M., I meet local leaders, where we discuss local issues and local problems.
I was never sent to Kashmir on any secret mission. I want to make that position clear.
Thackeray is an institution that cannot become irrelevant because of one election.
This Sonia Gandhi thing should be seen in perspective - the people of India have an emotional attachment to the family. And why not? Three of the five Congress prime ministers belong to that family. The people empathise with the family name.
Yes, Vajpayee and Advani are very clever speakers, but that does not mean everything they say is true.
The agriculture ministry has to see that their good research percolates down to the fields through the state agricultural departments and the 70-odd state agricultural universities.
How can any person with a myopic view and harbouring intense parochial attitude even think of leading the nation?
If I am a trader, and I know you have got ample stocks, why should I buy?
For running a country, team work is important, and the person at the helm has to enjoy teamwork.
We will primarily focus on affordable housing, water supply and transport infrastructure, as these are critical for Mumbai. Infrastructure deficit is an issue in all urban areas.
There is a psychology of Bombay.
False perceptions are being created about me without an iota of proof.
I am worried about development in the field of information technology, communication, etc. So you cannot say that I have become inactive.
Who knows controversies better than me? The controversies always chase people who are active and decision makers.
Marriage is no substitute for political experience.
The Gandhi family has a tradition of being good hosts. When you call upon them, they treat you with a lot of respect.
People want development, modern thinking. They want to encourage and support research in agriculture and other fields.
I feel proud when a player from Jammu and Kashmir plays for India. This shows cricket has reached all corners of the country.
People don't understand complex issues.
I have been worried about the future of Mumbai. It is the financial capital, an economic powerhouse that earlier had the highest air traffic, high port traffic, and strong industrial and manufacturing sectors.
I was leader of the Opposition when Vajpayee was PM. We attacked policies, not personalities, neither inside or outside the House.
Modi has been the Gujarat chief minister for more than a decade, but there is a vast difference between controlling a state and leading a nation.
I have been to China. I noticed that wherever you went, you could ask an ordinary citizen, and he would explain, in detail, about free markets and all the other jargon of liberalisation.
In India, no one becomes prime minister before they are in their mid-70s.
I have always believed in cordial relationship with political parties and their leaders.
In my long innings, I have seen many sunrises and many sunsets; many good and bad times.
I am used to controversies.
I didn't leave the Congress; I was expelled.
If my son enters politics, I will be able to guide him. He too would have learnt a lot from watching me, so he is less likely to make mistakes.
More and more agricultural land is being used for non-agricultural purposes. Whether it's any industry, express highway, or expansion of any city, agricultural land is being used.
Emotionally, a person is tied to the land of his birth. It's only human.
I had quit the Congress to form the Progressive Democratic Front in 1978.
The Congress is a power-oriented party.
Normally, I work 18 hours a day.
Infrastructure deficit is an issue in all urban areas.
The AICC is full of sycophants, nothing else.
I am very active in the co-operative movement. I am very active in agro-industrial growth. I am taking up the issues of the farmers of India. I am active in the field of education.
Government should make tough decisions in the larger national interests, even if it upsets the people.
Without dialogue, you cannot run parliament. You have to interact.
In politics one should not expect big jumps. Everything takes time.
I believe in decentralized democracy.
In the Congress, for every small thing, you have to consult the general secretaries.
If prices drop, we have to protect farmers from distress; if prices rise, we should be ready to pay market rates.
I have been president of the Indian Kabbadi Association, and likewise, I have been associated with various other sports as well.
