First Quote Added
April 10, 2026
Latest Quote Added
"I believe the university definition of politics is accurate when it describes it as "a way of sharing power and scarce resources." Harold Lasswell also famously defined politics as the art of "who gets what, when, and how." This highlights that, whether or not we are directly involved in formal or public political spheres, issues like power, resource distribution, equity, and justice are relevant to everyone. They affect us all in some way."
"Yes, I have been actively involved in national politics. I served as the Woman Member of Parliament for Rakai District from 1996 to 2006, and during that time, I also held the position of Minister of State for Internal Affairs from 1998 to 2003."
"I don't agree with the idea that politics is inherently a "dirty game." Rather, it's the people involved who determine whether it remains "clean" or becomes "dirty." I once heard an illustration that I think captures this idea well: Politics is like water. You can add mud to it, making it dirty, or you can keep it clear and use it for good. Ultimately, politics itself is neutral; it's up to us, the participants, to decide whether to keep it clean or let it become polluted."
"I have to admit, before I got involved in politics, I too shared the common belief that politics itself was inherently dirty. To me, this meant that anyone who entered politics was bound to engage in corruption, dishonesty, and compromise. This belief often leads people to think that people of faith should avoid public life altogether. However, when I eventually joined, I discovered something different. While it's true that many individuals act according to that cynical view of politics, I found that, with God's guidance, it's entirely possible to participate in politics without resorting to the "dirty" aspects that many associate with it."
Young though he was, his radiant energy produced such an impression of absolute reliability that Hedgewar made him the first sarkaryavah, or general secretary, of the RSS.
- Gopal Mukund Huddar
Largely because of the influence of communists in London, Huddar's conversion into an enthusiastic supporter of the fight against fascism was quick and smooth. The ease with which he crossed from one worldview to another betrays the fact that he had not properly understood the world he had grown in.
Huddar would have been 101 now had he been alive. But then centenaries are not celebrated only to register how old so and so would have been and when. They are usually celebrated to explore how much poorer our lives are without them. Maharashtrian public life is poorer without him. It is poorer for not having made the effort to recall an extraordinary life.
I regret I was not there to listen to Balaji Huddar's speech [...] No matter how many times you listen to him, his speeches are so delightful that you feel like listening to them again and again.
By the time he came out of Franco's prison, Huddar had relinquished many of his old ideas. He displayed a worldview completely different from that of the RSS, even though he continued to remain deferential to Hedgewar and maintained a personal relationship with him.