Aamir appeared on NDTV to discuss why it’s so important for citizens to participate in the electoral process
New Delhi:
Actor Aamir Khan has been a prominent voice this election season, encouraging people to vote and to make informed choices. The season finale of the second season of Aamir's TV show Satyamev Jayate asked voters not to elect politicians with criminal records.
Aamir appeared on NDTV to discuss why it's so important for citizens to participate in the electoral process. He told NDTV that he was genuinely horrified by the data released by the Association for Democratic Reforms that put the number of criminal MPs at 30% of the Lok Sabha. Aamir said: "It is shocking that one-third of our elected candidates have criminal charges against them, some of them very serious charges. That is something that all of us ought to be very uncomfortable with."
This also makes the political parties giving criminal candidates tickets suspect, said Aamir, but the responsibility to choose integrity over 'win-ability' should be on the voters. The actor said: "This also reflects on us as voters. Who are we selecting? Who are we voting for? We need to look inwards and question ourselves."
Aamir also said that he hoped that New Delhi's impressive voter turnout in the Assembly elections last December would inspire Mumbai, long accused of being more interested in high society parties than those of the political sort, to come out and vote in greater numbers: "I really hope that each one of us comes out and casts our vote. It's a responsibility, not just a right."
The Dhoom: 3 star recently wrote to the Election Commission complaining about a poster that appeared to show him voting for Arvind Kejriwal's Aam Aadmi Party. He clarified to NDTV that he is not supporting any particular party but did say this: "The day I do come across a political party which I from the bottom of my heart feel is really good for the country then I would come out and urge people to support it. It has to be something that I believe in completely and I have not come across that kind of a party as yet."
It's easy to suspect Aamir, with his zeal for social reform, of political ambition but he rules out that possibility, at least for the moment: "I'm not trying to change the system so there is no need for me to enter it. I am trying to bring change in myself and I'm hoping that's what people will also want to do. That's why I'm engaging with people, with minds, with hearts."
Aamir also says that not all actors make good politicians: "That's too much of a generalization. I would like to believe that a person who's got intelligence, integrity, honesty would make a good politician. Someone who's sharp and also has a lot of sensitivity and love in his heart."
Watch:
Aamir appeared on NDTV to discuss why it's so important for citizens to participate in the electoral process. He told NDTV that he was genuinely horrified by the data released by the Association for Democratic Reforms that put the number of criminal MPs at 30% of the Lok Sabha. Aamir said: "It is shocking that one-third of our elected candidates have criminal charges against them, some of them very serious charges. That is something that all of us ought to be very uncomfortable with."
This also makes the political parties giving criminal candidates tickets suspect, said Aamir, but the responsibility to choose integrity over 'win-ability' should be on the voters. The actor said: "This also reflects on us as voters. Who are we selecting? Who are we voting for? We need to look inwards and question ourselves."
Aamir also said that he hoped that New Delhi's impressive voter turnout in the Assembly elections last December would inspire Mumbai, long accused of being more interested in high society parties than those of the political sort, to come out and vote in greater numbers: "I really hope that each one of us comes out and casts our vote. It's a responsibility, not just a right."
The Dhoom: 3 star recently wrote to the Election Commission complaining about a poster that appeared to show him voting for Arvind Kejriwal's Aam Aadmi Party. He clarified to NDTV that he is not supporting any particular party but did say this: "The day I do come across a political party which I from the bottom of my heart feel is really good for the country then I would come out and urge people to support it. It has to be something that I believe in completely and I have not come across that kind of a party as yet."
It's easy to suspect Aamir, with his zeal for social reform, of political ambition but he rules out that possibility, at least for the moment: "I'm not trying to change the system so there is no need for me to enter it. I am trying to bring change in myself and I'm hoping that's what people will also want to do. That's why I'm engaging with people, with minds, with hearts."
Aamir also says that not all actors make good politicians: "That's too much of a generalization. I would like to believe that a person who's got intelligence, integrity, honesty would make a good politician. Someone who's sharp and also has a lot of sensitivity and love in his heart."
Watch:
