All Politicians Above 60 Should Quit, Says Tathagata Satpathy

Tathagata Satpathy, a four-time member of parliament from the Biju Janata Dal, decided to trade politics for journalism just months ahead of the assembly polls in Odisha and the all-important general election.

Politicians should step aside after achieving milestones like being elected to the legislative assembly or parliament, becoming chief minister or prime minister, Satpathy, a parliamentarian from Dhenkenal, Odisha, told BloombergQuint in an interview. Instead, he said, they should look beyond politics and cater to the needs of the people.

His 12 year-old-son was the one who convinced him to quit active politics, Satpathy said, adding that he had done all he could as a politician and that it was time for the young to take over. Indian politicians keep talking about a young India but “the old hags” rarely do anything to push the new generation forward, he said. “One should quit when one is riding the crest, not when one is down in the dumps.”

According to Satpathy, India's young generation doesn't appreciate politics. This is largely due to the conduct of India’s political class, he said. There is a dislike for politics and politicians because they see them emptying the state coffers for elections or warmongering about national security, Satpathy said.

You can watch the entire interview here: