Kochi: Rural India should not be looked at as the 'other' but as a pool of immense talent and courage, BJP leader Feroze Varun Gandhi said here on Friday.

The Pilibhit MP, who is known for his work for the uplift of rural population and agrarian sector, questioned the logic behind the rural versus urban binary at the Manorama News Conclave 2019 here.

In an intriguing session on 'New India: The Rural Divide', filled with anecdotes and real-life stories, Varun portrayed a detailed picture of the Indian villages and narrated several stories of survival and success.

“Let's not look at rural India as the 'other'. Let's not look at rural India as something to be saved. Instead, it's an immense pool of talent and courage,” Varun said, adding that the rural population should be involved in the process of nation building.

He called for participation and partnership of the rural population for the country to grow.

“We have gone from medievalism to post-modernism in 100 years. It's not easy for any nation,” he said.

Hinting that poverty and lack of education are two key issues in rural areas, Varun cited two successful attempts to overcome these issues.

He recollected the days he arranged for two teachers for the domestic helps at his home after he moved to a new house post his marriage in 2010. Four of them cleared class 12 exams. Taking a cue from the model, he has started a facility in a temple where 250 people – domestic helps in various households – are being taught now.

Varun also remembered how his meeting with some people at Sultanpur, his previous constituency, led to the setting up of a roti bank for the starving people. “During a visit, I asked the people of Sultanpur what they wanted me to do for them. A lot of people told me they were hungry.”

As part of the roti bank project, rotis are collected from various households and they are fed to the needy.

Calling for modernisation of farming methods, Varun went on to narrate how he used the money gifted by his maternal grandmother to buy air-conditioned lorries to transport farm produces to larger markets.

Varun also slammed the trend of lawmakers raising their own salary at a time when a large section of the population suffers from poverty. In a sarcastic tone, Varun said legislators can hike their salary by raising their hands. He called for a constitutional body to decide how and when should the salary of legislator be increased.