Vedika Shastri

AGE: 21 VOCATION: A student, currently pursuing an M.Sc in Human Resource Management and Organisational Analysis at King’s College, London HIGHLIGHTS/ACHIEVEMENTS: Former Indian Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri’s great grand-daughter, Vedika graduated from Ashoka University with the prestigious Cum Laude and aspires to work for the cause of mental health challenges in urban as well as rural India. Incidentally, her maternal grandfather, Dr Arun Sahai, was the former Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi’s private physician. WORLDVIEW: “I believe in this quote by Roy T Bennet: Don’t be pushed around by the fears in your mind. Be led by the dreams in your heart.”

- Neeva Jain

One would think that the pressure of hailing from such a celebrated family would be challenging and daunting. How do you feel about your life’s journey till present? “I have never thought of it as pressure or a challenge. For me, it’s an honour to be a part of this family. I feel it’s my responsibility to give back to the country and uphold the family name. Ever since I can remember, people from various socio-economic backgrounds visited our home. It was actually fascinating, and at a very young age, I developed a passion for interacting with people. Virtues like humility, sensitivity and empathy were inculcated in my brother, Viraj, and I, since childhood.”

Visiting your father, Congress member Vibhakar Shastri’s constituency in Fatehpur, Uttar Pradesh, must have been a unique experience considering that the place is the polar opposite of Delhi’s urban landscape... “It has, actually, helped broaden my perspective in life – made me appreciate my life and existence more than ever before. Interacting with the young and the elderly in Fatehpur, I realised that I want to give back to my community at large.”