Some 18 years after, his father then as the India Prime Minister, Rajiv Gandhi, gave the famous speech for a nuclear-weapon free world, and five years after his mother Sonia Gandhi as Leader of Opposition, spoke about the global danger of HIV / AIDS, the latest scion of the Gandhi family, Rahul Gandhi as a Member of Parliament has raised the crucial issues of sustainable development and human rights in developing and underdeveloped countries at the United Nations.

In his maiden appearance at the United Nations General Assembly this past week Rahul Gandhi, who is here for more than a week as part of the official Indian delegation, raised his voice to protect the rights of farmers in developing countries. And he did not forget to articulate India's recent agenda to use nuclear fuel as a clean energy as part of his overall speech on sustainable development.

This was his second speech at the UN on sustainable development on October 25. His first speech on the issue of human rights was on October 18.

"There needs to be a fresh assessment of nuclear energy, as a clean and safe source of energy," he said, while buttressing that meeting the ever increasing energy needs of the developing world was critical to sustainable development.

"All significant energy sources – whether conventional or advanced fossil fuels based, or renewable, or civilian nuclear power – must remain in policy reckoning to address energy needs for sustainable development," he said.

Observing globalization has made farmers of the developing countries more vulnerable than ever, Gandhi argued: "Reducing agricultural tariffs and subsidies is not enough: there must be exceptions to allow developing countries more space to pursue their pro-development strategies and policies aimed at protecting their poor."

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