Is Shruti Ranjan the woman Is Shruti Ranjan the woman Is Shruti Ranjan the woman Is Shruti Ranjan the woman politician India needed but never politician India needed but never politician India needed but never politician India needed but never got?got?got?got?

Tuhin A. Sinha

A look at the clinches andmisses of India’s famouswoman politicians; howthey started, where theyreached, and why theyreached, and why theycouldn’t be the ShrutiRanjan that India needed.

J. JayalalithaJ. JayalalithaJ. JayalalithaJ. Jayalalitha

Life before politicsLife before politicsLife before politicsLife before politics• Born to a Tamilian Family.• She was a bright student.

How politics happened?How politics happened?How politics happened?How politics happened?• She had a close chemistry with

actor-politician MGR and this• She was a bright student.• Her mother persuaded her to get

into films.• A former actress whose career has

been marked by a series of highsand lows.

actor-politician MGR and thiseventually led her onto the path ofpolitics.

• When MGR joined politics, sheentered as his protégé but as timeprogressed, she transformed herselfinto a charismatic leader of aDravidian party that was leftrudderless after the death of theiconic M.G. Ramachandran.

J. JayalalithaJ. JayalalithaJ. JayalalithaJ. Jayalalitha

What worked? What worked? What worked? What worked? • She became the first woman to be

elected as a leader of the

What didn’t work?What didn’t work?What didn’t work?What didn’t work?• The corruption charges that

engulfed her during her first term aselected as a leader of theopposition.

• Her acumen as a politician, coupledwith perceptive policy makingdecisions, made Jayalalitha a forceto reckon with in the Indian politicalscene.

• Her alliance with Indian NationalCongress paid off as a sympathywave propelled the coalition to amassive victory.

engulfed her during her first term asCM.

• Character Assassination.• The Draupadi Moment being

manhandled by DMK members.• The gigantic cut-outs, people falling

at her feet, the controversialwedding of her foster son, thescams.

• Just as Jayalalitha swore revenge after being manhandled byKarunanidhi ‘s party members in 1989, Shruti Ranjan too sworerevenge after she was raped by a politically protected goon.However while on the political course Jayalalitha stopped at pettyregional politics while Shruti Ranjan made the most of opportunitiesthat came her way and addressed the larger problems of the nation.

• Jayalalitha broke all ties with family while choosing her career pathwhereas Shruti Ranjan, at every stage tried to make all her

JJJJ.... JayalalithaJayalalithaJayalalithaJayalalitha &&&& ShrutiShrutiShrutiShruti RanjanRanjanRanjanRanjan

whereas Shruti Ranjan, at every stage tried to make all herrelationships work in spite of being wronged by those she caredabout.

• Both had a huge age difference with their mentors but Jayalalitharelation with her mentor was a lot more turbulent than the smoothchemistry Shruti Ranjan shared with Sharad Malviya.

• Shruti Ranjan was a Survivor Queen in the male dominated & sexistpolitics of Bihar.

Mamta BanerjeeMamta BanerjeeMamta BanerjeeMamta Banerjee

Life before politicsLife before politicsLife before politicsLife before politics• Born to a lower middle class grew

up as an ordinary Bengal girl.

How politics happened?How politics happened?How politics happened?How politics happened?• Mamta Banerjee started her

political career at a very young age.up as an ordinary Bengal girl.• Had a decent education and always

wanted to join politics.

political career at a very young age.• She joined the Indian National

Congress and rose swiftly to higherranks in the local circle of the party.

Mamta BanerjeeMamta BanerjeeMamta BanerjeeMamta Banerjee

What worked?What worked?What worked?What worked?• Mamta Banerjee was the first woman to

hold office by attaining a victory againstthe longest ever democratically chosen

What didn’t work?What didn’t work?What didn’t work?What didn’t work?• Being accused as a looter of the Indian

Railways.hold office by attaining a victory againstthe longest ever democratically chosengovernment.

• Whether as the founder and president ofthe Trinamool Party or as the RailwayMinister of India (Twice), Mamta hasalways been defined by her firebrandstyle of leadership.

Railways.• Her ignorance towards the issues faced

by ordinary people.• Blaming a rape victim of getting raped in

order to conspire against thegovernment.

• Not having an answer for the deaths ofnew-born children due to incompetenceof hospital authorities.

• Going against her own party-memberand creating a controversy during theannouncement of the Railway Budget.

• While Mamta Banerjee had the audacity to claim it was a woman’sfault that she got raped; Shruti Ranjan, owing to her own bitterexperience and consequent pursuit of vengeance would have beenable to deal with the matter a little more sensibly and sensitively.

• Be it banning cartoons, banning English newspapers, or a trickyquestion in a press conference, Mamta Banerjee has been known tolose her temper and react with implausible statements and orders.Shruti Ranjan, on the other hand, maintained a stoic calm even

Mamta Banerjee & Shruti Ranjan Mamta Banerjee & Shruti Ranjan Mamta Banerjee & Shruti Ranjan Mamta Banerjee & Shruti Ranjan

Shruti Ranjan, on the other hand, maintained a stoic calm evenwhen Abhay, a man she once loved, humiliated her on a publicforum.

• Mamta Banerjee always wanted to join politics while Shruti Ranjanentered politics only to avenge her rape. Knowing that she probablydid not deserve the position of power that circumstance bestowedupon her, Shruti Ranjan tread the path with a lot more caution,keeping in mind the consequences her decisions might have on thecountry’s politics, on her own life and relationships as well as thoseof her mentor.

MayawatiMayawatiMayawatiMayawati

Life before politicsLife before politicsLife before politicsLife before politics• Born in a family of 3 sisters and 6 brothers.• Faced gender discrimination right from

How politics happened? How politics happened? How politics happened? How politics happened? • Dalit leader Kanshi Ram saw a zeal in her in her

and was impressed by her dedication to• Faced gender discrimination right fromchildhood.

• Completed her high school education uptograduation and worked as a primary schoolteacher for five years.

and was impressed by her dedication tostudying and becoming an IAS officer.

• He told her to join him and promised her that “Ican make you such a big leader one day thatnot one but a whole row of IAS officers will lineup for your orders.”

• Inspite of her father’s opposition to the decision,she took the gamble and joined him.

• Once she took the plunge, Mayawati remainedcompletely devoted to her mentor and hisdream.

MayawatiMayawatiMayawatiMayawati

What worked?What worked?What worked?What worked?• The gender discrimination she faced has

made her very protective of the women workers of her party.

What didn’t work?What didn’t work?What didn’t work?What didn’t work?• Spent a fortune on building statues of

herself, her mentor, and other dalit leaders.

made her very protective of the women workers of her party.

• Inspite of being touted as a dumb doll who would have no future after her mentor’s death, she fought back her detractors by commanding power as Chief Minister for three consecutive terms.

herself, her mentor, and other dalit leaders.

• Non-democratic functioning and total secrecy while taking decisions.

• Opulence shown through diamonds, garlands of 1000 rupee notes, etc.

• Scams in which she has been accused of land-grabbing, owning disproportionate assets and not paying for the statues she has built.

• Some senior party leaders feel she is steering away from Kanshi Ram’s ideals.

• When society speculated about her relationship with her mentor,Mayawati chose to ruffle feathers by continuing to stay in the samehouse as Kanshi Ram, while Shruti Ranjan was diplomatic enoughto keep herself isolated and not provide fodder for gossip, lest itcame in the way of her political work.

• While Mayawati was constantly at loggerheads with Kanshi Ram’sfamily and possessive to the extent that it created a controversyabout who will perform last rites after Kanshi Ram’s death; Shruti

Mayawati & Shruti Ranjan Mayawati & Shruti Ranjan Mayawati & Shruti Ranjan Mayawati & Shruti Ranjan

about who will perform last rites after Kanshi Ram’s death; ShrutiRanjan on the other hand tried to smooth and ease her relationshipwith her mentor’s estranged daughter and be a source of supportand comfort for her.

• Mayawati didn’t think twice before removing senior party leaderswho didn’t accept and support her decisions, and ran her party likea fiefdom; while Shruti Ranjan remained non-reactive in the face ofinternal as well as external opposition inspite of her closeness andaccess to her mentor and his power.

Indira GandhiIndira GandhiIndira GandhiIndira Gandhi

Life before politicsLife before politicsLife before politicsLife before politics• Was involved in the freedom struggle

right since childhood.

How politics happened?How politics happened?How politics happened?How politics happened?• Was made the Prime Minister after Lal

Bahadur Shastri’s sudden demise with aright since childhood.• Though she studied in India as well as

abroad, her early schooling was notconsistent.

• Due to her father’s involvement in thefreedom struggle and mother’s illness,Indira had a somewhat troubledchildhood.

• Was part of a number of politicalinitiatives in her childhood like the VanarSena, and was close to MahatmaGandhi.

Bahadur Shastri’s sudden demise with abelief that the decisions would finally betaken by the top leadership of theCongress. However, Indira Gandhishowed political ability and tenacity toelbow out the top leaders to be a leaderin her own right and proved that shecould not be manipulated.

• She later went on to be one of India’smost powerful women politicians.

Indira GandhiIndira GandhiIndira GandhiIndira Gandhi

What worked?What worked?What worked?What worked?• She was a sharp, astute politician and

did not shy away from taking toughdecisions.

What didn’t work?What didn’t work?What didn’t work?What didn’t work?• She declared a national emergency to

refute the charges of misappropriatingfunds alleged against her.

did not shy away from taking toughdecisions.

• By achieving a position of power in theworld’s most populous democracy, shebecame an inspiration to women whowere traditionally conditioned to besubservient to male domination.

refute the charges of misappropriatingfunds alleged against her.

• She went ahead with Operation Bluestarthough it led to the desacralization of themost revered place of worship of theSikhs.

• Owing to her troubled childhood, Indira Gandhi had a sense ofemotional detachment and strength that Shruti Ranjan did not; butthis detachment led Indira Gandhi to brashly take the crucialdecision of going ahead with Operation Bluestar which eventuallycaused a lot of harm.

• Indira Gandhi did not tolerate opposition even when it waswarranted while Shruti Ranjan chose to learn from her mentor, besilent in the face of criticism, and at times even question herself

Indira Gandhi & Shruti Ranjan Indira Gandhi & Shruti Ranjan Indira Gandhi & Shruti Ranjan Indira Gandhi & Shruti Ranjan

silent in the face of criticism, and at times even question herselfabout the correctness of her actions.

• Addressed the problems of the nation• Was sensitive to the vulnerable sections of the population• Was strong enough to face criticism• Thought rationally before taking decisions• Was not publicity hungry• Did not abuse her power• Sought to bridge differences rather than create strife

With Shruti Ranjan, India would have got a woman With Shruti Ranjan, India would have got a woman With Shruti Ranjan, India would have got a woman With Shruti Ranjan, India would have got a woman politician who… politician who… politician who… politician who…

• Sought to bridge differences rather than create strife• Questioned her own decisions and did not consider herself ‘all-

knowing’ and ‘all-powerful’• Was very human and in touch with the needs, hopes, aspirations,

trials of those she governed

…clearly, a woman politician India sorely missed!clearly, a woman politician India sorely missed!clearly, a woman politician India sorely missed!clearly, a woman politician India sorely missed!

WantWantWantWant totototo knowknowknowknow moremoremoremore aboutaboutaboutabout ShrutiShrutiShrutiShruti Ranjan?Ranjan?Ranjan?Ranjan?

Read ‘The Edge of Desire’, by Tuhin Sinha.Read ‘The Edge of Desire’, by Tuhin Sinha.Read ‘The Edge of Desire’, by Tuhin Sinha.Read ‘The Edge of Desire’, by Tuhin Sinha.