Maneka Gandhi

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Maneka Gandhi
File:Maneka-Gandhi.jpg
Maneka Gandhi in May 2014
Minister of Women and Child Development
Assumed office
26 May 2014
Prime Minister Narendra Modi
Preceded by Krishna Tirath
Member of Parliament
Assumed office
16 May 2014
Preceded by Varun Gandhi
Constituency Pilibhit
In office
1989–2009
Preceded by Bhanu Pratap Singh
Succeeded by Varun Gandhi
Minister of State – Independent Charge (Programme Implementation and Statistics)
In office
18 November 2001 – 30 June 2002
Minister of State – Independent Charge (Culture)
In office
1 September 2001 – 18 November 2001
Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment
In office
13 October 1999 – 1 September 2001
Personal details
Born (1956-08-26) 26 August 1956 (age 68)
New Delhi, India
Political party Bharatiya Janata Party
Spouse(s) Sanjay Gandhi
Children Varun Gandhi
Residence New Delhi, India
Religion Sikh[1][2]
As of 27 May, 2014
Source: Government of India

Maneka Sanjay Gandhi (née Anand; born 26 August 1956, Delhi, India) is the Indian Union Cabinet Minister for Women & Child Development in the Government of PM Narendra Modi. She is also an animal rights activist, environmentalist, and widow of the Indian politician, Sanjay Gandhi. She has been a minister in four governments, and has authored a number of books in the areas of etymology, law and animal welfare. Maneka Gandhi is a member of the Nehru-Gandhi Family.

Early life

While some old news articles report that she subsequently studied German with the Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi.,[3] there are conflicting reports that claim she finished her education only up to matriculation.[4] Interestingly while filing her nomination papers for elections, she has disclosed that she only holds an ISC (Indian School Certificate), which is the final examination administered in Indian schools at the age of 17-18.[5] Maneka married Sanjay Gandhi, the son of the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi on 23 September 1974.[6]

During the period between 1977–1980, Sanjay was ruthlessly hounded and often jailed by the new Janata party government. It even sought to impound Maneka's passport against which she went to court and won a landmark decision on personal liberty. In the case of Maneka Gandhi v Union of India,[7] the court found that "Democracy is based essentially on free debate and open discussion, for that is the only corrective of government action in a democratic setup."

With Maneka by his side, Sanjay led the Congress party back to power within just three years. A son was born to the couple that same year, 1980. Sanjay named the child Feroze after his own father. Indira added the name Varun. Maneka was just twenty-three years old and her son, just 100 days old, when Sanjay died in an air crash.[8]

Environmental activism

Maneka Gandhi is a self-described environmentalist and animal rights leader in India.[9] She has earned international awards and acclaim.[10] She was appointed chairwoman of the Committee for the Purpose of Control and Supervision of Experiments on Animals (CPCSEA) in 1995. Under her direction, CPCSEA members carried unannounced inspections of laboratories where animals are used for scientific research were conducted.

She has filed Public Interest Litigations that have achieved the replacement of the municipal killing of homeless dogs with a sterilisation programme, the unregulated sale of airguns and a ban on mobile or travelling zoos. She currently chairs the Jury of International Energy Globe Foundation which meets annually in Austria to award the best environmental innovations of the year. She is a member of the Eurosolar Board and the Wuppertal Institute, Germany.

She started the organisation People for Animals[11] in 1992 and it is the largest organisation for animal rights/welfare in India. Maneka Gandhi is also a patron of International Animal Rescue. She is a vegan[12] and has advocated this lifestyle on ethical and health grounds. She also anchored the weekly television program Heads and Tails, highlighting the suffering meted out to animals due to their commercial exploitation. She has also authored a book under the same title. Her other books were about Indian people names. She is a cast member for the documentary A Delicate Balance.[13]

She is chairperson of Rugmark which works to rehabilitate children in the carpet trade. Rugmark has won awards for rescuing the maximum number of bonded child labour.

Career in journalism

As a journalist, Maneka Gandhi made headlines for her shocking publication in Surya Magazine of photos showing sexual intercourse between Suresh Ram (son of the then Defence Minister Babu Jagjivan Ram) and Sushma Chaudhury, a University of Delhi student.[14] Her daring publication of the photos ran the risk of violation of obscenity laws. The revealing pictures[15] were published apparently to discredit Jagjivan Ram, who defected from the Indira Gandhi government and helped bring Janata Party to power in 1977. He was one of the contenders for the post of Prime Minister of India.[16]

Electoral History of Maneka Gandhi

1989-91 - Member of Lok Sabha from Pilibhit (Lok Sabha constituency), elected on a Janata Dal party ticket
1996-98 - Member of Lok Sabha from Pilibhit (Lok Sabha constituency), elected on a Janata Dal party ticket
1998–99 - Member of Lok Sabha from Pilibhit (Lok Sabha constituency), elected as an Independent Candidate
1999–2004 - Member of Lok Sabha from Pilibhit (Lok Sabha constituency), elected as an Independent Candidate
2004-09 - Member of Lok Sabha from Pilibhit (Lok Sabha constituency), elected on a Bharatiya Janata Party ticket
2009-14 - Member of Lok Sabha from Aonla (Lok Sabha constituency), elected on a Bharatiya Janata Party ticket
2014- - Member of Lok Sabha from Pilibhit (Lok Sabha constituency), elected on a Bharatiya Janata Party ticket

Positions held

  • 1988–89 – General-Secretary, Janata Dal (J.D.)
  • 1989–91 – Union Minister of State (Independent Charge), Environment and Forests
  • Jan.-April 1990 – Union Minister of State (Independent Charge), Programme Implementation
  • 1996–97 – Member, Committee on Science and Technology, Environment and Forests
  • 1 September 2001 – 18 November 2001 – Union Minister of State, Culture with additional charge of Animal Care (Independent Charge) Programme Implementation and Statistics with additional charge of Animal Care (Independent Charge)
  • 18 Nov.2001– 30 June 2002 – Union Minister of State, Programme Implementation and Statistics with additional charge of Animal Care (Independent Charge)
  • 2002–2004 – Member, Committee on External Affairs
  • 2004 – Member, Committee on Health & Family Welfare, Member, Consultative Committee, Ministry of Environment and Forests
  • 5 August 2007 – onwards Member, Committee on Health & Family Welfare
  • 31 Aug 2009 – Became Member of Committee on Railways
  • 23 Sep 2009– Chairperson, Committee on Government Assurances
  • 19 Oct 2009– Member, General Purposes Committee
  • 26 May 2014 – Union Minister of Women & Child Development

Awards

  • Shining World Compassion Award along with a cheque for 20,000 dollars from Supreme Master Ching Hai International Association.[17]
  • Lord Erskine Award from the RSPCA, 1992
  • Environmentalist and Vegetarian of the year 1994
  • Prani Mitra Award, 1996
  • Maharana Mewar Foundation Award, 1996 for Environmental work
  • Marchig Animal Welfare and selling Prize, Switzerland, 1997
  • Venu Menon Animal Allies Foundation Lifetime Achievement Award, 1999
  • Bhagwan Mahaveer Foundation Award for Excellence in the sphere of Truth, Non-violence and Vegetarianism, 1999
  • Dewaliben Charitable Trust Award, 1999
  • International Women's Association Woman of the Year Award, Chennai, 2001
  • Dinanath Mangeshkar Aadishakti Puraskar in the field of Environment and animal welfare, 2001
  • Rukmini Devi Arundale Animal Welfare Award[18]
  • A.S.G. Jayakar award, 2008[19]

See also

References

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External links

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  1. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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  8. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  9. ↑ Biographical Sketch
  10. ↑ See, e.g., Gandhi's MP "Biographical Sketch" in which her profession is described as "Writer, Animal Activist and Environmentalist". See also, "Indian Scion Speaks Out, and Uproar Follows Him" (NYT, 2 April 2009) which states: "Maneka Gandhi has cultivated a reputation as an animal rights champion."
  11. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  12. ↑ Will we have a night safari? Interview
  13. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.[dead link]
  14. ↑ Maneka centrespreads sex romp
  15. ↑ Sexually explicit photos showing Suresh Ram and Sushma Chaudhary in compromising positions.
  16. ↑ A tale of sex and politics!
  17. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  18. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  19. ↑ India News – News from India, Latest India News, Online India News Headlines
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