Sheila Dixit - CM, Delhi

My husband switched on the TV today morning and I was cooking inside the kitchen. All the news channels, one by one started shouting about the PMK joining AIADMK and other political/election news. I thought that today, like most of the vexed bloggers, I will do a write-up on these political baffoons.

At about 9.30 AM, he started watching 'Baathon baathon mein' in Lok Sabha Channel. Started hearing some interesting discussions. I had finished the morning's hectic work and so, sat and started watching. Smt. Sheila Dixit's (CM, Delhi) interview. Mrinal Pande, Editor, Hindustan, was the anchor. I think she is a lawyer also (I remember reading somewhere, I might be wrong). Now my whole mood had changed! To hell with the greedy, power crazy, uneducated politicians. I will write some positive things about a politician.

She is a beautifull old lady, doesn't look her age (70 years!). Not much ornaments, just one bangle and a chain (we women watch this, you know!). No hair dye and looks majestic. I had been reading about her for the past so many years and remember only the positive things, not much negative things. Yes, Delhi is not a safe place (she answered for this question), the transport is hopeless there ....She must have done something good and so without much noice, she is doing her third term as the Chief Minister of Delhi. Delhi is full of (mostly) educated people - some politicians also, for that matter!

She looked happy and relaxed during the whole interview, thanks to Mrinal Pandey who speaks very softly. I have watched her interviewing in this programme, earlier, Pt.Jasraj, Amjad Ali Khan etc. Now let me write about Sheila Dixit:

She likes music - melodius, whether classical or pop or filmy music. Filmy - Taare Zameen Par, Delhi-6

Her likes for film actors change periodically!

Classical: Kishori Amonkar, Ajoy Chakraborthy, O.S.Arun (Bhajan) etc.

She reads a lot. She is reading some Lebonese author's book now. She liked Jhumpa Lahiri's book. She did not like Adiga's book! Her house is full of different kinds of books.

Her marriage was an inter-caste marriage. After marriage, there was some tension at home, for some months. Her father-in-law was a great supporter (former Governor and Union Minister) aong with her husband, Vinod Dixit (He was an IAS officer). Slowly, they merged her in their family and had the full support of them throughout her life. They still live with her. She has two children. Both are married. They live alone but has a good rapport with them. She has got two grand children also. Like a typical grand mother, she was praising about their computer knowledge and how fast they grasp things, unlike us! They meet each other often and are comfortable with each other.

When asked about the safety of the women in Delhi, she said that it is not just the responsibility of the Government or Police, but the whole society should come together to make Delhi a safe place. The sons and daughters should be brought up so that they respect each other from the childhood. Now, the children who are very poor or jobless or with too much money to spend and without any aim in life, become problematic in their adulthood. We should try our best to change these things. No single person or leader can do it alone.

Well...it was a nice experience, watching her in the TV, a relaxed, happy politician. She did not look as if she wanted to be in the good books of her viewers - just a natural and majestic looking lady.




EDITED TO ADD ON 9.12.13, after she lost in the election yesterday. I think it is high time she started relaxing with her family.

My friend Partha Sir, gave this link.  We can know more about Sheila Dixit here:

Indo-Asian News Service | Updated: December 08, 2013 15:46 IST

New Delhi:  For 15 years Sheila Dikshit was Chief Minister of Delhi, winning three assembly elections one after the other. On Sunday, the dream run ended. The seasoned politician has lost not only Delhi, but her own election as well, to debutant Arvind Kejriwal.

Here are 10 things you wanted to know about Ms Dikshit:

1. She started off as a reluctant politician, and cut her political teeth assisting her father-in-law, a veteran Uttar Pradesh Congress leader Uma Shankar Dikshit, who was  a minster in Indira Gandhi's cabinet.
2. She was married to Vinod Dikshit, who worked in the Indian Administrative Service (IAS).
3. It was Indira Gandhi who first picked Sheila Dikshit to be part of a UN delegation. In 1984, she became a minister in Rajiv Gandhi's government after entering the Lok Sabha from Uttar Pradesh after her husband's death.
4. She was later a minister in the Prime Minister's Office before the Congress was ousted in national elections in 1989.
5. Mrs Dikshit's rapport with Congress president Sonia Gandhi helped her become president of the faction-ridden party in Delhi in May 1998, six months before she led it to victory in assembly elections.
6. The high price of onions helped Mrs Dikshit dislodge the BJP in 1998. The Congress won an impressive 52 of the 70 seats in Delhi that year. The Dikshit magic continued to work in 2003 and 2008.
7. Ironically, the high price of onions and other staples this year has been a contributing factor to disenchantment with Mrs Dikshit in Delhi, whose party has come in a poor third.
8. Born in Punjab's Kapurthala, Mrs Dikshit was credited with numerous people-friendly programmes. During this year's campaign she listed the urban development of Delhi a a major achievement. She was credited for Delhi's growing infrastructure including roads and flyovers, a less polluted city, better public transport system as well as development on the health and educational fronts.
9. Her son Sandeep Dikshit is a Lok Sabha member from Delhi.
10. She has often been called an outsider in Delhi, but Mrs Dikshit studied at the Convent of Jesus and Mary School in the capital and then at Miranda House college in Delhi University.