Politics is
something which forms the crux of our country. Like it or hate it, there is no
ignoring it. Over the past few years, since I took up to writing seriously, the
urge to write something related to politics has passed my mind on multifarious
occasions. I did attempt a few write-ups related to this genre, but they were
more of light opinion pieces. To be honest, I wasn’t much into politics in my
growing up years and even now it isn’t really one of my favourite subjects. However,
there is no denying that as a citizen of the country, it is imperative that I
keep a tab on the politics of our country as much as possible. After all, it is
us, the people, who make the country, choose the politicians to power and
demand better services.
It was
somewhere after 2002, that my real interest in politics took birth. When a
certain individual called Narendra Modi had earned the ire of the media, it
made me curious. I wanted to search for answers and what I learnt over the
years, and am still learning, is that he is one of those rare breed of
politicians with whom I really have some genuine hope from. However, this post
is not about him. Someday, soon enough, I shall be elaborating further on my
views on him; when I have deserved the credit for that.
 |
| Meenakshi Lekhi |
The time I
began searching the answers for my questions, I keenly followed television
news. The debate shows on these programmes would present spokespersons from
different national parties. For some reason, I would feel genuinely irritated
by listening to the drawl of many of them; especially the ones from the
Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP). I supported the party’s ideology, but seeing some
weak party spokesperson carrying on with their indolent discussions made me
want to shake them up. The years following those, I used to switch the channels
each time I saw a BJP spokesperson speaking on TV; purely to avoid feeling
annoyed. It all changed when I came across Meenakshi
Lekhi – the current national spokesperson of the BJP.
The 46-year
old Supreme Court advocate from Delhi is a firebrand spokesperson and has taken
to her job like fish to water. Rarely have I seen someone from the BJP (apart
from Narendra Modi) taking on the hounding, biased media cronies word for word.
Eloquent, clear in her thoughts, well-versed on the current affairs, and not
one to take things lying down, Mrs. Lekhi is everything and more that I had
hoped to see in a political personality. It hence comes as no surprise that
today, Meenakshi Lekhi is considered one of the most popular BJP leaders only after Narendra Modi.
I thus
consider myself privileged enough to have got the chance to interview her. It
was the first time that I had interviewed a political figure and surprisingly
speaking to her was quite easy and refreshing. Over the course of the interview,
Mrs. Lekhi elaborates on the roles of a spokesperson, the biased media debates,
her views on the Congress party and of course Narendra Modi. Read on.
Excerpts from the interview:
Q. Tell me a little bit about your
career. How and where did you begin?
Meenakshi Lekhi (ML): I am basically born and bred in
Delhi. I did my graduation from Hindu College, Delhi and then went on to study
law from the Delhi University. A few years after that, I began practicing law
from 1990 onwards from the various courts in the country.
In 1992 I
got married to Aman Lekhi (renowned senior advocate). Over a period of time, I
began working with him. Gradually, life took its course and now I am the
national spokesperson of the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) and greatly relishing
my role.
Q. From law to the spokesperson of a
national party? Isn’t that a rather different field to choose?
ML: Yes and no. The Lekhis are always known
to be rather argumentative (laughs). Our entire family has very strong opinions
on all the issues going around; from mundane to the serious ones. Ever since I
got married, my life has been around books, courts, the vision of India and
similar things. I haven’t known any other way of living really. So you can
imagine I did not really need any training in my professional field. Being a
spokesperson I guess, came naturally to me.
Q. So when exactly did you start considering
being a spokesperson as a serious career option?
ML: I have been active on the fringes
since 1996-97 by being closely associated with various social NGOs and by
giving my legal inputs to these. From there I began working for the ‘Swadeshi
Jagran Manch’ (an economic wing of the Sangh Parivar). When Nitin Gadkiri
became the party president of the BJP a few years back, I was called on to join
the party and become the Vice-President of the ‘Mahila Morcha’.
My career
profile was such that even while I was into law, I had to address the media on
various cases. Hence, they were quite familiar with me. The seniors of the
party then gradually felt that I would do well as a spokesperson and hence I
was taken up as one this year.
Q. How different is the job of a
spokesperson to that of a normal 10-7 one per se?
ML: It is completely different. It is a
24/7 job. Even as I speak to you, there are calls coming in from various media
channels to attend their TV shows. A spokesperson doesn’t really have a social
life to speak of. There is no time to attend parties, weddings or
anniversaries. It has happened on many an occasion where I had a family event
planned and had to cancel it because of some urgent press meet I had to attend.
You have to be there for your party all the time.
Q. Doesn’t that affect you mentally?
How do you motivate yourself?
ML: It does of course. After all I am human and there is
a need to have a social life. But then, I motivate myself thinking that I am
doing my bit for my country. That in itself is the biggest boost. And then
again, if I am not there when needed, my party might get affected. I cannot
allow that to happen.
Q. Can you please elaborate as to
what does the job of a spokesperson constitute of?
ML: See, firstly, a spokesperson has to
be aware of everything happening in the country; political or non-political.
The awareness level has to be absolutely profound. Then you are reading about
10-12 newspapers thoroughly; English and Hindi both. You also have to actively
keep watch on the social media. But most importantly, you have to keep a sharp
eye on where the media is taking the debate to on certain issues. The media,
especially the TV media, more often than not, moulds the issues according to
their convenience and presents it in a different way to the public. A spokesperson
thus has to carefully interpret on what agenda is the media setting. However,
the most important thing for a spokesperson I believe is to be instinctive. You
should know how to react to many tense and adverse situations on the spot. And
for that you cannot be trained. Either you have it or you don’t.
ML: Those and a few other things as well. To be a good
spokesperson, you have to be academically sound as well. You should have a good
knowledge of history, politics, geography, art and culture, and economics. You
should also keep studying on more subjects as much as possible. Other than
that, learning on the job actively should serve you well.
Q. Being a party spokesperson, you
attend a lot of TV debate shows. Many of these debate shows, as we all very
well know, are quite biased towards a particular party or an agenda. Don’t you
feel angry or infuriated while attending such shows?
ML: It’s true that certain debate shows
by some media channels are biased and they always try and set their own agenda.
However, if they have their agenda, I have my own. If I feel infuriated and
refuse to go to these shows, then somebody else will turn up and say certain
things that would create a mess for my party. I cannot allow that to happen. My
simple thought is that I should present my point of view in such a manner that
the audience should be able to gauge as to who is correct and who isn’t. They
should be able to connect with me and my party’s views. The audience today is
pretty intelligent; they very well know the biasness of these media houses. But
like I said, if I connect my views to my audience, my job is done.
Q. Have you ever felt any amount of
nervousness while attending any of these TV shows or while addressing the media
on any particular issue?
Q. As a spokesperson, you go to a lot
of TV shows. However, how many people watch these shows? There is only a
certain percentage in the country who actually watch them. What about the people in
the country who do not have access to television sets? Doesn’t your role adhere
to them as well?
ML: It most definitely does. See besides
attending TV shows, as a spokesperson, I have a lot of other things to do. My
job is not just limited to airing my views on television, but to connect to
people; wherever they might be. I have to go to a lot of places like Kerala and
Chennai, whose language I do not speak. In such places, I speak in English; but
my views are aired by the local media in the regional language. Through TV
news, newspapers and even radio, my views reach to vast corners of the country.
So there is a deep people to people connect. Furthermore, on many occasions, I
also have to speak on the stage on varied places; thus the connect with the
people comes into effect there. That is my primary job; to put my party’s views
in front of the public and make sure I connect with them.
Q. If I were to ask your views on the
Congress; not as a BJP spokesperson, but as a normal citizen of the country,
what would they be?
ML: As a normal citizen of the country, I
feel enraged to what has been going on for the past many years. In fact, it was
my apathy towards the Congress’ misgovernance that made me join the BJP. The
last nine years (2004-2013) has undoubtedly been pathetic from them, but I am
looking much beyond that. They have given us absolutely noting since independence.
I don’t want to go into names, but many of these people have completely
destroyed our country from the core. You think of people before the
independence era like Subash Chandra Bose. If he would have been there with us
after independence, do you think our country’s situation would have come to
this? Those heroes from the pre-independence era never got to rule the country.
And what we have today is downright disgraceful.
Q. On the same vein, what so you feel
of Narendra Modi; as a normal citizen of the country and not as a BJP
spokesperson?
However, I
must also credit the media for making me pro Modi. I am a person with reasonable
intelligence and when I saw the media propaganda against him, I could easily
make out that he was being unfairly targeted. I did my research and study on
the facts and understood that what was being presented by the media is
completely opposite to the truth. And hence came in my genuine support for
Modi. I am quite certain there are many more like me with the same theory.
Q. You must have met him a few times.
What are your views on him as a person?
ML: I have met him a couple of times and
whatever little interaction I have had with him has been very good. I find him
to be a very pleasant and down to earth person. He is someone who will ask you “Ghar me sab thik hai?” Despite all the
name he has made, he is still very warm and grounded.
Q. I read a report in a newspaper
that Meenakshi Lekhi is the second most popular BJP personality after Narendra
Modi. What do you feel on that?
ML: Oh I feel really embarrassed on
hearing this. I really do. However, at the same time I feel honoured and proud
too. I feel I must have done something right to get that label.
Q. Lastly, your tiff with Arnab
Goswami on a television debate has become quite a hit online. The way you took
him on has made many people your fan. Your views.
ML: I think a lot has been made out of it unnecessarily. I
had gone there to speak on a certain issue and some things were said which I
didn’t like. When you push me to the wall, I will retaliate. That’s it. These
are professional hazards and we have to take it with us in our stride. It
happens. I am humbled that people appreciate my personality. But let’s not get
carried away with it. Whatever happened was in the past and let it be there.
