An Exclusive Interview with Sushma Swaraj
This interview was first published in the print edition of Manushi Journal. (Issue-121, Nov-Dec 2000)
In India, politicians have become a favourite target of public wrath and a common scapegoat for most of the ills of our society. Be it news reports, Indian cinema, or TV serials, the politician is often the object of ridicule, contempt and caricature. MANUSHI too has been unsparing in its criticism of our political class. At the same time, people stay obsessed with politics and politicians. Those who manage to be in positions of power get surrounded by sycophants and favour seekers. The sum total of the picture that emerges has often made me wonder whether we are oversimplifying and attacking a caricature, rather than real persons.
With this interview, we are starting a new series through which we will introduce our leading politicians to MANUSHI readers. Since we want to understand how they view their own role, we will let them speak in their own words and give us an account of the problems they face, and how they meet the challenges of their high risk, volatile profession…