One of the pleasant surprises for the people of Haryana is that in addition to a dynamic and optimistic Chief Minister Bhoopinder Singh Hooda, they have also acquired a most extraordinary CM’s wife – Asha Hooda, who like her husband is equally vigorous  and equally energetic in undertaking voluntary affairs to help the needy and the poor people of the State. Humble people who come into contact with her, can feel her warmth and geniality.

A sense of culture greets you on entering the spacious premises of the official residence of CM, Haryana.  Asha Hooda, a woman of apparent charm, never fails to impress others with her exquisite grace and charming manners. Tall and sophisticated, there is an air of elegance about  her.  Her beaming smile and engaging personality ensures a friendly reception and immediately puts you at ease.

In keeping with her position, she plays a conspicuous role in the affairs of the State by taking an enthusiastic interest in the matters dear to her heart. “I feel that my job is to help my husband as much as possible and I do whatever falls within my scope,” she remarks.

Asha is a woman with a woman’s understanding and  has compassion for the woman’s cause. Her frank and lucid analysis of the present social evils and the deplorable conditions of the average woman in the society inspires her to work with enthusiasm and purpose. She attacks social inertia, facilitates reorientation of women’s outlook and wants to create in them a fearlessness both by precept and example in order to bring them into the vortex of the main stream.

There is a sense of devotion to the causes that move her. For instance, she has raised a most acute and vital issue of female foeticide in the State, which in her own words,”We cannot afford to ignore.” Haryana is incidentally a State where female foeticide is very common. The sex ratio is dismally very low. In a major policy initiative to arrest the falling sex ratio in the State further, the State Government has launched  a series of popular schemes for the girl child and adopted several measures to give incentive to the people having girl child. It is due to various popular measures adopted by the State Govt.to check the female foeticide menace in the State that Haryana now stands out as a shining example in recovering the girl child ratio about a year and half ago. The marked rise in the sex ratio has inspired the State Government further to introduce some more schemes for the health -care and education of the women. And, she is quite happy about that. The most endearing work of her husband, according to her, is to serve the cause of the womanhood in the State. She believes that unless women’s conditions are improved and are inspired to take their responsible share in the political life and broaden their outlook, the country will never realise its goals.

Steering the conversation towards another menace – the NRIs brides, she emphasises the need for better education for the girls to make them self-reliant and also to make them aware of the laws of the country to which their husbands belong. She wants the womenfolk to equip themselves with education in order to meet the challenges in life.

A woman of cheerful disposition and a lively sense of humour, Asha  is jovial, witty and friendly. She is an engaging conversationalist adding zest and wit to the talk.  Her conversation is a brilliant mixture of reminiscences, family life and critical discussion of social issues.  An exceedingly well-read person, she can discuss on any topic with her sound knowledge and high intelligence.  She can switch over from one topic to another with the  easiest of transitions.

Born and bred at Ambala, she attended Har Gulal School and graduated from Government College for women at Chandigarh. She did post-graduation in English literature from the Regional Centre at Rohtak and taught at the Jat College, Rohtak for a year before her marriage. Good at academics, she was always among the top rankers. Being an extrovert, she participated in all kinds of events, be they cultural or social. She used to be a good-debater and a head-girl.

After her marriage to Bhoopinder Singh Hooda, a young advocate of a rising position, in 1976, she settled down happily to the marital bliss. Soon she had two children – one son and a daughter. Both of them are now well-settled in life. Her son, Deepinder Singh Hooda, 28 who did Engineering in textiles from the Birla Institute at Bhawani,is the youngest MP in the Lok Sabha. And, her daughter, Anjali, who did (Hons.) in Sociology from Delhi University and MBA from the Indiana University in USA, has worked as a Financial Consultant with a MNC before her marriage. She now lives with her husband, a Financial Consultant with a MNC and two kids at Gurgaon.

Hers is a well-balanced family. Asha being the youngest of the three sisters and two brothers, has received the prodigal’s share of love and affection from her parents  who are well-known for their intellectual attainment and cultural pursuits. Faith in God and in His teachings has been instilled in her earliest years by her Arya Samaji parents. From her father, Bhim Sen Vidyalankar, a Sanskrit scholar and a freedom fighter, she inherited high intellect and appreciation of Indian culture and from her mother – grace and a benevolent nature. Carefully brought up from her childhood by her loving and kindly parents, she is steeped in the Indian culture with an abiding interest in its traditions.

She has inculcated the same values in both of her children. She is of the view that parents should always try to transfer the best of human values to their children to help them grow into truly good human beings. Recalling one such incidence which deeply moved her,says she,”Once Rajiv Gandhi accompanied by Rahul Gandhi happened to visit Mahim after the communal riots in 1984. It was sweltering hot in Haryana. They were offered campa cola. As Rajiv Gandhi was in a hurry to leave, he wanted to take the bottle of campa cola alongwith him. Before leaving, he didn’t forget to seek the permission of the shopkeeper to take the bottle of Campa Cola alongwith him. When Rahul Gandhi sat besides  him in the car, he asked him also to go to the shopkeeper and seek his permission to take the bottle of campa cola alongwith him. Though such incidents look small, yet they show deep concern for the fellow human beings.”  According to her, it is important to deal with all human beings with respect, humility and honesty, no matter who the individual is.”

Talking about her husband, she remarks that he has always been a good  husband and an excellent father. Life with him has been a very stimulating experience for her. But above all, he is a family man, a very involved father. What she appreciates most about her husband is his honesty and large heartedness. He never speaks against anybody even against his opponents.  He is always willing to give a helping hand to anyone seeking his help.  No one is ever turned out from his door even at mid-night.  Both husband and wife are real and down-to-earth people with simple habits and with no official frills about them.

For the Hoodas, life shuttles between Chandigarh and Rohtak where her in-laws live in a joint family. Her father-in-law Ch. Ranbir Singh has been a member of the Constituent Assembly in 1946 that framed the Consitution of India. He was Irrigation Minister of the Joint Punjab and became member of the Lok Sabha twice – in 1952 and 1956. Her pride in her in-laws is tremenduous.  Says she,”The Hoodas form a tightly knit clan, always consulting and helping one another on all occasions, showing proper respect for the authority of the elders.”

She is all for the joint family.  According to her, the joint family has its uses since it is a form of social security for everyone.  All are wanted and respected by everyone.  The elders have special status and respect.  In fact, they are the anchors who keep the best traditions alive in the family.    It  is very cruel to abandon or desert them in old age homes at the wee hours of their  life.

As CM’s wife, Asha’s life is hectic.  Her day is a whirl of engagements and social commitments.  While her husband is devoted to modernizing the State of Haryana, building schools, colleges, institutes and industries at the sametime providing an admirable and just administration in the State, she takes an enthusiastic interest in everthing from commissioning a project for the women to performing  mass-marriages for the needy and the poor.

But no matter how busy she is, her family always comes first to her.  As a wife, as a mother and as a mistress of the house, she is an ideal person.  An accomplished housewife, she is a woman of varied interests.  She enjoys doing all the things that make a house into a home – decorating the rooms, arranging flowers, cooking and entertaining friends.  A gracious hostess, she is warm, welcoming and hospitable.   She seems to operate with effortless efficiency making guests feel at ease.  Her cultural interests include films and theatre.  She likes to listen to old melodies.

From all accounts, Asha is an admirable woman. Her charms are many.  To be in her company is delightful. She is a true representative of her class.  Few of her kind are!

ANJANA DATTA  

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