Far from the Madding Political Crowd

HER HUSBAND BANSI LAL IS CHIEF MINISTER OF HARYANA. HER YOUNGER SON SURINDER SINGH IS A MEMBER OF THE RAJYA SABHA AND YET, VIDYA DEVI CAN SMILE AND SAY,”LOOKING AFTER MY FARMS IS MY MAIN OCCUPATION. I LOVE MY FIELDS.”

AS HARYANA GOES TO THE POLLS, ANJANA DATTA INTERVIEWS THE WIFE OF THE STATE CHIEF MINISTER.

“I love my fields and its modest dwellings,” says Vidya Devi, wife of Haryana Chief Minister, Bansi Lal. Simple and unassuming, she is an epitome of a typical Haryana woman whose love for open fields is well-known.

Notwithstanding her husband’s formidable place in politics, she is little known to the people at large. Described as a quiet and gentle lady, she is an immensely private person, who has nothing to do with politics. All attempts to drag her into political conversation proved futile and parried with one quip reply, “Ask me about my farms. Mujhe politics se kuchh lena dena nahin (I have nothing to do with politics), she says with a smile bordering on laughter when asked about her comments on the political issues, especially the Punjab problem. About the killings in Punjab, she has only this much to say, “All kinds of killings are bad and should be stopped forthwith.” She seemed more interested in talking about her farms. The Lals have a farm near Bhawani. “Looking after my farms and managing their affairs is my main occupation. And I like to spend a considerable time there,” she says.

On her part, she prefers to keep a low profile. Scarcely seen at public functions, she has consistently kept herself in the background. Having been thrown into the midst of hectic political atmosphere at home – her husband has been in active politics for more than a quarter of a century and her younger son Mr. Surinder Singh is a Rajya Sabha member, it is remarkable to see her keeping herself distinctly aloof from the intricate web of politics.

Warm, cordial and affectionate, she is a woman of apparent charm that never fails to impress the visitors. Her motherly features hide a strong face, her eager and gentle eyes belie a forceful personality. Her manner is neither stiff nore formal. Her demeanour denotes tranquility and a considerable courtesy. She is perfectly at ease when she, like her husband, speaks in a typical Haryanavi accent.

“My family is my whole world,” says Vidya Devi. Norn in an affluent and wealthy Jat family of landlords, she takes great pain to play down her riches. Her father owned a cluster of villages and a herd of cattle near Fatehabad, a township in district Haryana. Married at an early age of 15, she has no formal education. Her husband was then 17. “Being married to the eldest son of a big family put a heavy responsibility on me,” she recalls. Her husband has six brothers and six sisters. “Totally engrossed in the cares of my family and fields, I always had a lot to do at home. Where was time for me to do anything else?” She pauses and becomes reflective. “Instead I pushed my husband to go for further studies, who did his law in the late fifties from Jalandhar and to take up some career in the city because I did not want him to spend all his life in the fields. Moreover, I wanted to provide for my children the best possible educational facilities which would not have been possible had we remained there in the village,” she says further.

“All my efforts and about have been successful and remunerative. All my children are well-educated and well-settled in life.” The Lals have six children – two sons and four daughters. Their eldest son is Secretary for the Board of Control, elder daughter a doctor, the second – a Joint Director in Transport Department of Haryana, the third- a lecturer un Psychology and the youngest has done law. “Ours can be called a family of lawyers. Beside my husband, my sons, two daughters and one daughter-in-law are qualified lawyers.” Their younger daughter-in-law is practicing at the Supreme Court.

Vidya Devi has always been a very supportive wife. “Though I never went out to convass for my husband or for my son during the elections, yet I have always helped them in many ways. I have never been a demanding wife”, she admits. “Since my husband’s political engagements leave him no time to pay much attention to the family, I am left alone to look after the family and fulfil other social obligations. And I have never bothered him unnecessarily about household problems.” If her husband is a successful man today, it is because of her continuing, unflinching support.

A woman of austere habits, there is hardly any ostentation in her life-style or nature. Like others, she prefers to travel in an ordinary bus, but never bothers to disclose her identity to get special attention. In her words,”Mujh ko ye sabh achcha nahin lagta.” And she is rarely noticed by anyone. She gleefully recalls one such incident when she met the present Prime Minister Mr. Rajiv Gandhi, at a function for the first time. “On seeing me Mr.Gandhi asked if I wanted anything. He was taken aback when I told him that I am Mrs, Bansi Lal and wanted nothing but only to be photographed with him to which he happily obliged,” she told us amusingly. This photograph was later presented to her by the Prime Minister himself which is now a prize possession of hers.

An ardent admirer of the late Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, she still cherished the fond memories of their relationships. “Mrs. Gandhi was very affable. We had a warm and close relationship with each other. There was no protocol or formality.” She still cannot reconcile to the fact that she is no more. “Her death was a personal loss,” she says.

A deeply religious lady, her services are always dispensable for a noble cause. Known for her helping hand, her name comes as a source of solace to those who come to her for help. “I derive immense satisfaction out of it,” she says with a smile.

Anjana Datta.

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