SPEAKING UP

SPEAKING UP VIDYA STOKES, is the first woman to be elected as Speaker of the Himachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly. ANJANA DATTA writes about her simple living and high thinking life style. “More and more women should come forward to join politics. They are more determined, tolerant and more committed to their jobs than men. They can also be very understanding and helpful to women’s problems,” says Vidya Stokes, Speaker of the Himachal Pradesh Assembly.

Ms. Stokes, whose advent in politics has been marked as sudden, is the wife of the late Mr. Lal Chand Stokes, a well-known politician and a Minister in the State cabinet. The Stokes are among the few married couples in the country who have contributed individually and jointly to the life and culture of the State. “Though it was against my grain to get into politics, circumstances led me into the turmoil of public life,” she recalls. “Totally shattered by the untimely demise of my husband, I didn’t want an eddy of loneliness to wash over me. I wanted to do something. Moreover, I was persuaded by the late Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi, to join politics to fulfill the work left undone by my husband.”

She was first elected to the Himachal Pradesh Vidhan Sabha in 1974 in a bye-election from Theog constituency, in Shimla district, a vacancy caused by the death of her husband. She was re-elected from the same constituency in May, 1982 and became Minister of State for Rural Development in 1984. She was again elected from Theog constituency on March 5, 1985 and was elected Speaker of the House on March 11, 1985, a post which she has accepted with the utmost humility and modesty.

Born on December 8, 1927 in a well-to-do family, her father was a revenue officer in the Himachal Pradesh government and her mother, a noted social worker of the State. She graduated from Delhi University. A Rajput by birth, she was married to an American, a convert to Hinduism, at the age of 19. “My husband was a man of liberal attitude,” she recalls. “He helped me adopt a more rational attitude towards life.” Her gentle upbringing is reflected in her humanistic approach. With her ample wealth and high social status, she could have opted for a more comfortable and easy life. Yet she has lived a simple and austere life dedicated to a noble cause.

She is associated with innumerable social organisations. She has been the honorary General Secretary of the Indian Council for Child Welfare for the last several years. She has started many training centers for destitute women and physical handicapped children and sponsored many schemes for vocational guidance. Always bursting with constructive and creative ideas, there is something unique and stimulating about her. She has a plan to set up a novel village in the State where each couple would adopt at least one handicapped child. Says she, “The idea is to provide these children an opportunity to enjoy family life.”

She is a member of the Executive Finance and Planning Committee of the Indian Council for Child Welfare and Vice-President of the Himachal Pradesh Red Cross Society. A sports fan, she is contributing her mite for the promotion of sports in the State. She is the president of the Indian Women’s Hockey Federation. She has led the Indian women’s hockey team for the World Cup in Spain and the international te3am for the pre-olympics in Moscow. She was also a member of the “Technical Committee” of the Asiad and an administrator at the Shivaji Stadium. At present, she is Vice-President of the Asian Hockey Federation and a member of the Sports Authority of India.

Frugal in her taste and habits, she likes to eat salads, vegetables and soup only. She does not take any cereal in her meals. A deeply religious lady, she does her daily ‘pooja’. Her favorite deity is Kali, a symbol of Shakti. A truly versatile woman, she has varied interests and hobbies. Gardening, reading and painting are her favorite pastimes.

A proud mother of three children – two sons and one daughter, she does not have to worry about her household chores. All her children are happily married and well-settled in America. Her elder son is a doctor and the younger one is doing his electronic computer course in the USA.

A well-contented and satisfied woman, she has no definite plan for her future. In her own words “When tomorrow comes, I shall face it.”

Anjana Datta

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