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Congress President Sonia Gandhi has been chosen NDTV Indian of the Year.
This was the country's first entirely scientific poll to select one Indian who had the maximum impact in the year 2005. The results are based on viewers' votes sent by SMS and a MODE poll, which sampled Indians all over the country.
Here's the entire transcript of an exclusive interview with the Indian of the Year.
Barkha Dutt - Many many congratulations Mrs Gandhi, not just from NDTV, but all of India. As Prannoy was saying earlier, you beat some of the most glamorous flamboyant people of India ? film stars, cricketers, the current hot favorite Sania Mirza, just everybody, and yet there's an irony here that people continue to see you as a very very shy, very private and almost a reluctant politician. And these many years later would you say that you are still a reluctant politician and you don't want to be here and want to be somewhere else?
Sonia Gandhi - Well, I was a reluctant politician to begin with. It's just that circumstances compelled me to enter politics, but I think I've got used to it. I am quite comfortable in politics and yes I am a rather private, shy person, though I think I have progressed. I am certainly less shy than I used to be.
Barkha Dutt - For example, you don't like journalists like myself sitting on your head, forcing you to give interviews.
Sonia Gandhi - No, no, no, it's not that I don't like, sometimes I'm a little reticent, nothing to do with journalists. I used to be very very private and when my husband was in politics, before he entered politics, we had a very private life. So it took a great deal of adjustment for both of us to be in the limelight. But then, as I said, slowly one gets used to it and then you sort of learn to cope with it.
Barkha Dutt - You got used to it, but then began to enjoy it just a bit? We'll read into that and guess used to it is as much as it's possible, though everybody remembers how you never wanted your husband to be a part of politics. You entered because of circumstances, but you feel in someway that you are here to stay or one fine day you'll be in the mountains somewhere away from the hurly burly of politics?
Sonia Gandhi - Well, maybe one day I will be away in the mountains somewhere.
Barkha Dutt - You'll like that better than being here?
Sonia Gandhi - Well that we'll have to see.
Barkha Dutt - But looking back at 2005, so many Indians have overwhelmingly voted you as Indian of the Year. Is there any one moment that gives you more satisfaction than other, sort of your personal proudest moment, whether for yourself or for the party or for the country?
Sonia Gandhi - Well I think for the government, for myself, for the party, for the whole country, I suppose the proudest moment really was the very tragic and painful moment, but at the same time a proud moment when about a year ago the tsunami hit us. To just witness and watch the manner in which people just came out and rose up to the tsunami challenge, came out and helped and they sent help either in monetary fashion or in a small way or big way, one got the feeling that every single Indian, rich or poor, had really come out and felt for the victims and helped. So that was a proud moment. Also we managed without much help from outside and we did offer help to others, so that was the moment.
Barkha Dutt - Did it give you some satisfaction?
Sonia Gandhi - Yes
Barkha Dutt - But you've often spoken about this, in fact, the whole of civil society, which you think is more and more placid in today's government. Sometimes people say that Sonia Gandhi is a national advisory council who promotes NGOs, promotes the civil society in a way that no other government has before?
Sonia Gandhi - Well I do believe that civil society is extremely important. Government cannot be everywhere, cannot sort of help or as I said be everywhere and civil society has got all the more dedication, much more dedication and sincerity of purpose. I know many of them - organizations, individuals - and they do make a difference and they inspire others, including the government. So that's why I do appreciate their work and I do feel for them and it's important.
Barkha Dutt - Someone said that they have more credibility than politicians often with ordinary Indians?
Sonia Gandhi - Well I think that painting all politicians in the same brush is not quite fair.
Barkha Dutt - But this year, you spoke about your proudest moment, but it was a year which was difficult also sometimes for the UPA. There is a perception that when you look at the controversies of corruption and certain other scams, the UPA eventually did the right thing, but it took a really long time in taking that decision. There was almost a perception that the party and the government was dragging its feet whether it Volcker, Jharkhand, Bihar. In all these cases, why do you think it took so long to take the right decision?
Sonia Gandhi - Well I think when there are certain incidents or happenings you can't take instant decisions. We are a party, we are a coalition and therefore we need to consult within ourselves, with the government, within the party and even with others, even with our coalition partners. So yes, we did take some time, but I think eventually we did take the right decisions.
Barkha Dutt - No that's ok. It's just that you took a long time to take it. Do you feel there is any other particular moment that you remember that you look back with a sense of regret, that you think was a mistake, that you could have done differently, handled better?
Sonia Gandhi - Well there are always areas where one feels, you know, you could, I could have perhaps done it in a different way, or I could've done more. But on the whole, I think I'm fairly satisfied.
Barkha Dutt - You are fairly satisfied? There's no one area that you feel a sense of somewhat regret when you look back at the year? You know the benefit of hindsight always makes you much wiser.
Sonia Gandhi - Not regret, I would say. As I said, yes I do feel that perhaps in some areas I could've done things in a different way. I think, I don't know (laughs). I will not go into all those details.
Barkha Dutt - But you think the image of the party in the government overall was not scarred by these delays? I mean, you don't think the image got hurt somewhere because of this delay?
Sonia Gandhi - Maybe while, yes, sort of taking time to take decisions, I think perhaps people may feel impatient. But eventually the right decision was taken so I think the image of the party or government did not really get damaged.
Barkha Dutt - Overall, you're satisfied?
Sonia Gandhi - I think so.
Barkha Dutt - Now you know us journalists. When we feel bored we make up theories to amuse ourselves and one of the theories is that maybe, just maybe, there'll be a mid-term. The political logic for this is that the Congress, in some way, is a part of an untearable political equation. There are internal contradictions because of the Left, there are other allies who don't really get along with each other and there's great talk that sooner rather than later we could see mid-term elections that would help your party consolidate its own.
Sonia Gandhi - I don't think so. I don't see this happening. I think we went into this coalition very consciously and we worked together, as you know, with the common minimum programme and later on in passing legislations etc. Of course people are free and they always surmise or plan or think that perhaps. Occasionally there may be reasons also that we give to people to believe so because of our occasional khit pit, but no, I really think that we will see...
Barkha Dutt - Complete your five years eventually?
Sonia Gandhi - Complete our five years definitely
Barkha Dutt - No midterm elections?
Sonia Gandhi - And hopefully also in the future.
Barkha Dutt - A slightly non political question - going back to how you had said that you knew you were always a reluctant politician. When Sonia Gandhi is not the Congress President, how does she spend her free time? I know you are extremely private and that part of your life is something you have ferociously guarded. But I know people of India want to know you better and in that sense they must wonder, who is the person behind the politician?
Sonia Gandhi - Well, I suppose like every mother or grandmother, since I am a happy grandmother, I like to spend time with my family, with my grandchildren. So if I have time at my disposal, I invariably spend it with my family.
Barkha Dutt - And if at all one day you could have the anonymity and not have the journalists chasing you, not have cameras hounding you, not have politicians lined up at your doorstep for meetings, if for just a day Sonia Gandhi could be an anonymous person, how would she spend that day?
Sonia Gandhi - Well one day is too little actually
Barkha Dutt - One year then or one month
Sonia Gandhi - I do feel I have travelled a great deal here in our country, of course earlier with my husband where almost every week we used to go to remote areas of the country. And I have travelled myself since I've become the Congress President, but it's always been with political engagements and always rushing from one place to another for a meeting. I have often felt or wished I could have longer time to just travel in India on my own and see beautiful places, really, because in this particular position I travel a lot but mostly for work or you know when there are tragedies or in areas where people are suffering, and there is so much beauty everywhere.
Barkha Dutt - Any particular part of the country you've always wanted to go?
Sonia Gandhi - Everywhere because I have been to many places. I know there are ancient temples or there are beautiful mountains, so from North to South, East to West, everywhere. I suppose I would need another life to do that.
Barkha Dutt - You think? You don't see this happening in this life?
Sonia Gandhi - Well to see everything there is to see, I would like to see...
Barkha Dutt - Another life?
Sonia Gandhi - Maybe
Barkha Dutt - I just wanted to ask you, because so much of your work and in politics especially, was propelled by the circumstances of your husband's very tragic death, do you think if he were looking down upon you right now, he would be surprised at the evolution of his wife as politician, NDTV Indian of the Year, as the nerve-centre of Indian politics? Proud of course, would he be surprised?
Sonia Gandhi - No, maybe not.
Barkha Dutt - You always knew you had it in you? Maybe?
Sonia Gandhi - Well, he was very keen that I fight an election when he was alive. Of course, I resisted it and he always felt that even though I used to make a fuss in politics and all that, I could certainly manage a constituency. So I think, perhaps, he would not be that surprised.
Barkha Dutt - I must ask you, you are the clear winner of this poll. But if you had to choose your Indian of the Year, who would that be for you?
Sonia Gandhi - Well I think definitely it would be the ordinary men, women, common man really and in other words, the aam admi.
Barkha Dutt - And that really was reflected in the poll because the bulk of your votes actually come from the rural areas. Is that something you find actually gratifying, does that make some kind of statement to you?
Sonia Gandhi - Yes I think I do feel gratified. I have travelled so much in the countryside, in remote areas, and I do feel for the common man.
Barkha Dutt - Just want to congratulate you again and any last words for our viewers for the ordinary Indian who is listening? On a rare opportunity that we get to talk to you, we hope this opportunity isn't so rare in future, but is there something you'd like to say to our viewers -the ordinary Indians?
Sonia Gandhi - Well, since we are very close to the end of the year, I would like to wish you all a Happy New Year and the New Year may bring them whatever that they wish for, something special that they wish for.
Barkha Dutt - Thank you and many congratulations
Sonia Gandhi - Thank you. |
