Maneka Gandhi is an Indian Politician and Animal Rights Activist. He is from BJP and Member of Parliament from Pilibhit, UP. Maneka is the founder of an organization, People For Animals; which is India’s largest organization for animal welfare and animal rights.
Wiki/Biography
Maneka Gandhi was born on Sunday, 26 August 1956 (age 67 years; in 2023) in New Delhi. His zodiac sign is Virgo. He did his schooling from Lawrence School, Sanwar, Himachal Pradesh; which is one of the best boarding schools in India.
Maneka Gandhi At School
She completed her graduation from Lady Sri Ram College for Women, New Delhi. He has studied German from Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. She participated in many beauty pageants and fashion shows when she was in college. This led to her interest in modeling, and she took several modeling assignments while she was in college.
Maneka Gandhi Participated in Many Beauty Pageants While in College
She got her first major modeling assignment when she was selected as a model for a Bombay Dyeing advertisement. He was widely appreciated for this advertisement. Sanjay Gandhi fell in love with her after seeing her in the ad.
Maneka Gandhi In Bombay Dyeing Advertisement
Physical appearance
Height (approx): 5′ 5″
Weight (approx): 65 kg
Eye Color: Black
Hair Color: Black
Maneka Gandhi
Family, Caste & Husband
Maneka Gandhi belongs to the Sikh Family. He was born to Lt. Col. Tarlochan Singh Anand and Amteshwar Anand. His father is in the Army, and his mother is the publisher of his magazine, Surya. He has an older sister, Ambika Shukla, who is an animal rights activist. Maneka is married to Sanjay Gandhi, the son of the former Prime Minister of India, Indira Gandhi.
Maneka Gandhi’s father Tarlochan Singh Anand
Maneka Gandhi Amteshwar Anand’s mother
Maneka Gandhi’s sister Ambika Shukla
Maneka Gandhi’s husband Sanjay Gandhi
Gandhi Family Tree
Career
Maneka Gandhi got involved in politics soon after her marriage to Sanjay Gandhi. She has campaigned and attended rallies with Sanjay, but, she has never contested or engaged in active politics. After her husband’s death, she was confident that she would get Sanjay’s position in the party, and she would take part in politics with Indira Gandhi, but, Rajiv Gandhi was brought into politics to replace Sanjay, much to Maneka’s surprise; because he felt cheated. After falling out with Indira Gandhi, he along with supporters of Sanjay Gandhi, founded a party called “Rashtriya Sanjay Manch” in 1983.
Maneka Gandhi Helped Sanjay In Political Campaign
His party contested the Andhra Pradesh state assembly elections and won 4 out of 5 seats. This was a huge achievement for him; because the party is relatively new. In 1984, he contested the Lok Sabha elections from Amethi against Rajiv Gandhi, but, he lost; because of the public sympathy he gained after the assassination of Indira Gandhi.
Maneka Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi
In 1988, he merged his party with The Janata Dal, and he was also appointed as its General Secretary. In 1999, he was elected to the Lok Sabha for the first time on a Janata Dal ticket. He was also appointed as Minister of State for the Ministry of Environment in the VP Singh Government. He contested the 1996 and 1998 Lok Sabha Elections as an independent candidate from Pilibhit and won. In 1999 he supported the BJP as an independent candidate and was appointed Union Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment in Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s Cabinet.
Maneka Gandhi With Atal Bihari Vajpayee
In 2004, she and her son Varun Gandhi joined the BJP. He contested the Lok Sabha Elections from Pilibhit Constituency, and he has been winning ever since. In 2014, she was inducted into the Narendra Modi Government as the Union Minister for Women and Child Development.
Maneka Gandhi Takes Oath as Union Minister for Women & Child Development
Controversy
- In 1982, Indira Gandhi forced Maneka to leave her home and lead a separate life. After Sanjay’s death in 1980, Maneka wanted to be in Sanjay’s place as she believed she should succeed her husband, but, Indira Gandhi brought Rajiv Gandhi into politics, which was a shock to Maneka. Maneka, along with Sanjay’s supporters, started a group called “Sanjay Vichar Manch”. They used to hold conventions and used to speak against the Gandhi Family. Indira Gandhi was furious about it. He confronts Maneka, and she accuses him of defaming her. This led to an argument following which, Maneka was asked to leave Indira’s house stating that she did not deserve to live there.
Maneka Gandhi Leaves Indira Gandhi’s House
- In 2014, before the Uttar Pradesh assembly elections, Maneka Gandhi approached the BJP leadership and pleaded with them to name her son, Varun Gandhi, as the Chief Ministerial Candidate of Uttar Pradesh. He discussed this openly, and he was criticized by many as desperate.
Maneka Gandhi With Varun Gandhi
- In 2019, he was served a show-cause notice by the Election Commission for the hate speech he gave during a rally in Sultanpur. He stated that if the Muslims in his area did not vote him into power, he would not help them get jobs. The statement was condemned by many, including his party, which distanced itself from the statement saying that it was not the party’s view.
Awards and Honors
- Lord Erskine Award from the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) in 1992
- Environment and Vegetarianism 1994
- Prani Mitra Award in 1996
- Dewaniben Charitable Trust Award, 1999
- Lifetime Achievement Award by Venu Menon Animal Allies Foundation, 1999
- Dinanath Mangeshkar Aadishakti Puraskar in the field of Environment and Animal Welfare, 2001
- Best Woman Award by International Women’s Association, 2001
- Rukmini Devi Arundale Animal Welfare Award, 2011
- Human Achiever Award in the field of Women Empowerment and Child Welfare by the Human Achiever Foundation, India
Facts
- She became known as the “Towel Girl” in the 1970s for her commercials for towels, with Bombay Dyeing.
Maneka Gandhi In Bombay Dye Ad
- He had started his magazine, Surya, in 1977. It was a political magazine that published articles and interviews of Indira Gandhi. This greatly helped the Congress and Indira Gandhi; because it swayed public opinion in their favor and ultimately helped Congress get re-elected in 1980.
- In 1989, he became the youngest member of parliament to be appointed as a Union Minister, at the age of 33.
- When his son, Varun Gandhi, was born, he was named after Sanjay’s father, Feroze. Later Indira Gandhi named him Varun. Varun’s official name is still Feroze Varun Gandhi.
- Her husband, Sanjay Gandhi, wanted to raise their children in the Zoroastrian religion.
- He is an avid animal lover. He has started his organization named “People For Animals” in 1992. It is the largest organization for animal rights and welfare in India, and he is also the chairman of the organization. His organization works with international organizations in the same field such as Humane Society International (HSI) and People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA).
Maneka Gandhi Works For People For Animals
Categories: Biography
Source: SCHOOL TRANG DAI
