Vandana Chavan

VANDANA CHAVAN

Vandana Chavan, an advocate by profession, was thrice elected as Councillor to the Pune Municipal Corporation from 1992 – 2007 and was Mayor of the City of Pune in the year 1997-98. She was elected to the Maharashtra Legislative Council in March 2010 and is presently Member of Parliament of India, Rajya Sabha since March 2012.

Mrs. Chavan has spearheaded several initiatives in the city of Pune targeting citizen’s participation, empowerment of women and sustainable development.

Under her leadership Pune made it possible to educate 44,000 women in just one year – no simple feat this. She is the pioneer in establishing marketing outlets for goods manufactured by women and the mentally and physically challenged, by the name SMILE (Savitri Marketing Institution for Ladies’ Empowerment) which is the first ever such platform, in the State of Maharashtra and in India – an initiative which has been recognized by the UN-HABITAT and has been included amongst the 10 case studies recorded in the “Register of Innovation” for Urban Poverty Alleviation published by the Government of India and INDP. SMILE has literally been instrumental in bringing a ‘smile’ on the faces of many beneficiaries from economically challenged backgrounds.

Mrs. Chavan is passionate about environmental issues and has delivered more than 500 presentations on Climate Change / Global Warming at colleges, corporates and several seminars through her initiative ALERT (Association for Leadership Education Research and Training). Ms. Chavan is also a member of the CLIMATE PROJECT – INDIA which has been initiated by the NOBEL Laureate AL Gore, Former Vice President of the USA.

A lot of leadership is a Private Journey of some hard hitting decision making. Do you agree?

I speak my heart out.

The core of my belief is what stands out and which I stick too.

My area of work that is politics and social work are interlinked to a democratic way of taking decisions. Like in organizations, a decision may be taken when the majority agrees to a point of view. However, when it does come to taking a stand, if I am convinced of the need for taking a strong decision then I will take it no matter the opposition.  It is my conviction and I have followed this from the time of being a new entrant to the field of politics or even today as the Chief of Pune city for my party. I believe that we are trustees of future generations and we are answerable to them. The decisions that we take today are bound to influence future generations.

Were there any important mentors or influencers in your life that lead you to your current position?

My father has been my biggest influencer. He has strongly influenced my thinking and the way of living my life. He was insistent about the phrase ‘ An empty mind is a devil’s workshop’. This is inbuilt in my system and DNA. So much so that all of my family (we are 3 sisters) and my mother have been productive throughout. If ever there comes a time when we have empty time in hands, we think of something new which will contribute for personal and public betterment.

His second most important teaching has been the value of self belief and conviction of your decisions. People will talk, they will opine and will judge based on their perceptions. But if YOU feel that what you are doing is correct then stick to it and pursue your path and goals with utmost sincerity. This is what I have followed throughout. This mentoring and firm foundation that my father gave is priceless. He taught us Fearlessness. I began my career as a Lawyer and was one of the only 2 women who handled criminal cases in the city at the time. I would also handle session’s cases which was normally handled by senior lawyers and was appointed as a Amicus Curiae (a person, not a party to the litigation, who volunteers or is invited by the court to give advice upon some matter pending before it.) This was free of cost service and this is Government’s responsibility to appoint capable lawyers. Though was a junior lawyer, was chosen to do the same. My father’s teachings during these experiences gave me strength to carry on strongly.

My school too has been a major influencer. I was a girl-guide and the schools would take us to Orphanages on Saturdays where we had to do actual work. We needed to work and raise money for building for example a swimming pool which needed to be built. That taught me that no work is small or menial. This firm foundation of being grounded was largely due to the culture that I imbibed in the school.

How do you think being a women impacts your leadership style?

Some people have still not come to terms that women do have a mind of their own and can actually give you decisions. This minuscule number can be troublesome. But Leadership from women is now acceptable.

What will be the biggest challenge generation behind you shall face? What will be your advise to them?

Generations to come will face lesser challenges. The next generation may not face same issues as us but might face entirely different set of problems. They will need to figure it out as we did. It is challenges and hurdles that provoke into thinking of solutions.

I see myself as an equal. I would rather think that irrespective of being a man or a woman, each person needs to cultivate the confidence that will propel them towards their goals instead of cribbing about being sidelined due to gender insensitivity.

In times of stress, what is it that gives you solace?

Painting, music, cleaning up the house, cleaning cupboards, gardening. These activities were my solace especially at the time when I was fighting that no construction should be allowed on the hill tops and hill slopes in the city. I was vehemently opposed for my stand from all quarters. At that time, issues of Green environment, global warming, ozone depletion etc. were not considered as major issues. I had consciously reached out to people to explain my stand, went and met editors of publications to create awareness about the construction issues for the hills and spoke to many organizations as well. The immense stress that I underwent at that time destroyed my mental peace and physical well being. In the end my stand was vindicated

A Woman anchor in your life you would dedicate this interview to.

My Mother. My anchor.

She has been a great role model. Having studied Law after being a homemaker for 14 years and then going on to teach law at law college. She is a perfectionist in every aspect of her life. Be it her teaching, being an equal care giver to her mother along with her sister, looking after all of us …she is an exceptional women. Her zest for life is beautiful. At this age (80+ years) she is an independent soul who zips around in her car. Her hospitality is legendary and her eye for detail intimidating!

My parents have had huge influence on me. I was not even remotely associated to politics and neither was my family background. It was my father who guided me during my entry into politics and with the able support of my husband, I have completed 25 years of my life in social service and politics and will continue with the same dedication.