"Democracy gives opportunities," said Renuka Chowdhury. "There I was, a married woman, expecting my second child. I became active in politics, and have now been a member of Parliament for 20 years. I got onto a roller coaster, full of thrills and ups and downs. Sometimes it allows you no control."
There speaks an Indian woman who sat tight on the roller coaster, kept her nerve and won through to become a minister of state. "What does it take to be a minister? It takes a lot of time, and honesty to yourself. You have to be able to be introspective," she said.
She is an imposing person, having the trappings of her office, the authority of her leadership capacities and the balance of her natural humility. "I represent people," she said. "Even when I get my hands slapped, I never forget that I do what I do for them." Lighting the ceremonial lamp for the presentation of an India evening in Tokyo, she was a dramatic figure in a red-bordered black-and-white sari.