by Jaya Jaitly
It would have been beyond my imagination to think of writing a book around my life. After having written over eight books on crafts and textiles, hundreds of articles published in newspapers and journals, and some children’s stories, I thought I had gone well beyond my target of writing five books by the time I was sixty-five years old. This was part of a small personal pact with myself. I believe that books last on some shelf or the other forever, even if people make it a point to destroy any other visible contributions made during one’s lifetime. Institutions could die in spirit, policies could get overturned, development programs could be terminated, flourishing kingdoms can decay, and victorious battles could always be forgotten. But it is seldom that anyone would go through the trouble of destroying a person’s contributions to knowledge and ideas as embodied in writings in books. Some library or family member may dust them off occasionally, and their thoughts can live on.
When a newly-born online media house conducted two wholly unacceptable sting operations on my loved ones and me in the years 2000 and 2001, the stories went into labyrinthine coils of intrigue and complications. The daily occurrences around me were adding up to making two fine detective stories. Ranjana Sengupta, a long-time friend, editor and wife of an Indian diplomat urged me to write about them as part of my life. I was hesitant to make it about myself, but she insisted people would be interested to know how a woman from the southern part of India and an aristocratic background got mixed up in the caste politics of Bihar and in conversations with arms dealers. I began hesitantly, and soon, far too many circumstances overtook me.
Along came my old friend Kapish Mehra of Rupa Publications some years later. Many persuasive meetings later, he managed to get me to seriously resume my efforts. If it had not been for him breathing down my neck in the most polite, encouraging and gentlemanly manner you can imagine, the few early chapters I had written would never have progressed. Without the sweet natures and hours of dogged diligence of editors Shambhu Sahu and Rinita Banerjee, I would have been in serious doubt about wrapping it up.
I was never worried of writing what came from my heart and mind or of the outcomes of all my books on crafts and textiles, but this one makes me nervous. It is not easy to put one’s own life out there. I thank Rupa Publications entirely for having so much faith in me.
Jaya Jaitly
New Delhi, 2 October 2017
A late-1930 portrait of my grandfather Sir Vasudeva Rajah of Kollengode by Amrita Shergil.
My mother (left) with Begum Ghiasuddin, or Aunty Apa, as I called her, in the only photograph I have of hers. (New Delhi, India, 1945)
With my father, K. K. Chettur (New Delhi, India, 1946)
In ceremonial Japanese clothes with my mother Meenakshi Chettur (Tokyo, Japan, 1951)
In rural Saurashtra costume as part of a Government of India-sponsored fashion show. (New Delhi, India, 1957)
At a dance rehearsal of a chorus line before our graduation event at Smith College. (Northampton, Massachusetts, USA, 1963)
Celebrating Graduation Day at Smith College with our house mother, Ms Stillwagon. (Northampton, Massachusetts, USA, 1963)
Ready for a small ceremony in traditional Kerala attire on the morning of my wedding. (Bombay, India, 1965)
At my wedding reception—seated beside Ashok Jaitly, and surrounded by aunts, my niece and nephew from Kollengode. (Bombay, India, 1965)
George Fernandes and me drinking milk at a village on the way to Patna from Muzaffarpur on polling day, during the Lok Sabha elections of 1980.
In conversation with George Fernandes when the car had broken down while returning from Muzaffarpur to Patna—on polling day, during the Lok Sabha elections of 1980.
Explaining embroidery ideas to women. (Kutch, Gujarat, India, 1982)
Distributing relief kits to the 1984-riot victims. (New Delhi, India, early 1985)
Visiting our family home in Kollengode, Kerala, sometime in the early nineties
With George Fernandes for a conference on Tibet, and meetings with Japanese socialists and university students. (Kyoto, Japan, mid-nineties)
At the inauguration of the crafts bazaar arranged by the Dastkari Haat Samiti, on behalf of Delhi Tourism and the Ministry of Textiles, to announce the forthcoming Dilli Haat. (New Delhi, India, 1992)
At my son Akshay’s wedding with his bride Isabelle Faure Jaitly (in the white paper gown), my daughter Aditi and former husband Ashok. (Fecamp, Normandy, France, 1998)
The cover of The Week, in its issue dated 17 April 1994, carried this photograph of me protesting near Parliament against the government’s impending economic policies.
Photo courtesy: Arvind Jain, The Week
At an air force event with Defence Minister George Fernandes, Air Marshal Krishnaswamy (to his left), former MP Ajay Singh (extreme left), and George Sahib’s official assistant, Ashok Subramaniam (to my right). (Rajasthan, India, 1999)
With well-known Hollywood actor, Richard Gere—also a staunch Buddhist and a supporter of Tibet—during one of his visits to India. (New Delhi, India, 2000)
At daughter Aditi’s wedding with former cricketer Ajay Jadeja, at Kashmir House; here seen (from the left) with son Akshay, former husband Ashok, and my daughter-in-law, Isabelle (standing beside me). (New Delhi, India, 2001)
At a protest rally against the Taliban attack on women and the Bamiyan Buddha statues in Afghanistan, with George Fernandes, other Samata Party members and Tibetan activists on International Women’s Day. (New Delhi, India, 2001)
Displaying the crafts maps made by the Dastkari Haat Samiti to Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee (immediately to my left) and Finance Minister Yashwant Sinha (to my left and in front of me). (New Delhi, India, 2002)
With daughter Aditi at the annaprasham ceremony of grandson Aiman at the Guruvayur Temple. (Kerala, India, 2003)
Former President of India Dr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam (to my extreme right) releasing my book titled Vishvakarma’s Children, along with eminent classical dancer Leela Samson (centre). (New Delhi, India, 2001)
Celebrating Holi at the L.K. Advani-residence, with Mrs Yashwant Sinha, George Fernandes (centre) and others. (New Delhi, India, 2003)
Addressing anganwadi workers and helpers from across the country who regularly demanded regularization of their work at children’s day care centres. (New Delhi, India, 2005)
Celebrating the Dastkari Haat Samiti’s twentieth anniversary. George Fernandes is seated to my far left. (New Delhi, India, 2006)
With George Fernandes during his ayurvedic treatment at the Kalari Kovilakam that was refurbished as a health spa. (Kollengode, Kerala, India, 2006)
At the Dalai Lama’s residence with the Dalai Lama (to my left), George Fernandes (centre), Ajay Singh (to George Sahib’s left) and his wife Shiromani. (Dharamshala, India, 2009)
Being greeted by Governor Naval Kishore Sharma and Narendra Modi, after the latter took oath as Chief Minister of Gujarat for the third time. (Ahmedabad, India, 2007)
Photo courtesy: PTI
Showing the late Boutros Boutros-Ghali, former Secretary-General of the United Nations, the Akshara exhibition at UNESCO headquarters. (Paris, France, 2013)
Greeting L.K. Advani on his wedding anniversary. (New Delhi, India, 2014)
With Ashok, Akshay and Aditi at the wedding of Ashok’s step-daughter from his second marriage. Ashok Jaitly was ailing and passed away a few weeks later. (New Delhi, India, 2015)
Representative of election malpractices in Bihar during the 1990s—scans of systematically pre-stamped ballot papers that were brought to the notice of the Election Commission of India. The press was destroyed in a mysterious fire.
‘Jaya Jaitley’s charge against PM’, The Indian Express, 28 November 1990
‘Jadeja fixes a good match’, The Times of India, 22 June 2000
A cartoon of me in a newspaper advertisement for a particular brand of bread. It conveyed, albeit wrongly, that being Dilli Haat’s boss, I could decide what bread should be sold there. (The Indi
an Express, 4 December 2000)
‘Why Jaya didn’t make it to RS list’, Hindustan Times, 28 August 2003
A letter expressing my regret and sympathy over Justice Venkataswami’s resigning from heading the Inquiry Commission, 24 November 2002
Justice Venkataswami’s short and kind response to my letter, 27 November 2002
Sonia Gandhi’s letter to P. Chidambaram requesting that petitioners First Global not be meted out any ‘unfair and unjust treatment’, September 2004
Letter from directors of First Global to UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi requesting for a redressal of the constant ‘harassment’ by government agencies, September 2004
A letter written by George Fernandes to me during the election campaign in Bhagalpur. This is one of the numerous letters we wrote to each other over the period of 1985 to 1989.
George Fernandes’s request to the Lok Sabha Speaker to table the Justice Phukan Inquiry Commission report, December 2004
