From being a tennis champion to a top police officer to a woman who fights selflessly for the greater good, 62-year-old social activist Kiran Bedi has stepped beyond the traditional role of the perfect wife and mother and set a benchmark of courage for women in a deeply patriarchal society. Never one to mince words, her fearless spirit has attracted awe and fear in equal measure from those in power (often men).
In recent times, she has seen the wrath of Parliament after her controversial, and rather animated ghoongat act, raising her voice agianst the hypocrisy of its members. While most people, clearly shocked, questioned her irresponsible behaviour as a public figure, she defends herself by saying that, "It was the frustration of the youth that I voiced that day."
The activism demonstrated by the youth in their movement against corruption, renews her belief that the people of this country are clear about what they want. "Now people are looking for value-based politics. Substance is coming back to centre-stage," she claims.
In October 2010, civil society activist, Arvind Kejriwal came to her and invited her to join the fight against corruption. First off, he wanted to expose the corruption in the CWG Organising Committee, and Bedi jumped in without any hesitation. "He came to me with evidence and asked me if we could file a first information report. And I thought, if we can file one for a small theft, why can't we do it when our country is being plundered," says the Delhi-based Bedi.