Maneka Gandhi



Maneka Gandhi (born 26 August 1956) is an Indian politician belonging to the Bharatiya Janata Party and an animal rights activist. She was appointed the Minister of Women and Child Development on 26 May 2014.

1980s

 * I have not done anything to merit being thrown out. I don't understand why I am being attacked and held personally responsible. I am more loyal to my mother-in-law than even to my mother.
 * On being driven away by her mother-in-law Indira Gandhi, as quoted in "Son's Widow Quits Gandhi Household", The New York Times (31 March 1982)


 * Three years ago, I came to you as a bride. Today, I come as a widow who, with a small child, was thrown out of her mother-in-law's house.
 * During an election campaign speech in Amethi, as quoted in Mrs. "Gandhi's feisty daughter-in-law: more than a political nuisance?", The Christian Science Monitor (6 April 1983)


 * I mean, winning an election is no big deal. It's what you do with the power afterward that matters. And, well, for me anyway, it's proving you can do something entirely on your own, entirely your own way and for a commitment that is larger than yourself.
 * After being elected in 1989, as quoted in Gandhi Family Rebel Charts a New Role in India's Politics, Los Angeles Times (1 December 1989)

1990s

 * In India, no power plant runs beyond 58 per cent of its capacity. I believe instead of making yet another plant which is really disastrous, what you should do first is to go in for conservation - that is increase your 58 per cent to 90 per cent. Your power problem would be solved right there.
 * On Indian power plants, as quoted in "'We have to stop this Amethi-ising of the entire country, says Maneka Gandhi", India Today (15 May 1990)


 * Has prostitution come to an end because of warnings against it?
 * On the effectiveness of anti-smoking ads, as quoted in "One-woman army", India Today (15 May 1990)


 * For many years, the country has believed these pesticides are vital to keeping away starvation, to advance the green revolution. The main concern was food production and disease control - not public health safety. Some of us believe this must change, but it . . . will take some time.
 * Commenting on a pesticide-poisoning incident, "Where Toxic Pesticides Seep Into Everyday Life", The Philadelphia Inquirer (23 September 1990)


 * The movement I have initiated against the entry of junk food has already resulted in the reduction of sales of KFC in Bangalore to a record low.
 * On her campaign against junk food, as quoted in "Kfc Branded "Poison" In India", Chicago Tribune (30 October 1995)


 * Whether they serve lamb or vegetable burgers is irrelevant. McDonald's is the largest killer of cows in the world.
 * Commenting on McDonald's lamb burger in India, as quoted in "To Curry Favor in India Debut, McDonald's Sells Maharaja Macs", The Christian Science Monitor (17 October 1996)


 * Among a certain class this winter, there wasn't a party in Delhi that didn't have cocaine.
 * On Delhi's drug problem, as quoted in "New Kicks on The Block", India Today (5 April 1999)

2000s

 * It is so naturally high in fat that it leads to obesity, the cause of all modern disease. Ayurveda actually lists milk as one of the five white poisons.
 * On drinking milk, as quoted in "Ayurveda actually lists milk as one of the five white poisons", Rediff (12 April 2000)


 * One problem is the destruction of the habitat, and the second is this constant catching of elephants for training, for tourism or logging. And this training that we are doing is the most brutal, primitive and stupid in the whole world.
 * On captive elephants, as quoted in "Indian minister's elephant alert", BBC (6 June 2000)


 * If men get injured, it is another reason to ban jallikattu. Anyway, it is not a sport, but a torture to make the animal do an unnatural act. This is being practiced by a bunch of drunken youngsters.
 * On banning Jallikattu, as quoted in "A solitary Maneka fights ‘jallikattu’", DNA India (14 November 2005)


 * Can we afford to let Laloo, whose knowledge of anything except caste structures is non-existent, damage the rural economy further? The long-suffering railway ministry, which has by now lost its ability to resist any absurd decision by any of their ministers, has agreed to budget Rs 250 crore a year to buy kulhars. While all that money comes from your pocket, where will it actually go?
 * Criticising Railway Minister Lalu Prasad's plan to introduce disposable clay-cups or kulhars to serve tea in trains, as quoted in "Clay-Pot Dictator!", Outlook India (28 June 2004)


 * If there are 500 tigers left in India, I'd be surprised. They are even skinning the tigers in Indian zoos.
 * On poaching of tigers in India, as quoted in "Hunting down the hunter: A dying breed", The Independent (12 April 2006)


 * In all cases that have been investigated, the only time a state government gives permission for nilgai and wild boar shooting is when it is requested by vips, hotel and tourism people or friends of politicians.
 * Criticising Punjab state for giving hunting licences to VIPs, as quoted in "VIP Hunters Get Licence To Kill In Punjab", Tehelka (22 April 2006)


 * We are already into the crisis. It will accelerate in the next five years. There will come a time in the next 10 years when it will be irrelevant which party comes to power. The word democracy will be irrelevant when people rush to grab whatever available resources are left.
 * On global warming, as quoted in "Maneka Gandhi on India and global warming", Rediff (14 May 2007)


 * While I respect culture, this bull-killing ritual causes extreme suffering to an innocent creature and has no place in the modern world. Tradition is not an excuse for cruelty, and many societies have ended or are working to end ‘traditional’ practices—such as slavery, cannibalism, infanticide, female circumcision, foot-binding, bullfighting, and fox hunting—that cause animals or humans to suffer.
 * Letter on behalf of PETA Asia to Jacob Zuma, as quoted in "‘Tradition Is Not an Excuse for Cruelty’", PETA (6 November 2009)


 * Meat can no longer be protected as a personal choice. If your meat is going to destroy my health and our environment, you ought to have to pay for it.
 * On taxing meat-eaters, as quoted in "Interview: Maneka Gandhi", The Scavenger (21 November 2009)

2010s

 * On the positive side, at least we know now what to stock up with in case of a nuclear war. Also filmstars might consider injecting liquidized McD into their faces to halt the ageing process.
 * Supporting the claims that fast food is slow to decompose, as quoted in "Real foods spoil very quickly, fast foods not", The Bihar Times (27 October 2010)


 * Let me clarify at the outset that this decision to permit hunting of wild boars and blue bull in the wild is not taken for the sake of farmers, but to benefit those private forest lodge operators who have clients from Middle East and other countries.
 * Criticising Madhya Pradesh government's move to simply hunting rules, as quoted in "Maneka miffed with MP govt's move to simplify hunting rules", First Post (20 January 2012)


 * When I was studying in Bangalore, temperature would be around 21 degree and now it is 31 degree. The drastic increase in the level of temperature is due to industrialisation.
 * On global warming, as quoted in "Nature abuse leading to global warming: Maneka Gandhi", Deccan Herald (28 April 2012)


 * Just see how well the Jains and the Marwaris do in life. It cannot be a co-incidence that they are so well educated and affluent. It is because of their way of life which involves least harm to a living being.
 * On vegetarian communities like Jains and Marwaris, as quoted in "Being vegetarian is the only way to save the planet: Maneka Gandhi", The Times of India (20 April 2013)


 * We are changing the law and I am personally working on it to bring 16-year-olds into the purview. According to the police, 50 per cent of the crimes are committed by 16-year-olds who know the Juvenile Justice Act. But now for premeditated murder, rape, if we bring them into the purview of the adult world, then it will scare them.
 * On the Juvenile Justice Act, as quoted in "Juveniles who commit rape should be tried as adults: Maneka Gandhi", IBNLive (14 July 2014)


 * Money through trade of slaughtered animals goes into terrorism, therefore goes into killing us, why are we allowing this?
 * On India's beef exports, as quoted in "Funds from cow slaughter racket being pumped into terror: Maneka Gandhi", The Times of India (15 September 2014)


 * It is a win-win situation for us — no harm to janitors by way of daily exposure to chemicals, and cows will be valued more.
 * On the use of gomutra as a floor cleaner, as quoted in "Holy cow! Government offices may soon be cleaned using liquid made from bovine urine", The Economic Times (9 January 2015)


 * You have 2,000 girls who are killed in the womb every day. Some are born and have pillows on their faces choking them.
 * On female foeticide and female infanticide, as quoted in "Indian minister says 2,000 girls 'killed' every day", Reuters (21 April 2015)