No one can say that Narendra Modi is against minorities: Najma Heptullah

Excerpts from an interview with Najma Heptullah, Governor of Manipur by Jagdeesh Chandra, CEO, DNA and Regional News Channels in 'A dialogue with JC'

How did you come into politics?

I had no intentions of joining politics. The turning point in my life came when an educated youngster came to me. I thought that he should get a job and so I met Indira Gandhi. I floated the idea that the government should start a project with doctors, engineers and agricultural experts who would work at the district level with educated youth. Indiraji liked my idea very much and so they sent me to Haqsad Sahab. I am very thankful to Mr Haqsad for doing this. He said, "Young lady, you should sell your idea to the politicians." I said, "I am not going to sell anything to anyone. If this is it, I will become one (a politician)." That is how I stepped into politics and, in 1980, to the Rajya Sabha. Right from the beginning, I started working at the grassroots level and this has always been my focus.

All throughout your life, you have been associated with the Congress, but now you joined the BJP. Why so?

Sometimes, certain circumstances come up in life where you have to think and take decisions. I had differences with the Congress on certain issues. Then I thought and came to a conclusion that I should go to a place where I would be respected and the BJP was such a party. It allowed me to work and I am very happy here. Otherwise, I was Deputy Chairman for 17 years. However, I had no objection to this because I was made the President of the IPU. I was the first woman to be made the President in the 115-year history of the IPU. Those who want to work can do so in any environment. No one can stop them.

How and when did you meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi?

Narendra Modiji told me that he had seen me when I was the Deputy Chairman and had to meet Rajiv Gandhi. Vaghela, accompanied with Modiji, had also come there to extend an invitation for his daughter's marriage. The next time I spoke to him was during the Gujarat earthquake. I had collected Rs 31 crore from the Rajya Sabha MPs. We went to Gujarat during the peak of summer. The then Chief Minister Keshubhai Patel had arranged for cold drinks and snacks for us, but I refused to drink even a drop of it. I told him that I had seen how the quake-affected kids were trying to drink water from the tankers using their hands. I told him that in such a situation, I cannot have anything. Modiji had seen this then. The third time I shared the stage with him was during a newspaper programme in Surat.

Nowadays, people throughout the world and in the country are talking about Modi. As a citizen, how do you rate the Prime Minister?

There have been several good PMs in this country. But Narendra Modi is working at the grassroots level, which is very important. I like his work because he has divided responsibility and also takes account of the responsibility entrusted on the person concerned. When I had joined, the mood was against Modiji. People said that the Minority Ministry would be abolished. I told him that in 2014, I got to know that I am from the minority community. I consider myself to be an Indian and I have always been working for women. But I never differentiated between people on terms of minority or majority, I did that on the basis of rich and poor. Modiji has the same thinking. He says, "Sabka saath, sabka vikas (development for all)," which impresses me a lot. There is no discrimination on the basis of caste, creed, religion or gender.

What is the reason that the gap between Modiji and the minority communities has not been filled up. A lot has been done, but there is still a lot of gap...

The atmosphere was worse when I had taken over. Two years ago, I was made the Governor. Now the atmosphere is calm. Nobody is putting allegations on Narendra Modi that he is against the minority community. Someone told me that Modiji is interfering in the triple talaq matter. So I countered him by saying that if on one hand you say that both Modiji and the RSS are against the minority, why then do you raise objections when he is speaking for the rights of Muslim women? Narendra Modi wants development for all, which is the reason why he cannot tolerate the injustice taking place with 50 per cent of the population of a particular community.

Some say that the issue of triple talaq was raised just before the UP elections so that the BJP can win Muslim women's votes. Did you feel anything like that?

Muslim women have voted for the BJP. I have congratulated their fathers and husbands and told them that the women, who have struggled all throughout their lives, would now get their rights. I would also rather congratulate the men instead of the women. I would like to know how many men have come out and said that women are ill-treated because of triple talaq. Atrocities on women in the name of Shariyat have been stopped in Pakistan and Bangladesh. These countries have also banned triple talaq. Some people are arguing that it is a 1,400-year long tradition. I would like to tell them that the times have changed and you are not staying in the olden days anymore. If something has been wrong for the last 1,400 years, shouldn't it be changed?

You are the Governor of Manipur. It is said that you invited the BJP to form the government and not the party with majority. What do you have to say on this?

Nobody has said this. The party that proved its majority has formed the government and it is stable. In November last year, there was a blockade. I held several meetings and conferences at the Raj Bhavan. Now that development work is on the right track. I am satisfied.

There are talks that you are working as if you are the Chief Minister...

I am helping the people and not creating a leadership space for myself. So there is no dispute or conflict with anyone, including the CM.