Jashodaben

Jashodaben Narendrabhai Modi[1]

Jashodaben

Portrait of Jashodaben
Spouse of the Prime Minister of India
Assumed office
26 May 2014
Preceded by Gursharan Kaur
Spouse of the Chief Minister of Gujarat
In office
11 October 2001 – 22 May 2014
Preceded by Leela Patel
Succeeded by Mafat Lal Patel
Personal details
Born 1952 (age 63–64)[2]
Brahamanwada, Gujarat, India
Nationality Indian
Spouse(s) Narendra Modi (m. 1968)[3]
Occupation Teacher (retired)
Religion Hinduism

Jashodaben Narendrabhai Modi (born 1952) is the wife of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Their traditional marriage was arranged in Vadnagar by their families when they were children. The couple married in 1968 when Narendra Modi was 18[3] and Jashodaben was 16.[2] Shortly thereafter Narendra Modi ceased living with Jashodaben, traveling for three years to practice Sannyasa, going into business with his uncle, and later pursuing public office.[4] He did not officially acknowledge this marriage until 2014 during his campaign. Jashodaben continues to identify as the wife of Narendra Modi. She completed her education and had a career as a teacher.[5]

Retired from teaching, Jashodaben lives a simple life of prayer.[6] As the spouse of the prime minister, she is protected by a security detail, but has been unable to learn what their orders are or what rights she has in this position, despite filing suits with the government.[7] Indian media and commentators have discussed the controversial circumstances of this marriage within the context of relations between men and women in society.

Early life, marriage, and career

Jashodaben was born in 1952.[2] Her mother died when she was two years old.[2]

Narendra Modi and Jashodaben had an arranged marriage in the custom of the Ghanchi caste of Vadnagar.[4] Around age three or four they were engaged.[4] Around age thirteen they had shaadi, which is the wedding of marriages in India.[4] In 1968, Narendra and Jashodaben married.[3] Narendra Modi was 18 years old and Jashodaben was approximately 16.[4] They began gauna by living together briefly.[4]

Shortly after this time, Modi separated from his wife and began wandering in the Himalayas practicing Sannyasa.[4] Jashodaben stayed at Modi's family's home for a few months.[3] She resumed school after her marriage.[8] Two years later her father died.[2] She continued her studies and received her Secondary School Certificate in 1972.[8]

After three years of being out of contact with all who knew him, Modi returned home and contacted his family.[4] He made plans to go to Ahmedabad to work at his uncle's canteen without Jashodaben.[4] Before he left, his mother arranged for Jashodaben's parents to send her to meet Modi to sustain the gauna.[4] After Jashodaben arrived at the house of Modi's family, Modi had an argument with his parents and left their home to meet his uncle as planned.[4] Over the three-year period around the marriage, Jashodaben estimates that she spent about three months with her husband.[2] After Modi left, he continued with his professional life.[4]

Jashodaben studied further to become a teacher at primary school, and from 1978–1990 taught in Banaskantha district.[8] In 1991 she moved to Rajosana village and remains there.[8] She is retired and her pension is ₹14000 (US$210) per month.[2] One commentator said that her low salary would have made much of life a hardship for her.[3] In talking about her relationship with Modi, in one interview Jashodaben said "We have never been in touch... There has been no communication from his end to this day."[2] In a later interview Jashodaben said that until 1987 she and Modi spoke "normally".[9] Jashodaben lives with her brother Ashok and his wife in Unjha.[3] She lives a simple life of prayer, waking at 5 am and praying at home before leaving for the temple.[6]

Marriage enters public view

In the Indian general election, 2014, Modi contested the Vadodara seat of the Parliament of India.[10] Under the Representation of the People Act, Modi was asked to declare any previous marriage. In his response, for the first time in public and media, Modi acknowledged that he had a wife.[10] Previously Modi had often said that he would evade corruption in India because he did not have a wife and family.[10] Previously Modi had not responded to official documents asking about a spouse.[11]

Somabhai Modi, Modi's brother, issued a statement saying that the arranged child marriage had been forced on Modi by his family.[12] He said that the marriage was never consummated, and that Modi left it soon after it was solemnized.[12] Inspired by the teachings of Vivekananda, Modi later worked for society.[12]

Before Modi officially acknowledged his marriage, a group of activists and security professionals visited Jashodaben at her home.[3] They offered to escort her on the Char Dham pilgrimage, which was a trip which she had long wanted to take.[3] During the trip they took her to the Rishikesh ashram of the Ramdev, a yoga guru, where she stayed around the middle of April.[3] Journalists sought Jashodaben for comment at the news of the marriage, but her family told them that she would return home in May.[3]

To contest the election, Modi's political opponents criticized his evasions of facts about his marriage on official documents. An Aam Aadmi Party member sought criminal charges against Modi for having failed to acknowledge his legal wife.[13] In summer 2014, Congress party politician Ajay Rai filed a lawsuit to be heard by the Allahabad High Court complaining, among other things, that Modi did not give the permanent account number of Jashodaben.[14]

Political actions and present life

In 1992, Jashodaben refused to be interviewed by the newspaper Abhiyan when that publication presented a story on the marriage of her and Modi.[12] In 2009, a reporter for OPEN found Jashodaben in her village and asked her some questions.[8] In 2014, a reporter for The Indian Express interviewed her.[2] In May 2014, TV9 Gujarat video interviewed her.[9] In December 2014, a writer for Dawn News said that not many newspapers have had the courage to report the troubles which Jashodaben has experienced.[15]

Jashodaben said that she was not invited to the swearing-in ceremony of Narendra Modi, but had she been invited, she would have gone.[9] She said that she still had emotions for Modi and was pleased that he acknowledged her as wife on his legal documents in contesting the election.[9] She said that she plans to meet him again at the right time.[9]

In June 2014, at what has been described as "her first public event", Jashodaben attended the public funeral of politician Gopinath Munde.[16] In November 2014, she made her first trip to Mumbai where she prayed for her husband at the Mahalakshmi Temple and the Siddhivinayak Temple.[17]

In February 2015, Jashodaben hosted some Christian missionaries who invited her to convert to Christianity.[18][19] In June 2015, Jashodaben was scheduled to speak at a conference on politics organized by supporters of Modi.[20] Event organizers report that the conference was shut down on day 2 of the week-long program on the direction of BJP leader Amit Shah and others.[20] No reason was giving for cancelling the conference, but people in attendance attributed Jashodaben's presence as the cause.[20]

In November 2015, Jashodaben applied for a passport in order to visit relatives and friends overseas. As she was unable to produce a marriage certificate or a joint affidavit from her husband, the application was rejected by the regional passport office as "incomplete." Her brother Ashok said a legal option was being considered.[21]

Request for information on security detail

I am surrounded by five security guards all the time. Often my relatives or I have to cook for them, my sister-in-law has to make their beds. This is a bit annoying... You see, it gets really chaotic when I have to travel, because I use public transport and the guards are following me in an air-conditioned car.

Jashodaben, to Reuters, November 2014[22]

From May 2014, police from the Mehsana district began providing continual police protection for Jashodaben.[23] The security agent team following her was assigned as a response to the Special Protection Group Act, which says that the spouse of the Prime Minister of India should receive police protection.[24] The Salaries and Allowances of Ministers' Act describes other benefits which are typically given to spouses of prime ministers.[24]

In November 2014, Jashodaben filed a Right to Information Act (RTI) request seeking details about her security and rights as the spouse of the prime minister.[25][26] She reported that she was "very scared" of them and asked for copies of the orders they were following.[27] Various media organizations in India reported the RTI in different ways, including emphasizing Jashodaben's fear, the financial implications of her complaint, the guards' demands to be treated as guests, or the case as an example of female independence.[22] Jashodaben has said that her security details suggest she refrain from talking with the media.[28] The Gulf News reported that her security guards are primarily with her to conduct surveillance on her.[28] Jashodaben's family has complained that her guards do not keep any identity cards, refuse to identify themselves, and refuse to name the person or office supervising them.[1]

In December, the Intelligence Bureau denied her request for information about orders, saying that the law has an exemption which applies in this case.[26] Jashodaben uses the name "Jashodaben Narendrabahi Modi", which is her married name.[1] The letter was addressed to "Jashodaben, daughter of (her father)".[29] At the end of December 2014, Jashodaben filed an appeal to the refusal.[30] In addition to the appeal, Jashodaben complained that the government officers changed her name from "Jashodaben Narendrabhai Modi" to her maiden name "Jashodaben Chimanlal Modi".[30] Doordarshan, India's public television broadcaster, presented Jashodaben on television 1 January 2015 to hear her comments on the issue.[31][32] As a result of this broadcast, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting chastised staff at Doordashan and transferred the director of the broadcast from Ahmedabad to Port Blair 2500 km away.[31][32] On 6 February Jashodaben's request was again denied, and again addressed to "Jashodaben, Chimanlal Modi's daughter".[33]

In May 2015, Jashodaben filed a third request for the information about the security detail and their orders.[7] She also complained that she had completed the forms using her legal name, "Jashodaben Narendrabhai Modi", but the government office replied to her using her maiden name.[1] In response to the filing, a government representative said, "If they are still not satisfied by the information given by the first appellate authority, they can file the second appeal at the Gujarat Information Commission."[1] In response to the RTI request, commentator on women's issues Shobhaa De called Jashodaben a "superhero" and "plucky", and said that her actions were "bold, blunt, and to the point".[34]

Jashodaben as a representative of Indian women

Jashodaben wears a mangala sutra necklace and sindoor in her hair, which are traditional signs that a woman is married.[34] The elements of the marriage and long estrangement between Jashodaben and Modi has started discussions and awareness about the relationships between men and women in India, as Jashodaben is not the first wife in a traditional marriage to have been abandoned by a politician husband.[35]

Narendra Modi's sister has called Jashodaban a "true Indian woman".[35] In rural India, Jashodaben is seen as the ideal Indian woman because she remains devoted to her husband after almost 50 years of separation.[35] A commentator compared her to Yasodharā, wife of Gautama Buddha, and to Ratanawali, wife of Tulsidas, whose husbands became great religious leaders after renouncing their marriages.[36] She has also been compared to Savitri, Sita, and Shakuntala, prominent women from Hindu tradition who embodied "self-sacrifice and suffering (as) the characteristics of the Indian womanhood, a noble heritage that is handed down through the ages."[36]

Jashodaben receives a lot of fan mail.[37] One person said that "Crores of girls in India take inspiration from her".[37] Religious organizations have praised her with comparison to Suvarchala, the wife of Hanuman in Brahmacharya, who did not oppose him when he sought to renounce his marriage.[37]

A writer for Dawn News said that the marriage of Jashodaben and Modi was "a legal and public issue, not a private one between spouses." He compared the issue of wife's rights in this case to those in the Shah Bano legal case.[15]

The separation of Jashodaben and Modi has been discussed in the context of a broader trend in India that politicians may have more success if they are known for not having ties to a spouse.[35] The RSS, which gives Modi political support, values celibacy in its senior leadership.[35] The powerful women leaders Mayawati, Jayalalitha, and Mamata Banerjee, all are respected more in India for not having a spouse, but that reflects on different ideas about women's responsibilities.[35] Sonia Gandhi gained respect for not remarrying after the death of her husband; some observers believe that the widow would have lost respect politically had she remarried.[35] Such cases may have contributed to Modi's thinking in leaving Jashodaben.[35]

Tarun Gogoi, Chief Minister of Assam and a member of the Indian National Congress in opposition to Modi's BJP, sarcastically[38] suggested that Jashodaben be awarded the Nobel Prize. Bharat Ratna said that "she is a symbol of great Indian womanhood and sacrifice".[39] He was indirectly attacking Modi and trying to describe the circumstances of the abandoned wife as a human rights issue.[40] MP Sakshi Maharaj said that Jashodaben's religious practices contributed to Modi's political success.[41] Gurudas Kamat[42] said that Modi's treatment of his estranged wife was unfair to her.

One media source suggested leaving Jashodaben out of the media eye for her own well being.[5]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Express News Service (May 3, 2015). "Jashodaben moves State Information Commission with fresh RTI". The Indian Express. Retrieved 6 May 2015.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Ajay, Lakshmi (1 February 2014). "'I like to read about him (Modi)... I know he will become PM'". The Indian Express. Retrieved 26 September 2014.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Oza, Nandini; Bhattacherjee, Kallol (22 April 2014), "THE FORGOTTEN HALF", week.manoramaonline.com (Malayala Manorama), archived from the original on 23 June 2015
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Jose, Vinod K (1 March 2012). "The Emperor Uncrowned". The Caravan. Retrieved 26 September 2014.
  5. 1 2 Lakshmi Chaudhry (Apr 11, 2014). "Fantasies of Jashodaben: Leave Narendra Modi's wife alone". CNN IBN7 firstpost. Retrieved 27 September 2014.
  6. 1 2 Gowen, Annie (25 January 2015). "Abandoned as a child bride, wife of Narendra Modi hopes he calls". The Washington Post (Washington, DC: WPC). ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 20 May 2015.
  7. 1 2 Desai, Darshan (3 May 2015). "PM Modi's wife Jashodaben hopes to get 3rd time lucky with RTI". India Today. Retrieved 8 May 2015.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 Deshpande, Haima (11 April 2009). "I am Narendra Modi’s Wife". OPEN. Retrieved 26 September 2014.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 (interviewer's name not in English) (23 May 2014). "Exclusive : Narendra Modi's wife Jashodaben in conversation with Tv9". TV9 (Gujarati). Retrieved 27 September 2014. Tv9 Gujarati
  10. 1 2 3 Taylor, Adam (10 April 2014). "Why did Narendra Modi keep his wife secret for almost 50 years?". The Washington Post (Washington, DC: WPC). ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 26 September 2014.
  11. ↑ staff (10 April 2014). "India election: BJP 'bachelor' Modi admits marriage". bbc.com. Retrieved 10 November 2014.
  12. 1 2 3 4 Mahurkar, Uday (10 April 2014). "Revealed: Why Narendra Modi walked out of his marriage with Jashodaben". India Today. Retrieved 26 September 2014.
  13. ↑ Khan, Saeed (15 October 2014). "Modi's defective affidavit issue reaches high court – The Times of India". indiatimes.com. Retrieved 7 November 2014.
  14. ↑ staff writer (31 October 2014). "Allahabad HC gives 6 weeks' time to PM Narendra Modi to file statement on election petition". indiatimes.com. Retrieved 7 November 2014.
  15. 1 2 Naqvi, Jawed (30 December 2014). "New Year resolve for Jashodaben". Dawn News. Retrieved 12 May 2015.
  16. ↑ Ajay, Lakshmi (11 June 2014). "Modi's wife Jashodaben attends condolence meeting for Gopinath Munde". indianexpress.com. Retrieved 7 November 2014.
  17. ↑ staff (21 November 2014). "Jashodaben prays at Mumbai temples for PM Modi". The Times of India. Retrieved 12 May 2015.
  18. ↑ staff (6 February 2015). "s peter paul meet with jasodaben. किसने कहा, 'जशोदाबेन की प्रार्थनाओं से पीएम बने मोदी'". Amar Ujala. Retrieved 23 April 2015.
  19. ↑ staff (February 6, 2015). "Christian missionary meets Jashodaben to heal her, Hindu groups are busy being stupid". opindia.com. Retrieved 23 April 2015.
  20. 1 2 3 Rawat, Basant (12 June 2015). "She who BJP can't stomach". telegraphindia.com. Retrieved 17 June 2015.
  21. ↑ "No passport for PM's spouse, as she has no marriage certificate". The Hindu. 7 November 2015.
  22. 1 2 Burke, Jason (26 November 2014). "Jashodaben Modi: why is the Indian prime minister's wife trying to shake off her security detail?". theguardian.com. Retrieved 8 May 2015.
  23. ↑ Press Trust of India (30 May 2014). "PM Narendra Modi’s wife Jashodaben given police protection". indianexpress.com. Retrieved 26 September 2014.
  24. 1 2 Mookerji, Nivedita (26 November 2014). "Jashodaben's security cover to stay; the jury is out on rules for privileges". Business Standard. Retrieved 8 May 2015.
  25. ↑ staff (24 November 2014). "PM Modi's wife Jashodaben 'unhappy' over security cover, files RTI to seek details from government". The Times of India. Retrieved 5 May 2015.
  26. 1 2 Express News Service (11 February 2015). "Jashodaben denied info under RTI again". The Indian Express. Retrieved 20 May 2015.
  27. ↑ staff (25 November 2014). "Scared of her guards, PM Narendra Modi’s wife Jashodaben files RTI". indiatimes.com. Retrieved 8 May 2015.
  28. 1 2 Abdi, S.N.M. (19 December 2014). "Let Modi change his mindset towards women". gulfnews.com. Retrieved 11 May 2015.
  29. ↑ Trivedi, Mahesh (29 December 2014). "Modi's estranged wife fails to get details on security provided to her". Khaleej Times. Retrieved 12 May 2015.
  30. 1 2 staff (3 January 2015). "Denied information under RTI, Jashodaben files appeal". The Times of India. Retrieved 20 May 2015.
  31. 1 2 Raman, Anuradha (2 February 2015). "Interruption Regretted". Outlook. Retrieved 20 May 2015.
  32. 1 2 Venugopal, Vasudha (31 January 2015). "DD Gujarat official sent to Andamans for airing Jashodaben news – timesofindia-economictimes". indiatimes.com. Retrieved 20 May 2015.
  33. ↑ staff (11 February 2015). "Jashodaben denied info under RTI again". The Indian Express. Retrieved 20 May 2015.
  34. 1 2 De, Shobhaa (29 November 2014). "Jashodaben – The superhero". Ahmedabad Mirror. Retrieved 8 May 2015.
  35. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Dhillon, Amrit (22 April 2014). "Mr. Modi’s abandoned wife joins an alarming trend in Indian politics". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 27 September 2014.
  36. 1 2 Kanwal, Jogindar Singh (14 December 2014). "The story of Jashodaben". Fiji Times. Retrieved 11 May 2015.
  37. 1 2 3 Rana, Niyati; Choudhary, Chetna (7 December 2014). "To Jashodaben with love". ahmedabadmirror.com. Retrieved 8 May 2015.
  38. ↑ Vadukut, Sidin (15 April 2014). "What Narendra Modi’s critics say and who is hogging the airtime". Live Mint. Retrieved 16 July 2015.
  39. ↑ Guwahati (13 April 2014). "Jashodaben should get Bharat Ratna for her sacrifice: Gogoi – The Hindu". thehindu.com. Retrieved 27 September 2014.
  40. ↑ Press Trust of India (13 April 2014). "Tarun Gogoi attacks Narendra Modi over ‘married’ status". indianexpress.com. Retrieved 27 September 2014.
  41. ↑ Akram, Maria (9 December 2014). "Sakshi Maharaj's ode to Modi's wife surprises crowd". indiatimes.com. Retrieved 11 May 2015.
  42. ↑ Tare, Kiran (28 January 2015). "Kamat Rakes up Row by Comparing Irani to Jashodaben". m.newindianexpress.com. Archived from the original on 18 June 2015. Retrieved 20 May 2015.

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