IndiaPost.com - Vasundhara Raje wins UN award

India Post News Service

NEW YORK: Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje received the prestigious "Women Together Award" at the United Nations headquarters in New York on May 14. The honor was in recognition of her pioneering initiatives among the weavers of Kota Doria saris, quintessentially woven by the rural women of Rajasthan. Raje, who made a statement by wearing a Kota Doria sari on the occasion, was honored for her "understanding compassion of the miseries of the citizens of Rajasthan as well as her long-lasting dedication to social causes".

Raje shared the limelight for this year’s award with Nobel laureates Shirin Ebadi and Wangari Maathai, artiste Yoko Ono and other luminaries in the fields of arts, entertainment, media and academics. Among earlier recipients of the Women Together Award are Melinda Gates and Senator Hillary Clinton. At an event organized by the Indian Consulate and the Rajasthan Association of North America (RANA) at the Consulate in New York the following day, Raje said that upon receiving news of her winning the award, she went to meet the women weavers in Bikaner where the Kota Doria saris are made to tell them that "the award belonged to them" and that she would wear the sari to proudly showcase their craftsmanship to the world.

Raje had initiated what she called "Fashion for Development" with help from internationally renowned designer Bibi Russel, to bring the talent of the local women weavers onto the world stage. Having set up the development initiative, Raje said, she thought the best way to advertise the product was to wear it. However, when at a fashion show, Raje herself walked the ramp wearing a Kota Doria, she was roundly criticized by her political opponents as well as her own party members. "In India we need to change mindsets. I thought, the best way to advertise this product, was to wear it," she said. "So I walked the ramp, which everyone, including the media portrayed as a cheap thing to have done. But today, I know, what I did broke mindsets, and I am glad I hung in there."

Raje said she focused on the promotion of small industries in the state rather than on tourism because, "promotion of tourism comes naturally to me and I do not have to take extra efforts for it. So I took on something that was challenging." Commending the Rajasthani community in the US for their achievements, Raje said, "If you deal with issues back home with as much passion and tenacity as you have done outside India, we can make it happen in India too."

Raje had held several one-to-one meetings with members of RANA in New York to discuss their participation in Rajasthan development. Stating that she was working towards bringing Rajasthan among the frontline states in India, Raje said several developmental projects that are in the pipeline will hopefully be finished in the next 4-5 months. "It is now time for the government to step back and be supportive of private talent to flourish," she said.

Several members of RANA who spoke on the occasion heaped praises on the Chief Minister for her achievement, and symbolizing the quintessential Rajasthani woman. Among the speakers were K.K. Mehta, President of RANA; Ajay Lodha, Rajasthan Investment Coordinator; S.P.C. Bhandari, Ex-faculty of Stanford University; Dr. Shashi Shah of RAJMAI, and Ashok Kumar Sancheti, member of Jaipur jewelry Community and Rajiv Garg, who coordinates Investment opportunities of Rajasthan.