SUSHMA SWARAJ, the 56-year-old charismatic Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader known for her gift of the gab, is the machine gun-mouth of the political outfit.
She was earlier a lawyer in the Supreme Court and later went on to become the youngest cabinet minister of the country at the age of 25 years.
When Swaraj is not spending time with her 25-year-old daughter Bansuri and dog Rakshak, she curls up with the Bhagavad-Gita, she told this writer when he met her way back in 2000. Here are a few excerpts from the brief tete a tete…
What are you reading these days?
One Hindi and one English book.
What’s the title?
Saga of Hinduism.
Are you rediscovering Hinduism?
No. It’s about the resurgence of Hinduism. It’s very readable. The other book I am reading is Dragon Fire by Humphrey Hawksley (It’s about how China considers the democratic Indian model as the biggest threat to its nationhood and talks about the Indian retaliation against China’s Operation DragonFire).
Have your reading tastes changed over time?
Not really. I read fiction, poetry…
Which is the book that has influenced you most?
The complete works of Swami Vivekananda and… The Bhagavad-Gita that I read every day.
Which is your favourite bookshop?
Take Sons in Delhi.
Who are your favourite authors?
Ram Hari Singh Dinakar in Hindi and Vikram Seth in English.