It was the intricate walnut carvings and Buddhist paintings made by artistes in crowded bylanes of Kashmir that drew Jaya Jaitley closer to the world of Indian handicrafts.
Hailing from Kerala, Jaitley lived in Kashmir for 12 years and worked with local craftspeople to enhance their skills and earning capacity. “In the Valley, I observed the highly developed aesthetic sense of the local people. But they were stagnating and would chase and coax tourists to buy their products. I was fired with the dream of promoting the art and craft skills in India,” says the 68-year-old former politician and social activist.
Known as the pioneer of Indian’s handicraft movement, Jaya’s life too has meandered through highs and lows. She lost her father at the age of 13, but the harsh circumstances made her stronger. “My early childhood was spent in Japan, Belgium and Burma. I travelled the world with my father. His death shattered me. He was like a God to me. My mother took up a job as a social secretary to the US ambassador. From living in palatial mansions, we were reduced to a two-room quarter. Those were tough times — but we adjusted. I lost my teenage and learnt to face life’s challenges,” she recalls.
An alumnus of Miranda House and a graduate in English literature from Smith College, USA, Jaya says she never planned her life.
“I wanted to do something creative. I never thought I would be a politician. It was only my strong public service bent, which I got from my mother, and vast education from George Fernandes which encouraged me to take a step forward.”
After working on Indian craft since 1965, she gradually made her debut in politics in 1984. “I got involved with international issues concerning Tibet, Burma and Iraq. But the real catalyst was the attack on the Sikhs in 1984. I ran a camp for three months and later formed the Samata Party. I never believed in leadership. But I felt that as a responsible citizen, who cared about justice, I should be part of the system to change the system,” she asserts.
Things took a decisive turn when a chargesheet was filed against her in the Tehelka case in 2006. Being accused of bribery made her quit politics. “This blame crushed me completely. I was angry that people concocted such a story. The CBI case against me is still pending. But it made me emotionally stronger. I still go to Rohini court happily and stand there as a criminal. That’s another thing I do at this age,” she smiles, adding that she takes life as it comes. “Personally, I have no goals for myself. I am confident, but not aggressive. I believe in being true to both others and myself. A calm bent of mind and a balanced nature is what I aim at.”
Jaya conceptualised the popular Dilli Haat in 1994 in Delhi and the Dastakari Haat store in Khan Market in Delhi. Working with craftspeople for the past 23 years, Jaya says they are family now. “I’m working with the third generations of these artistes. I remember going to their houses in Gujarat and working there till late in the night. They used to prepare achaar and papad for me. My craft family is much bigger and more lovable them my own family,” she says.
Jaya is now working on her new Calligraphy project to make artistes learn the beauty of their local language. “Bengali and Telugu calligraphy looks really beautiful and can be used as motifs, carvings and embroidery. They can learn it and use it creatively. It’s an aesthetic move to make them understand the values of literacy,” she explains.
Writing is another of Jaya’s loves. She reflects, “Writing helps me discover my own thoughts better. It’s the best way to get things out of one’s system. I have already published five books. I am now writing an autobiography and two books on handicrafts.”
