A wedding in Berlin and an LV cake: India MP Mahua Moitra tells all

Mahua Moitra, two-time member of the Lok Sabha — who even her critics concede is bold and beautiful — recently got married to her long-time partner, former Biju Janata Dal Member of Parliament and Supreme Court lawyer, Pinaki Mishra.In the traditional highest echelons of Delhi, where senior officials, leaders, and extremely rich lawyers live behind carefully crafted facades and where appearances are everything, the marriage sent shockwaves. Perhaps because the couple looked so happy in their small Berlin wedding, and because Moitra and Mishra happily went public.Moitra always makes headlines and chuckles when I tell her that Delhi’s collective jaw hit the floor as the news came out — and people are still talking about the viral story, which trended across social media..Ex-Indian MP Mahua Moitra: We need to stand up for our country.The thing about Mahua is that she’s always candid. So here it is — her first interview after the wedding, including a jab at how they met. I’d say this is the first House (Parliament) marriage — a lifelong inter-party alliance.Gulf News: Mahua, let’s start by congratulating you and Pinaki Mishra, who clearly got very lucky finding a partner like you. Is he still checking it’s all real? Let him also answer, please. On a more serious note — in a deeply traditional, patriarchal society — you’ve given so many women hope, as despite being in one of the most traditional professions, you’ve lived life on your own terms, totally unapologetically. What makes Mahua tick?Mahua Moitra: I think I’m very sure of who I truly am and my inner core. So I genuinely don’t feel the need for approbation, least of all from a bunch of misogynistic losers most of the time.How did you meet Pinaki, and what made him the one? Especially since you guys had to fight to be together and then get married?We knew of each other and had participated in TV debates together but got to know each other in the last Parliament, the 17th Lok Sabha, when we were both MPs. Pinaki is super smart and funny and doesn’t take himself too seriously. Plus he’s a Wodehouse fan. You’ll have to ask him what he likes about me (think he’s still struggling to find out hahah). But when the chips were down and the government was on a witch hunt to get me, Pinaki was totally steady, and we never stopped leading our normal lives. There was no panic, no ‘OMG what’s going to happen next.’ Just total calm and dealing with the situation. That sense of stability is very reassuring. Plus he’s from Orissa and I’m from Bengal and there is so much shared culture, language, music and a sense of bonding. He irritated me when he supported the BJP in Parliament though!.The aunt and the heir: How Mamata and Abhishek Banerjee are shaping Bengal’s political future.You’ve won your Lok Sabha seat twice despite a nasty, personalised campaign of calumny. Why do you think the voters look at you beyond the rubbish some people threw?For the simple reason that I live and work in my constituency and my voters know me for what I actually am, not what the media and political opponents make me out to be. They know the truth and they stand by that.Only difficult women make history — I believe it. Do you agree, and does it apply to your leader Mamata Banerjee, who is variously described as “mercurial” and “temperamental”? Are these adjectives reserved for women politicians in India?All the qualities that society admires in men are derided in women. My leader Mamata Banerjee is a tigress, a true leader. She has done what very few in Indian politics have managed to do and frankly she’s taught us all that gender doesn’t define us, it’s what we do with our lives that does. So adjectives don’t bother her and they don’t bother me either.When you got into politics from a cushy corporate job abroad (a dream for most educated Indians), what motivated you? How do you always march to the beat of your own drum?Actually, the motto of my alma mater, Mount Holyoke, motivated me and continues to motivate me — ‘Go where no one else will go and do what no one else will do.’Does it help to have a partner who understands your profession? What makes Pinaki special for you?Yes, it does help to have a partner from the same profession who understands instinctively what challenges accompany our responsibilities and duties.Why did you guys get married in Berlin?It’s one of our favourite cities—a blend of history, culture, food, and fun. It is also a city that has effortlessly blended its past into its present.The West Bengal elections are coming up. We’ve seen [Prime Minister Narendra] Modi try and use Operation Sindoor. What do you think would be an appropriate response from the TMC?My party stand has already been made very clear by our Chairperson Mamata Banerjee. What we would like immediately is a special session of Parliament to discuss the situation.“Will marriage mellow down Mahua?” is the one question one corporate house is anxiously asking. Will your crusade against cronyism and corporate corruption continue?Wait and watch!Also, the wedding cake had a nice swipe at your critics with the famous LV bag. Is that how you always plan to do your politics — unafraid and unapologetic?Yes I do. My sister, who is an amazing cook and baker, actually designed it so she gets the credit!What next for P&M?Nothing. Life goes on just as before..Swati Chaturvedi is an award-winning journalist and author of ‘I Am a Troll: Inside the Secret World of the BJP’s Digital Army’.