Sonia Gandhi

Sonia Gandhi proved to be an amazing woman leader. She has shown sheer grit, courage and conviction to face personal and political challenges.

She was forced to take over as the president of the Congress when the party was facing its biggest crisis, after Narasimha Rao's rule. She was rediculed by the media, her political opponents called her all names, made fun of her accent, Hindi, country of birth and what not. There is no political leader who faced such personal and political challenges like her. She took over congress in its worst phase. She rose like a phoenix. She led the Congress back to power.

She is responsible for pursuing and making some of the best policy changes In India as the Chairperson of UPA: Right to Information, Right to work (NREGA), Right to food security, Forest Rights acts, Act on Land Acquisition and act to stop domestic violence. She strongly stood up for women's rights and women"s political participation. She is leader who worked closely with social movements and civil society. She has been a leader with a conscience and strong secular values. She has been more Indian than most of pseudo nationalists.

There is none like her anywhere in the world: born and brought up in a different country, lead one of the oldest political parties in the world and in the midst of challenges she stood up like a women of courage and grit. Annie Basant was the only other woman leader, born outside India , who influenced politics of India.She valiantly fought for food security bill in the Parliament exhausted and was rushed to the hospital. UPA 2 began to lose the steam when she was faced with health problems and was hospitalized abroad.
As she retires from her role as the President of congress, I want to salute the most amazing woman political leader in India today and anywhere in the world. History will treat her with respect and dignity. She is mother courage too. She lost the charming man she loved so deeply. As a young widow, burdened with challenges of legacy, she nurtured her children with deep sense of values and nurtured a party when it was about to collapse.

Sonia Gandhi will inspire many young widows and women leaders in the years to come. She is a leader who earned it every inch, fought every inch and won every inch, despite being a part of the ruling dispensation of India. She is an unusual woman who managed to survive and thrive in an adopted country in the midst of adversities and challenges. Salutes to this amazing lady of beauty, grace, and courage of conviction.