Meera Sanyal: the woman, the warrior

Fear was not a worthy enough companion for Meera Sanyal, only Hope.

Meera Sanyal, banked-turned politician, dies of cancer — The world knows Meera Sanyal as a proud and engaged citizen of India and as a successful business person, but at the heart of her, she was a teacher. (Photo courtesy: Shloka Nath)

Amongst the many images I have taken of Meera, there is one I hold dear above all others. Composed in the delicate morning light, it is a view from a soft distance, to her side. The year is 2014 and we are at a rally for her candidature, somewhere in the dizzying streets of Mumbai. Meera is laughing, her face is radiant in an open expression of pure joy, she is wearing her AAP cap slightly askew, she doesn’t know anyone is looking. It is a heartbeat of a glimpse into someone’s soul, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit.

As a citizen of India, it seemed only natural to want to take a stand in our 2014 Lok Sahba elections. India was at a tipping point. Both Meera and I felt India needed a culture of clean politics and sensible economics, and governance that was competent and compassionate. We needed leaders with ideals, integrity and intellect. It was also around this time that Meera relinquished her position as CEO and Chairperson of Royal Bank of Scotland in December 2013, to devote herself full-time to public service. When she then decided she would run as the Aam Admi Party (AAP) candidate for the Mumbai-South constituency, I knew she was the person and the cause I wanted to support and I came on to serve as her Campaign Manager for Policy and Communications.

The world knows Meera as a proud and engaged citizen of India and as a successful business person, but at the heart of her, she was a teacher. Her purpose in life was to give back; every time she got, she gave. When she learned something, she was the first to pass it on to those around her.

There aren’t very many opportunities for young women such as myself to learn and be mentored by other strong women. The role models we seek aren’t easy to find — our social structures aren’t inherently built to nurture women as independent leaders. Meera saw this gap and made it her life’s mission to change the status quo. She was a fierce advocate for women’s rights and more importantly, she built up other women around her, especially those younger and less confident. Meeting Meera was akin to meeting myself in full. She moved through the world with unshakeable calm, confidence and a fierce grace. In her, I saw a world of possibilities for the life I could someday shape for myself. She did this for me, and I know, for countless other women.

During her time at the bank, Meera mentored the microfinance programme, which financed over 650,000 women in rural India. She also chaired the bank’s Foundation, providing livelihood assistance to 75,000 women-led households in threatened ecosystems.

And it was during this time, working with microfinance and self-help groups (SHGs) across the country, when she found that women have a natural knack for starting and running businesses. She often said that when a woman is financially empowered, and generating income, life in her family dramatically improves. A woman invests in the right things; education for her children, more nutritious food, health and hygiene, and savings for a rainy day.