Shortly, after she lost power Penguin (the publishing company) asked me to do a biography. We got interested in her because her personal story is fascinating and her political style is unique. Most important is that she is a Dalit woman. Her story is the story of Dalit empowerment.
I had a problem in her case. A biography usually means, you go to a person and tell her/him you are writing a book. I was little scared, frankly. She liked me, she liked my wife Arti. We had a good relationship with them (Kanshi Ram and Mayawati).
She knows I have never written from the casteist point of view. But I knew if I went and said I want to write a book, give me a great interview, give me sources then she would sit on my head, may have told me to show her the manuscript and write this and that. And before I knew it, the book would look like a publicity brochure.
She has written her autobiography and there is a Hindi book named Iron Lady which is a publicity book. I wasn't interested. I am not against her but I am not her chamcha either. I wanted to do an objective book. That was a big challenge. How to write about her without she sitting on my head. I increased my travelling with her, attended her press conferences. I was helped by her close associates.
When she was out of power I had long sessions with her associates like Satish Mishra, Shashank Shekhar Singh and, also with people who are not with her now. I went out of my way to keep a distance from her. Politicians today don't acknowledge neutral journalists. Either you are with them or against it. I don't blame her as the media also plays games.
Image: Mayawati at Patna airport before an election tour. Photograph: Deepak Kumar/Saab Press
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