Monday, February 20, 2012

My stint with Dr. Kiran Bedi

My days in New Delhi during the internship was perhaps the best time of my life. The project in The Energy & Resources Institute (TERI) where I was doing my internship had not started and I was having a lot of free time. My interest in the Jan Lokpal campaign by the Team Anna was a turning point in my life. Needless to say this was the most popular campaign ever in India for a bill to be passed in the Parliament. I thought of joining the campaign as a volunteer for which I thought I will contact Dr. Kiran Bedi, core member of the Team Anna. I was lucky enough to get her e-mail ID and mailed her expressing my interest to be a volunteer in the campaign.

Dr. Kiran Bedi, India's highest ranking police officer and India's first woman police officer was extremely prompt in replying to my mail. Some of the mail conversations we had has been given here.

ME: Dear Madam,
Hearing about the exclusion of CBI from the Lokpal I understand that our struggle will be intensified. Please put me in some work so that I can help you all.


Dr.KB: Where are u stationed?


ME: Presently I live in Vasant Vihar. I work as an intern at TERI, India Habitat Centre.


Dr.KB: Sure. How much time? And how


ME: I will be here till the 17th of February mam.


Dr.KB: Come and see me. Kiran

Seeing this mail I was really elated and met her at her office. She asked about me, my internship, my expenses, etc. She assigned me the works, which was documentation and research of Lokpal files. I was done with that in 3 weeks time and then I had other documentation works in her office.

Once I told her about my interest in the Civil Services and my plans of being in New Delhi for the preparations for the coming year. She was happy for that and she gave me some tips on the preparation. She helped me in choosing the optional subjects. She then suddenly remembered her friend who runs an civil services academy there to orient the students. She had a word with him and arranged free coaching classes for me in his academy for 2 years. She also helped me by providing accommodation and food in one of her NGO project site. I just kept wondering why she is doing so much help for a person whom she has hardly known for a couple of months.

I was really impressed by her attitude to help people to the maximum in her capacity.  The last day of my internship was more exciting and I was awarded with a certificate by her.



I am really happy that I got to meet her and I will never in my life forget the days with the highest ranking police officer.