Kiran Bedi: courage under fire

Inspiration comes from all walks of life, but when it comes from motivating figures around us, it adds that necessary flavour and zeal for enticement. Such a figure is Kiran Bedi, India’s first female Indian Police Services (IPS) officer. She is a prolific figure across the social and political tapestry of India, the front-runner for women in power in the nation.



Born in 1949, the 63-year old Bedi is a national icon worth reckoning with when it comes to women empowerment in India. Known for her passion and dedication, both to the work at hand as well as the welfare of society and women, this firebrand of a lady has ruled over public imagination and sympathy, over a long period of time; a fact revoked by the faith that Indians instil in her reflected in her recent crusade against corruption, when she formed alliance with Anna Hazare and Arvind Kejriwal. She has delved into many roles, far too magnanimous and varied- former prolific police official, aspiring power woman, television celebrity and neo-nationalist among others. In her more recent avatar, she is more popular as a social activist. In each of roles, she put in equal measure of passion and dedication.

She has played a great role in shaping the patriarchal society’s notions towards the role of women in the cultural and social fabric of India. At age 63, she still aspires and motivates generation of women to dream beyond what the prevalent cultural periphery allows or thinks suitable for women of any age and social standing.

Breaking social norms
During her prolong tenure with the Indian police, Ms.  Bedi was appointed as the Director General of India's Bureau of Police Research and Development. It was her zeal to be truly “outstanding” that Ms. Bedi chose to join the IPS and raise the bar for the women around her. While serving her tenure, Kiran Bedi was posted at New Delhi traffic control, Deputy Inspector General of Police in Mizoram, Advisor to the Lieutenant Governor of Chandigarh, and Director General of Narcotics Control Bureau. She was also appointed the Civilian Police Advisor in United Nations peacekeeping operations, a prestigious and honorary position for an Indian, more so, a lady.

She has been known to be a strict disciplinarian who would not budge from her stand even when her opponents were people involved in the power-play of the nation, such as high ranking politicians and bureaucrats. She is known to have even towed the former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi’s vehicle for car parking violations, an incident which earned her the fond nickname of Crane Bedi.

Bedi is known to have influenced many crucial decisions of the IPS while she held office in such areas as VIP security, narcotics and traffic management.

Social activism
Bedi has played a varied role when it comes to changing India’s social activism scene, into which she jumped headlong and as passionately and unequivocally as she did in her professional space. She is one of the founders of Navjyoti India Foundation (NIF), besides 15 other police officers who set up the NGO in 1987. It caters to various social causes ranging from illiteracy, women empowerment to rehabilitation for drug addicts. Empowerment of women has remained one of the foremost issues that Bedi has chosen to fight for in her long association with social activism.

India against corruption
It is because of her strong stand against corruption and general societal degeneration, Bedi has remained unequivocal about the eradication of the plague of corruption from Indian politics. This is the reason she chose to join forces with the radical social anti-corruption crusader Anna Hazare. She was vehement in her demand for India’s Jan Lokpal bill, a stand which even led to her arrest along with her fellow crusaders. However, when the Aam Aadmi Party was formed, she didn’t commit to it, and before the 2014 general election, shifted her allegiance to Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi.

Influence on silver screen, literature
Being a prolific lady and former IPS official, Bedi has been the topic of various films and literary works. Yes Madam, Sir, a non-fiction film is based on her life which was screened at various film festivals. Another film, Carve Your Destiny is also on way. She has also been the topic of many documentaries, and she was a part of the reality show, Aap Ki Kachehri Kiran Ke Saath in recent times.

Bedi’s influence is deeply realised in the fact that when asked to enact the role of police officers, many actresses are said to have adapted her demeanour.

Laurels and recognition
Bedi has won many laurels and worldwide recognition for being a powerful woman to have impacted the Indian society. Among the awards that came her way, the 1994 Ramon Magsaysay Award, and the Jawaharlal Nehru Fellowship, to write about her work at Tihar Jail are a few. She has also received the UN Medal for her peacekeeping work as the Civilian Police Advisor.