Vijay Laksmi Pandit, also known as Motilal Nehru’s daughter and Pt. Jawahar Lal Nehru’s sister, her identity, on the other hand, was far more complicated. She was a diplomat and one of the most influential Indian women of her time. She was the first woman to serve as Governor of Maharashtra and President of the United Nations General Assembly. She was also the first woman in pre-independence India to hold a cabinet position.
She was India’s first ambassador to the Soviet Union, serving from 1947 to 1949. She also served as an ambassador to the US and Mexico. She was also an ambassador to the United States and Mexico.
From 1954 to 1961, she was the High Commissioner in the United Kingdom and the Ambassador to Ireland.
She was also the Ambassador to Spain (1958–61). Between 1946 and 1968, Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit led the Indian delegation to the United Nations. She was, however, more influenced by Western culture, or we could say she was a victim of Western cultural hegemony. She met a lot of people during her long and successful career and one of them was Joseph Stalin.
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Stalin’s conversation with Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit
Joseph Stalin was more critical of the West than his predecessor, Vladimir Lenin. Because of our membership in the Commonwealth, Stalin did not believe that India was truly independent. He kept Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit waiting for almost six months before finally meeting her.
The six-month wait for Vijayalakshmi Pandit did not fructify well. As Pandit started speaking, Stalin interrupted her by asking a question. He inquired about her use of language during the conversation. Pandit responded that she was speaking English.
On his supplementary question, Stalin asked her whether it was her language. She answered with a no. Stalin, irritated, asked her if she was speaking in Stalin’s language for ease of conversation. Stalin was Russian, so she said no.
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Furious Stalin
Furious Stalin berated her by saying, “Are you not ashamed of yourself?” You present me with your credentials in a language that is neither yours nor mine? You are here to ask for my help. You come to me like a beggar and speak to me in pirate and thugs’ language? Do you have no shame at all?”
The message was loud and clear: despite being independent, Indian leaders at the pinnacle of government believe that English is the language of the educated and that Western culture is the global culture. The reality, however, was quite different. Vijaylaksmi Pandit was undoubtedly intelligent and one of the most important role models for Indian women, but for the cultural aspect, this conversation is itself a reality.
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