On the eve of Women's Day, Shobha Karandlaje offers some advice. She also wants women to come forward and clean up the system

Shobha Karandlaje, the only woman in the state cabinet, may wear fashionable sarees today but she admits to having worn jeans in her younger days.

A post-graduate in social work, the 42-year old BJP leader who is known to be close to chief minister B S Yeddyurappa, comes across as a bold woman. On the eve of Women's Day, she spoke to MiD DAY about the difficulties of being the lone woman minister, on the need for more women in politics and whether women should frequent pubs...

MiD DAY: Being a lone woman in the cabinet, do you find any difficulties?
Shobha: No. I have never faced any problems being the lone woman. I have been taking decisions independently. I feel if there were other women ministers, things would have been easier. All women could have together put forward the problems of women in the state, and our stand would have been stronger.

How did you enter politics?
I come from an RSS family. My brother was a full time RSS worker and I followed him. I was active in the RSS. In 2004, I became a Member of the Legislative Council. In 2007, I contested the assembly elections and won. I was inducted into the cabinet as a minister.

Tell us about your life before becoming a politician?
I was born into a farmer's family in a village called Charvaka in Dakshina Kannada district. Our village had no basic facilities like road or electricity. Till the 10th standard, I studied in a school which had no teachers. I did my graduation at St Philomena's, Puttur, and MSW from Roshni Nilaya, Mangalore. I then worked as a research assistant in Indian Institute of Social Services and as a counsellor at Kasturba Medical College, Manipal.

Do you suggest politics as a career for women?
Certainly. Most educated women stay away from politics. I call upon them not only to vote but also to participate actively in politics. They are well-informed and take good decisions for the welfare of the state. They have to come forward to clean the system.

Politics is considered dirty. But you still recommend it?
Yes, politics is dirty. There is a lot of leg-pulling, jealously and enmity. That's why I ask educated youngsters to join politics. Not only the BJP. Let them join any party. Educated youngsters can cleanse the system.

Can women handle the pressure of being a politician?
I have not faced any problem. This may be because I am single and hence have no other commitments. I can give my time totally to politics. But when women are married, they may face difficulties. As Indian women, they have to take care of their families as well as concentrate on their career. Still, we have many successful married women politicians in India like Sushma Swaraj and Sheila Dixit.

Why have you remained single?
RSS has a tradition where many do not get married and devote their time totally to service. I had grown up with the same mentality and decided not to get married. Initially, there was opposition from my family and they wanted me to marry and settle down. But later, they gave in.

Of late, Bangalore has come to be known as an unsafe city where attacks against women are common. Do you think the city is unsafe?
Bangalore is safe compared to many other cities in India. Incidents like eve-teasing were happening before too.
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But now, they are being hyped. To stop such incidents, the mentality of the people has to change.u00a0 I have travelled alone in the city before entering politics, and I have never faced any problem. The onus is on women too. They should not dress provocatively or behave invitingly. I don't say that they should not wear jeans, but they should not be provocative.

Do you wear jeans?
I have worn it in my younger days. I used to wears jeans and tops. Now, I restrict myself to sarees and salwar kameez.

Unlike other woman politicians, you have worn a fancy embroidered saree. Who selects your clothes?
(Laughs) If I like any saree, I buy it. After becoming a minister, I haven't been able to go shopping. My friends select my clothes and buy them for me. I used to wear fancy sarees earlier, by now I have to restrict myself.
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So now I prefer khadi silk.

What is your take on pub culture?
It is an individual's choice. If a woman is mature, working and independent, she can certainly go to a pub if she wishes. I am not for students going to pubs. Here, it is not about culture, but responsibility. No parent would want his child to miss classes and be in pubs.

Do you drink alcohol?
No, I don't.

There is a buzz that an astrologer had told H D Deve Gowda that the next chief minister would be a woman, so he made daughter-in-law Anita Kumaraswamy contest in the bye-elections. Do you see yourself as the first woman chief minister of Karnataka?
(Smiles) No comments. I pray that our leader Yeddyurappa continues as the chief minister for the next ten years. He is doing a very good job. I am still young in politics and have to learn a lot.