Meera Hiranandani Snyal
TSW Citation
Life of Meera Sanyal is true and real reflection of efforts of a woman for changing life of Sindhi women. Though these changing efforts were initiated by Popati Hiranandani, she dares to write love poems in Sindhi language even after being a Sindhi woman, traditionally supposed to have limited kingdom bounded by four walls of home. Meera not only was the highly educated as per the modern trends but also become top level professional by her designation of CEO and chairperson of the Royal Bank of Scotland in India. Meera illustrated the skills of Sindhi women essential for keeping the balance between family and professional life. She has also shown that Sindhi community is moving with demands and trends of recent time going for higher education, keeping the tag of business community intact and not hesitating going beyond the regionalism or caste even for marriage. Meera Sanyal was married with a Bengali Ashish Sanyal. The couple have two children Priyadarshini Sanyal, Jai Sanyal.
Meera Sanyal Biography: Early Life & Education
One might say that born on 15 October 1961 at Kochi, Meera Sanyal was born with destiny of being brought up in different cultural and social environment which are part of Indian life, different from each other but still proving bridge of unity for all Indian citizen. Meera was born as daughter of Vice Admiral Gulab Mohanlal Hiranandani and Banu Hiranandani. Father was highly decorated officer in Indian Navy and during the 1971 Indo Pak war was the script writer for the naval attack on Karachi, the operation named as Trident. Mother Banu besides being a lawyer fulfilling family duty by taking care of day to day house hold works at home.
Once in an interview she also said No matter how higher education you are getting it is the family environment and parental care that your childhood has enjoyed is going to be deciding factor in shaping your life. Moving with transfers of father Meera also got chance to stay even at Russia besides the various Indian cities. However, in the year 1982 she became Commerce Graduate (B.Com.) from Sydenham college Bombay and opted IIM Kolkata for her further studies M.B.A. She has been offered scholarship so she passed M.B.A. from INSEAD, Fontainebleau, France. After spending a shorter period at Harvard Business School for an Advanced Management Program and becoming fellow of the Chartered Institute of Bankers (UK) as per the desire of father she came back to India.
Meera Sanyal Biography: Professional & Social Life
In an interview Meera herself has said the after returning back to India, first job was offered to her was with Grindlays Bank at Kolkata. Before joining Royal Bank of Scotland India in 1993, she worked with Lazards also and become investment banker. During the economic liberalisation period in India, she suggested her bank for project Finance and successfully handled project. She was also instrumental for Microfinance program and helped many thousand women from the rural areas of India.
Professional commitments do not proved hurdle for Meera`s participation in social service activities, she was on the Supervisory Board of one of leading college of Mumbai Jai Hind College, run by Sindhi management. She was also associated with Right To Play, a global NGO in capacity of a member of the International Board. Meera also has honour of being a member of various national committees of FICCI and CII. While being chairperson of the financial Inclusion committee of the FICCI, she promoted credit for the underprivileged.
In the year 2011 Hillary Clinton (Secretary of State) arranged International Council on Women’s Business Leadership and Meera Sanyal was invited as only women representative from India. She attended many global seminars as speaker a few of them are:
Asian Institute of Finance, Kuala Lumpur
Climate Summit in Copenhagen
Global Competitiveness Summit, Seoul, Korea
Nikkei Summit for Asian Women Leaders, Tokyo
Swedish Agency for Economic & Regional Growth
Women of the Future summit in the UK
In the year 2013 her 30 years long association with Royal Bank of Scotland India came to end as she retired while holding the post of CEO and chairperson of bank. After retirement Meera started to take more active part in politics, though she was an independent candidate from South Mumbai in 2009 Lok Sabha elections. She joined Aam Aadmi Party and was a member of party`s National Committee on Economic Policy. She was also AAP candidate in 2014 Lok Sabha election from South Mumbai, other candidates were popular politicians like Milind Deora, Bala Nandgaokar and Arvind Sawant. Hardly 6% voters have chosen to vote for her hence she last election.
She falls prey to Cancer and after survival for two long painful years under the influence of disease she died on 11 January 2019 at Mumbai.
Famous and popular Sindhi folk singer Bhagwanti Navani is eventually immortal as she even after losing the physical existence still alive at hearts of thousands and thousands of Sindhi music lovers. Often called as Sindhi Koyel Bhagwanti was born on 01 Feb 1940 at Nasarpur. Undisputed queen of Singing Sindhi Lada (marriage ritual songs) Bhagwanti will always be remembered for singing Sukhamani Sahib (Guru Bani) in Sindhi. She also acted in Sindhi film Sindhua Je Kinare. On 22 Oct 1986 she left for heavenly abode.