Human rights and gender activists Bishakha Datta and Geeta Misra connect on the commonalities of advocating diversity
(From left) Bishakha and Geeta with the latter’s daughter Zoya in Rome, 2013
Bishakha Datta, 61, founder and executive director, Point of View
Geeta Misra, 61, co-founder and executive director, Creating Resources for Empowerment in Action
Bishakha Datta has led many working lives. Her undergrad degree in Economics was followed by a Master’s in Communication at Stanford University. Then came journalism and documentary filmmaking for a decade at the Times of India, assisting for Channel 4 and other international co-productions. In 1996, she founded Point of View (POV), a non-profit amplifying the voices of women and gender-diverse persons. Besides running the flagship gender and technology programme of POV, she serves on the board of Wikipedia and continues to “dream of moving on to the next big adventure in life”.
Geeta Misra co-founded the women’s rights NGO, Creating Resources for Empowerment in Action (CREA), in 2000. With Master’s degrees in International Affairs from Columbia University and in Economics from Syracuse University, she has worked with the Ford Foundation in Delhi, been adjunct professor at the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, and supported organisations in India, Nepal and Sri Lanka on sexual and reproductive health. Describing herself as “near-obsessed with film”, she was once a competitive swimmer, has hiked to Everest Base Camp and climbed Kilimanjaro twice.
Lunch on the Lidderwat trek, Kashmir, 1984
Geeta Misra: Bishakha was this smiling, bubbly person sitting on the St Xavier’s College bench. It was organic how we got drawn to each other. We started meeting in German class at Max Mueller Bhavan too. I’d seen her stand in line very early for the Commonwealth Asian Games tickets and thought, ah, here’s another soul like me.
Bishakha Datta: I remember Geeta in the canteen, my perennial hangout. I rarely went to class. My initial memory really is of bumping into her at the German classes. Geeta’s dynamism, energy, sense of fun and never-say-die attitude were immediately evident. Even now, in a tight spot I’ll turn first to her. She figures it out.
GM: Bishakha’s parents trusted her completely, allowing her out late with friends. Mine being stricter, I spent nights at Bishakha’s house, chatting with her mum and dad.
BD: I’d similarly hang at Geeta’s Bandra home with her warm, inviting family. I continue to remain friends with her sisters and went for their dad’s 90th birthday in Delhi.
GM: I hope for activism to influence by harnessing the power of art to change hearts and minds. Work on human rights, sexuality rights and justice intertwine in our overlapping worlds. As executive directors of organisations, we discuss the re-focus on new, emerging issues. I’ve learned so much from Bishakha. She was on CREA’s founding board. When I was with the Ford Foundation, I supported Point of View at its start. We brainstorm deeply about strategies. It’s quite unique to manage a clear friendship, but also an important work relationship.
Protesting against a homophobic law, Global Day of Rage, Mumbai, December 2013
BD: I’ve done a fair amount of consulting for CREA. Awed by her ambition, I look to Geeta to know what people in our field are thinking about issues like anti-gender ideology at a global level. We deal with the same constituencies with a dynamic lens. But my work is India-focused, trying to challenge disinformation and build gender equality in digital spaces.
GM: With a common love for new places, we seek each other out for interesting travels. Bishakha and her partner, OJ, with me and my partner at that time drove cross-country through the national parks in the US. Deciding not to spend a single night in any concrete block, we only camped in tents. It was stunningly beautiful. We enjoyed a long trip to the northeast of India over winter, all the way to Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh and entered Assam’s Nameri National Park, which had just opened.
BD: From Kashmir to Berlin via Egypt, Tunisia… where have we not travelled? We sometimes plan longer trips of pure leisure, or tack on a couple of days to a work trip. We were at the same meeting in Istanbul one week, then went to Berlin together and landed in Taipei the next week for another conference. And recently attended the Berlin Film Festival, watching 10 films in three days—Geeta’s 60th birthday gift to me.
GM: We’re totally fascinated by culture. Despite living in different countries, we find a way to connect and have significant catch-ups. I’m devoted to the mountains and seas. We love the water and swimming. So, pleasures bind us as well, not just work. Pleasure without guilt is what we all need to celebrate.
BD: Geeta inspires me to think bolder and braver. Always. When I doubt how to tackle a certain situation, I ask myself: How would Geeta have approached it? She reigns supreme at fundraising and multi-tasking, with her feet in many places.
GM: My work addresses the Hindi belt of the country a lot. The converted circle is already in place. The conservative is far extreme. Best to motivate the moveable middle. Not just create a dent but become a force. The framework ideal is to expand the umbrella bigger, changing the way more people think about rights.
BD: Yes, we do squabble! Working with a friend is tricky. Our approaches sometimes differ and both of us have egos.
GM: We’ve seen life-changing moments together. I went through a divorce and eventually ended up being with a woman. I shared in the passing of her father and her life partner—he was close to me. Bishakha has seen me through truly hard times.
BD: Geeta was there for me when OJ, my long-time partner, passed away last year. And ever since in a million different ways.
GM: We’ve circumnavigated every part of Bombay and love revisiting regular haunts. Like the local vada pav wala near Bishakha’s Worli house. Theatres like Metro, still there from days we bunked college to catch movies.
BD: Swati Snacks is an absolute must, besides our favourite Udupi restaurants. This is such an open, expansive city with space to explore so many things. Those were the building blocks of our relationship.
Author-publisher Meher Marfatia writes monthly on city friendships. You can reach her at meher.marfatia@mid-day.com/www.meher marfatia.com
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