June 27, 2007 Indian
Origin Woman, Just 20,
to Fight Swiss Parliament Polls By Liz
Mathew
New Delhi
Cynthia Malarvady is just 20. But this spunky Indian-origin woman
wants to enter the Swiss parliament and is campaigning intensely as
a candidate of the Green Party for the Oct 21 polls.
If elected, Malarvady, a first generation immigrant in Switzerland
from Kerala, will be a member of the 200-seat Nationalrat (National
Assembly), the main chamber of Swiss parliament, akin to India's Lok
Sabha.
The Green Party works for sustainable development, environmental
protection and human rights.
A bank employee by profession, Malarvady has been an elected member
of the Solothourn Municipality for the last two years. When she was
elected in April 2005, she was the youngest member of the executive
of the civic body. It was her love for environmental issues and
concern for foreign origin people in Switzerland that dragged her
into politics.
"Politics was actually not really my favourite topic, but I saw how
the foreign people in Switzerland suffered due to the kind of
politics we have here," Malarvady told IANS in an e-mail interview.
She is an advocate of organic farming. "I think an enduring
agriculture is just possible without genetically modified organisms.
In my opinion this is almost a philosophical theme and I think these
plants and organisms are (by nature) as ethically protected as the
human being."
Malarvady is very clear about her priorities in her political
career.
"First of all I think the genetic moratorium is expiring in four
years. For me it's absolutely important that we can extend this date
until we know more about genetic mutations. Risks and dangers are
yet unknown."
In 2005, Switzerland banned genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in
agriculture for five years and backed organic farming.
Born to P.T. Rajan and Annamma from Kerala's Alappuzha district,
Malarvady's links with India have been confined to Kerala so far.
She visits her ancestral home once in two or three years.
"I love to eat Indian food, especially what my mother cooks. I also
watch Indian movies and wear Indian dresses and jewellery. But
unfortunately, all I know about India is just Kerala state!" she
confesses.
Whatever she knows about the northern parts of India is from the
movies.
"I can imagine that the north of India is quite developed and also
quite closer to Western mentality and culture. From what I see in
the Indian films, I would say that I might be better suited to the
northern part than to southern India."
Malarvady's connection to Indian cinema is more than just watching
films. Her father had directed a few Malayalam movies. "All my
cousins are working in this business, from actresses to music
producers. So I am very well-connected to the film industry there."
She is keen to expand her horizon in terms of her Indian
connections.
"I would like to establish better communication between the Indian
and Swiss people as well as better communication among Indians
living in Switzerland with regard to respecting different kinds of
lifestyles, traditions and attitudes.
"I don't want to represent Keralites alone in Switzerland. For me
it's very important that I represent India, with all its modernity,
economic growth and also the negative aspects like poverty and the
gap between rich and poor."
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