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11 Indian Politicians That Remind Me Of ‘Game Of Thrones’ Characters

By Himanshi Upadhyaya:

Who hasn’t heard of ‘Game of Thrones’? I am pretty sure each one of you is aware of the mighty series. I mean, c’mon. ‘GOT’ is everywhere – the hoardings, the internet, the banners, the wallpapers, your tees, my walls – it’s everywhere! You’ve got to admit it, nothing has been this huge since our very own Harry Potter. The King and the Queen, the Lords and the Ladies, the Knights and the Squires and of course, not to forget the wildlings and the white walkers that take us to a far-off land of wild imagination and fantasies.

Every Monday for 10 weeks straight, us fans discover the fate of our favourite characters that are mercilessly killed off in the most barbarous ways by the man behind it all – George R.R. Martin. On the other hand are our beloved politicians who are the real knights and kings in their own right. It is they who play the real ‘game of thrones’. Like every other ‘GOT’ fan, I watch the show religiously and discuss it with my friends. One such discussion is what got me to thinking that ‘GOT’ is set very much along the lines of politics and, since I am an Indian and more familiar with Indian politicians, I’d like to present a comparison between the same.

Lord Eddard Stark

GOT 1

Known for his unwavering sense of honour and justice, he somehow resembles our very own Mr. Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ji, the former Prime Minister of India. It will not be wrong to say that the ‘north’ remembers both of them!

Daenerys Targaryen aka Khaleesi

GOT 2

Yes, we have a Khaleesi in India and even though she may not be seen as ‘conventionally sexy’, she is indeed beautiful. Worshipped by many and hailed as Amma in the state of Tamil Nadu, the former chief minister was not an arsonist, but she had a past that can make you cringe.

P.S. She may not have been the mother of dragons, but she sure was Amma to the poor.

Cersei Lannister

GOT 3

The Lannisters are very much similar to our very own Gandhi family with respect to the power that they had acquired in the past decades. Very much like the current situation in our very own country, the Lannisters are facing similar hurdles in their lives. Cersei’s character reminds me of the very puissant Mrs. Sonia Gandhi! Just like Cersei, she married a ‘Prince’ from a foreign land and became the Queen in her own right. She can go to any extent to make sure that her kids are safe and well, let’s be honest, Sonia Ji does that every other day. Also, just like Cersei, she loves her dear son more than anything in this world.

Tommen

GOT 4

Along with mommy, let’s tag along the baby boy. Yes, you guessed it right. Plump, good-looking and weak-willed, as many would argue. Just like his alter ego is our very own ‘young’ prince, Rahul Gandhi! They both try really hard but, time and again, they have proven that they are no darn good to hold their respective titles.

Tywin Lannister

GOT 5

Let’s not leave the grandpa behind. Just like Tywin had been the Hand of the King, Nehru Ji was the right hand of Mahatma Gandhi too! Though Nehru Ji wasn’t as ruthless as Tywin Lannister, but even then the resemblance between the two is uncanny. Both of them lost their wives at a young age and both of them laid down an empire for their families to rule for decades. They are both the perfect embodiment of power.

Roose Bolton

GOT 6

Mild-mannered, cold, calculating and an infallible skill for strategy are the characteristic traits of Lord Bolton. He is in dire need of a son who can ensure that his empire grows manifold and he finds the same in his bastard son, Ramsay Snow. Now, our desi Boltons may not be as uncouth and sadistic as their counterparts, but yes, many people would agree that gunda-raj flourishes in their reign. Yes, you guessed it right! Mulayam Singh Yadav seems to be the missing piece in our game of thrones. Not to forget, both of them were the wardens of ‘North’. Thank goodness, Mr. Akhilesh Yadav did not turn out to be a monster like Ramsay Bolton! Touche.

Walder Frey

GOT 7

He is a bitter man who is always competing with other noblemen for some reason or the other. He is a difficult man to please, since he is easily offended and hence, it is hard to deal with him. Having said that, he has achieved enough on his own that can last for generations to come. This character bears resemblance to our own Mr. Lalu Prasad Yadav. They both have quite a few kids too!

Petyr Baelish

GOT 8

Littlefinger has always been an unfathomable character. He seemed to be doing something but we never got to know of his real intentions. At times, he seemed to the most sensible and learned man while at others, he was an inscrutable man whose actions are impossible to decipher. One such man in our political dimension is Shashi Tharoor. He may be extremely talented and a highly educated man, but his words are indeed difficult to interpret.

Ser Davos

GOT 9

He’s a perspicacious and a sagacious man, but he is devoted to a man to such an extent that all his wisdom and knowledge is not even worth a dime. His behavioural traits are very similar to the one and only Dr. Manmohan Singh. Just like Dr. Singh is often referred to as a puppet of the Gandhi clan, Ser Davos is a puppet of Stannis Baratheon.

Lady Olenna

GOT 10

Yes, we have someone who has the hallmarks of Lady Olenna back in India. Just like Lady Olenna, she is extremely powerful and hungry for more. She cannot be dethroned from her position as she has a formidable spirit and an eloquent personality. They call her Dadi in ‘GOT’, we call her Didi in India. Mamata Banerjee, she is!

And the last one is…..

Yara Greyjoy

GOT 11

She’s a woman of valour and strength stuck in a world of unlettered and ignorant men. She is full of potential and she has to go a long way. A lot is at stake, but she is a warrior, she will put on a fight and she will survive. The only woman who made a place for herself in the ‘men’s world’ is Kiran Bedi, an inspiration for many. She faced similar hurdles in life, but emerged as a champion in the end!

I could have come up with a few more, but I’ve got to get back to my studies and save myself from the embarrassment of flunking in my examinations. I know I can nail it!

P.S. Please note that in no way have I intended to defame any politician or character for that matter. This article has been written in good faith and I expect you all to have a good time reading it whilst you wait for the next episode’s torrent link to be available on the internet!

You must be to comment.

  1. test

    Modi is Jon snow..?

  2. Ganesh Prasad

    Well done. You write very well.

  3. Amlan

    I am in love with the writer

  4. Shrikant

    Awsm one 🙂

  5. CV

    That’s brilliant! I think George R. R. Martin has been taken inspiration from Indian politics only.
    I am just waiting for some of them to die asap.

  6. Taarini

    Haha creative.
    Although,
    Kiran bedi isn’t the ‘only’ woman who made a place for herself in the men’s world.

  7. Soham

    I think Indira Gandhi would be a better Lady Olenna than Didi.

  8. Dini

    You seem to have picked your pics well too. The physical resemblance is uncanny.

  9. Rohit

    Very nice. . Too Good.. almost perfect.. Brilliant Observations

    Errr.. except the Last one !

  10. ASOIAF Fan

    “Like every other ‘GOT’ fan, I watch the show religiously and discuss it with my friends”

    A true fan, does not refer to her/himself as a ‘GOT’ fan, rather as a ASOIAF fan. Please, do not embarrass your wannabe selves.

  11. Jon snow

    Only, lannisters pay their debts 🙂

  12. Skemo

    Modi would be Tyrion lannister and Amit can be Bron…

  13. Debraj Moulick

    Thank God ..you are in the field of English Literature..Keep it up.Highly enjoyable

  14. Abhishek Bhoj

    You have written a extremely well article .. I am happy that you are prospering as a great writer. Your posts are getting shared by top political shots like Shashi Tharoor matters a lot. I can see the emergence of a legend from Kumaun.

  15. Abhinav Jindal

    These BJP sponsored articles really don’t get old. I don’t understand the flak that India’s first prime minister is facing. What you and your fellow bhakts fails to understand is that the gods at BJP and the Sangh that you worship with such dedication did not play a role in India’s freedom struggle. HE was there, a true freedom fighter, rightly awarded the place that he deserved I’m a free India. He lead her through the struggle, then in his last moments he led her against the traitor neighbor China. And you compare him to Tywin. Shame on you. It’s one thing to further BJP and RSS propaganda and target the current crop of Congress leaders, it’s an entirely different story when you resort to rediculing the great freedom fighters of the past. SHAME on YOU. You are just as ignorant as the rest of these bhakts. You shouldn’t BE the one enlightening the youth with your poisonous views.

  16. IKnowNothing

    Wrong usage of the word Touche. Otherwise it was a good article.

  17. Praveen

    Gud job . U have marvellous creative skill keep rocking

  18. Mbpatil

    brilliant observations.. Except Davos with MMS

  19. Bala

    😀 Great! Expecting more characters.

  20. Varun

    Modi is the mad king…himanshi just proved it by not mentioning modi because she would have to take the post down or face the consequences

  21. Kingpin

    Petyr Baelish = Arvind Kejriwal

  22. Kumat

    Modi is Ramsey 🙂 RSS has made him dickless and a coward.

  23. Prithvi

    Terrible pick of Characters – Clearly you don’t know your politicians nor Game of Thrones.

  24. Amit Upadhyaya

    Hahaha pretty apt

  25. Jeevan Bordoloi

    The worst comparison of anything with anything I have ever read. Hilarious.

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An ambassador and trained facilitator under Eco Femme (a social enterprise working towards menstrual health in south India), Sanjina is also an active member of the MHM Collective- India and Menstrual Health Alliance- India. She has conducted Menstrual Health sessions in multiple government schools adopted by Rotary District 3240 as part of their WinS project in rural Bengal. She has also delivered training of trainers on SRHR, gender, sexuality and Menstruation for Tomorrow’s Foundation, Vikramshila Education Resource Society, Nirdhan trust and Micro Finance, Tollygunj Women In Need, Paint It Red in Kolkata.

Now as an MH Fellow with YKA, she’s expanding her impressive scope of work further by launching a campaign to facilitate the process of ensuring better menstrual health and SRH services for women residing in correctional homes in West Bengal. The campaign will entail an independent study to take stalk of the present conditions of MHM in correctional homes across the state and use its findings to build public support and political will to take the necessary action.

Saurabh has been associated with YKA as a user and has consistently been writing on the issue MHM and its intersectionality with other issues in the society. Now as an MHM Fellow with YKA, he’s launched the Right to Period campaign, which aims to ensure proper execution of MHM guidelines in Delhi’s schools.

The long-term aim of the campaign is to develop an open culture where menstruation is not treated as a taboo. The campaign also seeks to hold the schools accountable for their responsibilities as an important component in the implementation of MHM policies by making adequate sanitation infrastructure and knowledge of MHM available in school premises.

Read more about his campaign.

Harshita is a psychologist and works to support people with mental health issues, particularly adolescents who are survivors of violence. Associated with the Azadi Foundation in UP, Harshita became an MHM Fellow with YKA, with the aim of promoting better menstrual health.

Her campaign #MeriMarzi aims to promote menstrual health and wellness, hygiene and facilities for female sex workers in UP. She says, “Knowledge about natural body processes is a very basic human right. And for individuals whose occupation is providing sexual services, it becomes even more important.”

Meri Marzi aims to ensure sensitised, non-discriminatory health workers for the needs of female sex workers in the Suraksha Clinics under the UPSACS (Uttar Pradesh State AIDS Control Society) program by creating more dialogues and garnering public support for the cause of sex workers’ menstrual rights. The campaign will also ensure interventions with sex workers to clear misconceptions around overall hygiene management to ensure that results flow both ways.

Read more about her campaign.

MH Fellow Sabna comes with significant experience working with a range of development issues. A co-founder of Project Sakhi Saheli, which aims to combat period poverty and break menstrual taboos, Sabna has, in the past, worked on the issue of menstruation in urban slums of Delhi with women and adolescent girls. She and her team also released MenstraBook, with menstrastories and organised Menstra Tlk in the Delhi School of Social Work to create more conversations on menstruation.

With YKA MHM Fellow Vineet, Sabna launched Menstratalk, a campaign that aims to put an end to period poverty and smash menstrual taboos in society. As a start, the campaign aims to begin conversations on menstrual health with five hundred adolescents and youth in Delhi through offline platforms, and through this community mobilise support to create Period Friendly Institutions out of educational institutes in the city.

Read more about her campaign. 

A student from Delhi School of Social work, Vineet is a part of Project Sakhi Saheli, an initiative by the students of Delhi school of Social Work to create awareness on Menstrual Health and combat Period Poverty. Along with MHM Action Fellow Sabna, Vineet launched Menstratalk, a campaign that aims to put an end to period poverty and smash menstrual taboos in society.

As a start, the campaign aims to begin conversations on menstrual health with five hundred adolescents and youth in Delhi through offline platforms, and through this community mobilise support to create Period Friendly Institutions out of educational institutes in the city.

Find out more about the campaign here.

A native of Bhagalpur district – Bihar, Shalini Jha believes in equal rights for all genders and wants to work for a gender-equal and just society. In the past she’s had a year-long association as a community leader with Haiyya: Organise for Action’s Health Over Stigma campaign. She’s pursuing a Master’s in Literature with Ambedkar University, Delhi and as an MHM Fellow with YKA, recently launched ‘Project अल्हड़ (Alharh)’.

She says, “Bihar is ranked the lowest in India’s SDG Index 2019 for India. Hygienic and comfortable menstruation is a basic human right and sustainable development cannot be ensured if menstruators are deprived of their basic rights.” Project अल्हड़ (Alharh) aims to create a robust sensitised community in Bhagalpur to collectively spread awareness, break the taboo, debunk myths and initiate fearless conversations around menstruation. The campaign aims to reach at least 6000 adolescent girls from government and private schools in Baghalpur district in 2020.

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A psychologist and co-founder of a mental health NGO called Customize Cognition, Ritika forayed into the space of menstrual health and hygiene, sexual and reproductive healthcare and rights and gender equality as an MHM Fellow with YKA. She says, “The experience of working on MHM/SRHR and gender equality has been an enriching and eye-opening experience. I have learned what’s beneath the surface of the issue, be it awareness, lack of resources or disregard for trans men, who also menstruate.”

The Transmen-ses campaign aims to tackle the issue of silence and disregard for trans men’s menstruation needs, by mobilising gender sensitive health professionals and gender neutral restrooms in Lucknow.

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A Computer Science engineer by education, Nitisha started her career in the corporate sector, before realising she wanted to work in the development and social justice space. Since then, she has worked with Teach For India and Care India and is from the founding batch of Indian School of Development Management (ISDM), a one of its kind organisation creating leaders for the development sector through its experiential learning post graduate program.

As a Youth Ki Awaaz Menstrual Health Fellow, Nitisha has started Let’s Talk Period, a campaign to mobilise young people to switch to sustainable period products. She says, “80 lakh women in Delhi use non-biodegradable sanitary products, generate 3000 tonnes of menstrual waste, that takes 500-800 years to decompose; which in turn contributes to the health issues of all menstruators, increased burden of waste management on the city and harmful living environment for all citizens.

Let’s Talk Period aims to change this by

Find out more about her campaign here.

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A former Assistant Secretary with the Ministry of Women and Child Development in West Bengal for three months, Lakshmi Bhavya has been championing the cause of menstrual hygiene in her district. By associating herself with the Lalana Campaign, a holistic menstrual hygiene awareness campaign which is conducted by the Anahat NGO, Lakshmi has been slowly breaking taboos when it comes to periods and menstrual hygiene.

A Gender Rights Activist working with the tribal and marginalized communities in india, Srilekha is a PhD scholar working on understanding body and sexuality among tribal girls, to fill the gaps in research around indigenous women and their stories. Srilekha has worked extensively at the grassroots level with community based organisations, through several advocacy initiatives around Gender, Mental Health, Menstrual Hygiene and Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights (SRHR) for the indigenous in Jharkhand, over the last 6 years.

Srilekha has also contributed to sustainable livelihood projects and legal aid programs for survivors of sex trafficking. She has been conducting research based programs on maternal health, mental health, gender based violence, sex and sexuality. Her interest lies in conducting workshops for young people on life skills, feminism, gender and sexuality, trauma, resilience and interpersonal relationships.

A Guwahati-based college student pursuing her Masters in Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Bidisha started the #BleedwithDignity campaign on the technology platform Change.org, demanding that the Government of Assam install
biodegradable sanitary pad vending machines in all government schools across the state. Her petition on Change.org has already gathered support from over 90000 people and continues to grow.

Bidisha was selected in Change.org’s flagship program ‘She Creates Change’ having run successful online advocacy
campaigns, which were widely recognised. Through the #BleedwithDignity campaign; she organised and celebrated World Menstrual Hygiene Day, 2019 in Guwahati, Assam by hosting a wall mural by collaborating with local organisations. The initiative was widely covered by national and local media, and the mural was later inaugurated by the event’s chief guest Commissioner of Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC) Debeswar Malakar, IAS.

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