ABSTRACT
As an undergraduate student in India, Harjeet Kaur found herself so fascinated with political science that she elected it as her major. In 2003, Harjeet, despite never once campaigning, managed to win the maximum number of individual votes for election to her town council. Harjeet's journey to Norway was emblematic of the traditional Indian woman dutifully following her husband's lead. Harjeet was deepening her roots on the island. She soon became a popular person among the locals. In fact, according to Harjeet, being elected as the island's deputy-mayor is meaningful to her because it formally validated her popularity. When the elected members met the next day, the coalition wanted Harjeet to accept the post of deputy-mayor. It is not every day that a woman from the land stereotypically known for its elephants, snake charmers, royal maharajas, and grinding poverty can enter a municipal election in a foreign country and win by acclamation.
