She is a trained semi-Western classical musician and is known for her unique style statement among the social glitterati; however, Niamat Bakshi, mother of two-year-old twins, admits that she is a great advocate of education and wants to dedicate her life to imparting knowledge.
A former UN High Commission for Refugees lawyer and now a full-time mother, Niamat loves to be around children.
“I’m currently on a sabbatical so my time is dedicated to my family. My twins are very young and they have just entered play school. I start my day by getting them ready and then I go to school with them. From 9.30 to 11, I’m with one child and from 11 to 1, I’m with another” says Niamat, who is married to Delhi-based businessman Sanjit Bakshi.
Niamat’s stint as a full-time lawyer at United Nation High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) taught her some very important aspects of life. “After completing my graduation I moved back to Delhi, but I had to re-do my law degree at the Delhi University as the Indian Bar Association did not recognise my degree (she had studied at London School of Economics). After I finished my course, I started working at UNHCR. It was a 12-hour job and I came across so many cases where the victims went through so much suffering. I remember meeting a 15-year-old girl from Burma, who was pregnant with no family and she had escaped from her country without any money. For one week, while I was interviewing her, I wasn’t normal. Eventually my husband told me that either I should learn to deal with it or I should quit. There was too much sadness and it affected my emotional well-being but later we started group counselling at work and I learned to deal with it.”
“However, when I was pregnant I stopped working as I didn’t want to surround my unborn kids with negativity,” says Niamat adding, “I now work with my mother-in-law for a women’s organisation called Savera, we’ll be opening a school very soon. I believe charity begins at home and we all can help our domestic helpers’ children to get proper education.”
Apart from work, Niamat has a deep penchant for fashion. “I love beautiful things and I love being creative with clothes. I like McQueen, Balmain, Stella McCartney etc.”