Political Diary
New
Delhi, 24 July 2018
Rahul’s Jaddu Ke Jhappi!
WILL MO-RA MAKE ‘HER’
STORY?
By Poonam I Kaushish
It
was a jaddu ke jhappi which stumped
Prime Minister Modi. In one bear hug Congress President Rahul Gandhi crossed
the Rubicon and in a dramatic spectacle paid back NaMo in his inimitable
Modisque ---- embrace. Demonstrating, that even as he opposed the BJP
politically, he did not “hate” Modi. Call it ‘Pappu-speak’, put it down as
cheap Munnabhai antics and against
Parliamentary decorum, but not only did his squeeze create a buzz but also sent
political ‘Hindu’ circles in a tizzy. No matter if the BJP churlishly dubbed
Rahul’s gesture “childish, mere optics without substance” and derided him for
starting a 'chipko andolan' in a
marathon No Confidence Motion in the Lok Sabha Friday.
Of
course, it was a foregone conclusion that the Motion would be a damp squib as
the Congress-led-Opposition did not have the numbers polling 126 against BJP’s
325. If they wanted to showcase their unity they fell flat on their face,
notwithstanding cornering the Government on key issues: unemployment, Rafaela
deal, farmers misery, economy etc. Even as the BJP’s win was predictable and muscular
politics on full display to weaken the Opposition's morale its
ally-yet-internal-foe Shiv Sena played party popper by staying away from the House.
Will Rahul’s hug
start a new phase in Government-Opposition ties? Is a new deal between the Congress-BJP
in the making? More important will Mo-Ra present a new deal for women?
Specially in the backdrop of India being dubbed a rape Capital and unsafe place
for women. Think. Daily newspapers scream headlines of the Ugly
Sexmanic Indian wherein young 2,4,8 year old girls are raped…minors in moving
trains, teenagers snatched off streets in moving cars and working women in
taxis. In a recent survey of 150 safe cities, New Delhi and Mumbai rank 139 and
126 at the bottom of the heap.
Alas, as our
polity brags about Mera Desh Mahan
and Brand India, women and young girls live in an increasingly unsafe
environment. Pertinently, if Modi and
his NDA storm troopers feel so strongly about uplifting the fair sex, offering a “new
deal” and doing away with triple talaq
and nikah halala, why doesn’t he usher in change from the top, by introducing the
‘defunct’ 108 Constitutional Amendment, Women Reservation Bill in Parliament, reserving
33% seats for them in Parliament and State Assemblies.
Remember, ‘her’ story was made when the historic Bill was passed in
the Rajya Sabha March 2010, thanks to Congress Sonia’s diktat. But our male chauvinists played spoil sports ensuring the
“transformational” bill, a major step towards women empowerment, remained in
cold storage.
What is it about this Bill that inflames our MPs to lose their head
and refuse to legislate it? Why has it taken eight long years to even talk
about it? And the final hurdle so hard to cross? Is it a pretense, a concession
to humour a pocketful of educated women which is meaningless to the large
majority? Is it aimed at influencing female voters? Or is it is a
politically correct thing to do?
Both the Congress and BJP are grinding a different axe. Despite the
right noises, they are simply doffing their hat to the cause of women’s
empowerment than actually seeing the law through. Besides, there are several
spoilsports to put a spoke in the wheel. In fact, they are confident that the
"OBC block" led by Mayawati would stall the Bill. Thus, they support
the legislation in public, certain it would never become law.
Those openly opposing reservations argue it would only bring urban
elite women to power. Hogwash. Remember, no quota has ever seen a homogenous
representation. But even if the argument were justified, are we to believe that
Indian women would like to be represented by the Akhilesh’s and Tejasvi’s than
by their urban sisters?
Look at the irony. India boasts of Indira Gandhi nicknamed ‘the only
man in her Cabinet’, many women Chief Ministers and thousands village Panchayat
heads. Yet all attempts to increase the fairer sex’s presence in Parliament and
State legislatures have miserably failed. Women account for less than 10% of
both Houses of Parliament.
In fact, women participation in electoral politics has remained more
or less stagnant in successive Lok Sabhas. It ranges between 19 and 62 woman MPs:
The present Lok Sabha has the highest till date 62 (11.3%), fifteenth had 58
(11%) twelfth 43 (7.6%), eleventh 40 (7.3%), the ninth 28 (5%) and sixth,
lowest with only 19 women members, 3.4% of the House. Also, our record for
sending women to Parliament is among the worst in the world. Out of 135 countries,
India stands at 105th. Sic.
What is the reason for such poor women representation? Attitudinal
inclination, their abhorrence for the rough and tumble of politics, lack of
opportunities or purely male dominance? All this and more. If the 60s ushered in an era of free
sex, burning the bra typified the emancipated 70s, the 80s measured equality
with right to abortion and the 90s replaced rights and equality with
empowerment.
In fact, women’s status has seen an evolutionary change over
centuries. Every generation and decade has tried to move one step closer
towards eradication of gender discrimination. But as a woman activist asserted,
“Women are slaves to men. To cook, feed, mother and warm their beds”. And this
persistence of gender inequality manifests from the low female-male ratio of
0.93, one of the lowest in the world. Preference for boys in fertility decision,
neglect and death of a girl child, gender gaps in literacy, lead the deficit of
women in a male-dominated society.
Arguably, it is precisely this gender distinction that results in lack
of women participation in politics, governance and economic activity. The Bill
on reservation in legislatures will only help bring women into the political
mainstream and give them tangible political and economic power in the context
of the emerging paradigm, assert feminists.
Indisputably, that there is a paucity of strong women in politics with
Party bosses often being reluctant to trust them with handling the rowdy
business of winning elections. There is also a certain neglect of women issues
in most elected bodies. But can a Bill correct centuries-old imbalances and
stigma against women? Will increased participation of women in the political
process lead to less female infanticide, fewer dowry deaths, bride burning and
trampling of female aspirations.
Experience shows that no amount of legislation has ended gender
discrimination. Stringent laws against sex discrimination have not led to any
decrease in crimes against a woman. Times out of number, the culprits go
scot-free or, at best, get set off with light punishment. Empowerment of women
has to come through the natural evolution of society. Instruments like
education and family planning should be used to end feminine poverty along with
legislation. Not just physical and outward application, but mental acceptance
that both males and females are on equal footing.
It remains to be seen whether talk of a new deal for women will end up
as nothing more than tokenism. In a country that ranks 114th among 134 in
gender disparities, it is imperative that we create a level-playing field. Good
governance is not gender-specific. The big challenge now for Mo-Ra is to take
the move forward, give a push for empowerment and ensure that benefits of the
Bill become a reality. Can we look forward to a naya daur? ---INFA
(Copyright, India News
& Feature Alliance)
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