Politics is male fiefdom-women need a capstan to sail in the deep water of politics. Will the status change or it'll go like that unabated?

     It is an agony and irony of our time that women are treated just as a clog in the machine of family and society not the essential part of it, let this concept of inequality put on hold for the sake of discussion, for the time being and discuss the matter of women  in larger prospective. It is extremely derogatory and insulting for the women and glaring to note that in the end of first quarter of 21st century., women are treated as if subjugate not equal. It is more degusting when it is heard from the mouth of a lawmaker that they are worthless and incapable to pull the exigencies of politics even if they come from the established political family. Recently a strange and misogynistic statement appeared in the columns of newspapers and  broadcasted on electronic news media that women are not capable to spearhead the political legacy. Perpetuator of this distasteful and anti women statement was not an ordinary man but a four time elected member of parliament from Hisar and had been an MLA of state assembly on three occasions, Sh. Jai Prakash aka JP.  He considers himself a great political strategist and claims to know the pulse of  electorates. The comment was made by him against Smt. Kiran Chaudhary, a four time MLA from Haryana and once in Delhi and her daughter who is a daughter of tall political leader of Haryana till his death in a plane crash, Sh. Surender Singh and grand daughter of Sh. Bansi Lal, the third Chief Minister of Haryana and considered as architect of modern Haryana. 

    Making a political statement is the right of any politician or even of an ordinary national. Freedom of speech is guaranteed in the fundamental rights enshrined in the constitution of India. Moreover, to make a point out of incidents happening around is expected from an MLA or MP. Making a reference to an incident of change or switch over of a fellow political leader to some other political party with vested interest and political gain is genuine and worth criticism. In fact, its not the first incident, every now and then, political leaders cross over to other political dispensation, sometime by their own sweet will for their own gain or compelled by the rival ruling party to cross over for the political and tactical move of that party and now it has become a norm of the today's political scenario. The MP throwing a salvo against his opponent has crossed over many a time through defection. It is a common belief of the most of  ordinary people of Haryana including his supporters that he can do anything for the maintenance of his political existence and for retaining political ground. The political environment of India today has reached at the lowest ebb where people forgotten  to notice who is in which political party because bourgeoise political parties have lost the ideological distinction. A new term has been coined to justify their disdain philosophy 'home coming' . It is beyond understanding for what this hue and cry.

    But the comment of Sh. Jai Prakash, recently elected MP from Hisar fourth time that 'political legacy of Bansi Lal can't be sustained by women in our patriarchal society where women are not considered heir'. The comment is highly objectionable and obnoxious, against the dignity and self-esteem of women, disgraceful and disrespectful for the women at large. It is the reflex of skewed, feudalistic and patriarchal mindset to favour the males in society and in particular of political arena and a deliberate and conscious outburst to put the women and girls at the lowest pedestal of social hierarchy. It can't restricted merely a political statement. It is the orchestrated and  well thought discourse of a section of political leadership across the political spectrum of today's. It's the reflection of male psych to preserve the order of male dominance in every sphere and walk of life.  

    It is a blatant tendency to revert the gains of women's emancipation, multifaceted journey, spanning at least two centuries to bring social, cultural and political changes. This mindset is the negation of  social, educational and legislation  reforms perpetuated by social reformist like Mahatma Phule, Raja Ram Mohan rai, Ishwar Chander Vidyasagar etc. for the change and improve the status of women in Indian Society. Women's participation in freedom struggle was encouraged and assimilated by the leaders acknowledging the fact that women constitute the half of the society. Leaders like Sarojini Naidu, Kasturba Gandhi, Kamladevi Chatopadhyay were actively involved in freedom struggle. Durga Bhabhi was an integral part of the Indian Independence Movement spearheaded by Bhagat Singh who played a significant role for the escape of Bhagat Singh from Amritsar in 1919. For involving in decision making and to enhance political participation in local bodies, 73rd and 74th amendment was made in constitution. A piquant demand is constantly and consistently raised to extend the reservation of seats for women in legislatures. 

    India has witnessed the great women politician such as Sarojini Naidu, Sucheta Kriplani, Vijaya Laxmi Pandit, Aruna Asif Ali, Indira Gandhi, J. Jailalitha, Mamta Banerjee, Sonia Gandhi, Pratibha Patil, Sushma Swaraj, Brida Karat,to name a few and numerous others. The representation of women in parliament and state assemblies dwindle between 10-15% and not more than 20% at anytime. The lesser representation of women in legislatures is the outcome of lesser opportunities provided to women to contest the elections. The Indian parliamentary system  and societal mindset is  attuned in such a manner that women can't participate in the political decision making. 

    As of today, out of 195 counties of world, only 27 countries where women serve as Heads of State and/or Government. Just 18 countries have a woman Head of State, and 15 countries have a woman Head of Government. Only 26.9 per cent of parliamentarians in single or lower houses are women, up from 11 per cent in 1995. Only six countries have 50 per cent or more women in parliament in single or lower houses: Rwanda (61 per cent), Cuba (56 per cent), Nicaragua (54 per cent), Andorra (50 per cent), Mexico (50 per cent), New Zealand (50 per cent), and the United Arab Emirates (50 per cent). Women hold 36 per cent of parliamentary seats in Latin America and the Caribbean and make up 33 per cent of parliamentarians in Europe and Northern America. In sub-Saharan Africa, there are 27 per cent of women legislators, followed by Eastern and South-Eastern Asia with 23 per cent, Oceania with 20 per cent, Central and Southern Asia and Northern Africa and Western Asia where, in both regions, women make up 18 per cent of women Members of Parliament.

    As per a UN report, women represent 23.3 per cent of Cabinet members heading Ministries, leading a policy area.  There are only 15 countries in which women hold 50 per cent or more of the positions of Cabinet Ministers leading policy areas. The five most commonly held portfolios by women Cabinet Ministers are Women and gender equality, followed by Family and children affairs, Social inclusion and development, Social protection and social security, and Indigenous and minority affairs.

    In recent concluded elections in India, the number of women contesting general elections has increased from 2.9 per cent in 1957 to nearly 10 per cent in 2024.This marked a steady increase from previous elections, 7 per cent in 2009, 8 per cent in 2014, and 9 per cent in 2019. The success rate of women contestants has varied over the decades. The 18th Lok Sabha (2024) had 74 women elected MPs in Lok Sabha which is over 13.62 per cent of the lower house. although strength marginal dropped from the 17th Lok Sabha, which had the highest female representation at over 14 per cent.

    It is apparent that most of the representation of the  females in parliament, particularly in Lok Sabha is of political lineage or purported by established political families and a select few represents the tinsel world. Ordinary Indian has a remote chance to enter the parliament or state legislature, what to say of women against whom citadel of second fiddle has been erected.  The perpetuation and spearhead of a campaign against women by the politician like Jai Prakash will have a cascading effect. This time it happened in public but it is continuing  unabated in the hindsight in the social milieu. The more distressing is to note that no leader of a stature of big political parties come forward to condemn the malicious and undignified posture taken by an elected representative of one of the biggest and oldest party which has elected 5 women presidents  in Annie Besant, Sarojini Naidu, Nellie Sengupta, Indira Gandhi (twice) and Sonia Gandhi (for 20 long years). 

    It seems that political will to emancipate the women from the cudgel of feudalistic and regressive traditional approach which exist in the form of patriarchal mindset is lacking or just for the lip service to garner the votes. Women are not the living entity but the things, they are not the partner for making progress and advancement of the society but simply a partner in sharing bed and produce the children preferably male to run the ancestry of family and pseudo pride, women can not be considered as torch bearer of their family in general and political family in particular. It is just not a political statement but a skewed mindset against the women and girls to show them their real place in today's Haryana in particular and India in general. No voice of dissent is the testimony of it. Is this was the vision of Indian constitution and democracy!

        What B. R. Ambedkar observed and wished for the women is still a distant dream in the field of women emancipation who emphatically said while putting the Hindu Code Bill on the table of parliament for discussion "I measure the progress of community by the degree of progress which women have achieved." 

 

Choice of mate selection : a forbidden outcry for girls in general and in particular of Haryanavi girls

We are in the closing of first quarter of 21st century. India has attained its political independence more than 75 years ago. It is claimed that we are the largest democracy in the world. We were 33 crore in 1947 and now our number swelled to 142 crore, of which approximately half is constituted by women. The political independence has opened the gates of economic, educational, cultural and gates of liberal thoughts to the women also to some extent, if not equivalent to their men counterparts. Certainly, position has improved significantly in the social milieu too. The constitution and many legislations and, statues have proved to advance the intervention of women in almost all walks of life. She is not the same as that of during the period of pre-independence or early part of the post- independence. Generally she is placed better in most parts of the country if compared to the early years of independence. At the same time she is also having harrowing experience in her personal life, if only the disbursement of economic benefits are considered. She is more poorer and has lesser reach of the meagre benefits of the economic development reaches the common man compared to her male counterparts within the bracket of family. She is dependent upon the men of her family for money or anything that can be bought by the money. It is a fact that she is equal partner of his man in earning these meagre and insignificant monies by hard toiling and shouldering without any complaints with men of her family. She works in factories, mines, agriculture fields, offices, domestic help- a newly created venture for her which is almost 100% reserved for her, she contributes equally in begging and solely made to engage in selling her limb in the treacherous flesh market. In nutshell, she is equal partner in any of the economic activity. Although, some specific fields are solely reserved for her. 

     When it comes to give her back the dividends what limited has attained in the form of whether it is education, health access, nutrition, dignified living, share in decision making etc. she is erased mercilessly what may be the strata of the society. She is reduced to a tool to garner money through her labour potential, to warm the beds of her man, produce children, gratify the social ego of men being his as that of inherited or acquired property, she is made the symbol of honour which ironically not rest for herself as a woman. She is victim of female foeticide and if survives somehow, subjected to ills of any proportion. She is akin to weed that grow in agriculture fields with economic crops. To kill it though insecticides or pesticides and if even if survive, uprooted. She is that weed, on survival, decorate the platter to supplement the food to appease the taste buds. 

  Now the girls have a limited access to education what may if it is not at the level of boys but as the basic character of education, it makes one to think, analyze and create different many permutations and combinations of possible outcomes. Education has potential to activate the mental faculties of the person who has access to it, least maters the medium and it was accessed through. This nuance of education has made the girls to think and make decisions for themselves. It’s the other thing that in most cases they are unable to implement for their own benefits and good, if those are in contrary to so-called social norms. Girls of any strata of society are indulging in making such decisions for themselves for decades but in most cases they cannot afford to share with their parents or the family at least if those are pertain to choice of mate for them. For the larger part of social development and churning, they toed the line of thought and pronouncement of their elders and meekly succumbed to those dictates without saying a word and accepted those as their fate. This succumbing is glorified in vernacular tales, stories, kisse-kahaniyan and the film and television media not fend itself far behind in eulogizing this idea. Last decade is witnessed the shrinkage of world on alarming fast pace on the invent of internet, development of social media, easy reach to so-called obstinate and obscure contents which were highly restricted or can say no reach at all. Now everyone of any age segment can read, view and explore every possibility and have easy access to it. Today’s individual’s privacy is public. How can girls of any social milieu be put under iron curtain? This revolution in information technology has made its reach to girls not only of affluent section of society but also to the girls growing in the small non-descript rural hamlets even in far flung areas miles away from the cities and towns. The invention of the information technology was for the galvanize the economic development which it definitely fetched for the nations and societies across the world but it is the fact that it has given equally a potent weapon in the hands of creators of social media platforms like Mark Zuckerberg, Elon Musk and numerous others to reap the rich harvests of money which is in the pocket of common man. 

  What may be said of the ills of social media but none can deny the fact of its immense reach to young minds who not only explored it for creating connections world wide and allow themselves to be influenced by the alien cultures and in turn influenced the people who are coming in their contacts. Certainly, good effects have primacy of little ill one. Today, world has reduced into a global village where one can easily converse, talk and exchange knowledge and information without any hurdle. Today, all kind of information is available on one’s computer, laptop, tab, e-book and so many other gadgets. More interestingly, it is available on one’s 6” screen of mobile phones which are as if pocket dynamite. Alfred Nobel invented the dynamite to usher the new potential for human development and growth but it was used equally for the destruction by making atom bumbs. Likewise, IT inventions have changed the face of modern world. This new revolution has broken the inertia of thought process and interpersonal linkages. 

  Things are changing fast at world stage which are inclusive in nature and thereby, affecting the mindset, thought process, view towards life, personal independence, decision making for the self and how to use the physical body. The girls in general and girls of rural Haryana cannot remain aloof and alien. They have their own thought for their life and here the real duel raises its head. Social development lagged far behind if compared the thought process of young minds. The culture and social structure in rural Haryana is still spearheaded by the dictates of khaps or local self-styled so-called hegemonial leaders and families living therein are explicitly influenced by this behaviour, rather they are part of this  feudalistic approach and allow such elements to influence and decide the fate of their children when they choose some different path for their life. Its more true if girl is raising head. The whole system come forward laced with the false slogan of honour and pride of the society and forces and compels the girl to toe the line. If she resists it, her wellbeing, dignity and honour to her bodily sacrament is in danger and in most cases she becomes the victim who cannot say even a single word regarding what has been meted to her. The cases of honour killing are regularly occuring in different parts of Haryana. As per newpapers reports, 24 cases of honour killing reported in year 2019, 8 in 2020, 5 in 2021 whereas 3 and 7 in 2022 and 2023 respectively. These figures contemplate the ugly face of our society. However, how many cases gone unreported, none has an idea. 

  Glaring to note that when a girl somehow able to contact the police or women protection units which are working under different nomenclature through the Helplines, the response is very pathetic and frightening. Instead of rendering the timely help to save her and her dignity as a women, in most cases, she is looked upon as a rogue and ill character woman/girl, despite the fact that most of such units and agencies are led by women.  Although there is no surprise in it as they are the carrier of feudalistic and patriarchal thought and on the very first instance, advise the girl to surrender before the will of the society by citing different many moral lessons of varied hues. Interestingly, they are akin to the alternate host for the parasites to survive the parasite in the time of adverse situations. The police or women protection units are responsible to subvert the novel path adopted by a girl to decide for herself and her body. The girl who taken courage to fight the odds of the society and her family is made a harried lot to fend for herself or become a victim in the hands of someone else who comes in the garb of help or compel her to surrender before the system that will treat her as a thing and pose an example for the others. What may be the hurdles, the progress and growth imbibed by the girls through education and profound and vigorous body of knowledge accessed through new tools of information technology cannot be tamed for the indefinite time. One after the other girl will choose and challenge this rotten system for garnering of the basic right to decide for her life and how she wihses to use her body. No barrier in the shape of feudalistic and patriarchal approch will succeed in her fight which is demanding a small thing and that is the right to live her life as per wishes.