It is reported in all newspaper and TV channels that India has eventually made history by passing Woman’s reservation Bill in Rajya Sabha on 9th of March 2010 despite unprecedented protest lodged by Lalu Yadav of Rashtriya Janta Dal, Mulayam Singh Yadav Samajwadi Party and Sharad Yadav,Janta Dal (U) and their party members in the Parliament against the content of the bill . UPA government led by Congress Party placed the bill in the Parliament and they got active support from even opposition parties like BJP, CPM, and many other regional parties and hence the bill could be passed by historic majority despite so many controversies involved with the introduction of 33% quota for woman in the Parliament and state assemblies. Throughout the country an image is being created by national parties like Congress party , BJP and CPM as if 33% quota for woman will empower woman of the country and change the fate of the country Almost entire media is celebrating passing of the bill as if quota for woman is the panacea for all diseases India is suffering.
This is worthwhile to mention here that even Constitution makers of India had thought it fit and wise to reserve certain seats for SC and ST for a limited period of ten years.Vetern political leaders and social activists who had played an active role in freedom struggle and got India’s Independence had in mind that people of these caste and tribes were very backward and hence their elected representative if reaches in Parliament and assemblies, they could give focused attention on the issues of SC and ST and people of these group will be brought in mainstream in ten years.
Unfortunately their dream could not come true despite the quota for SC and ST continuing for last 60 years. It is pity that despite their representatives in Top posts in the country and in various states, no improvement in their pathetic position has taken place during last sixty years although crores and crores of rupees is spent every year by all governments in different name for the upliftment of downtrodden class and Dalit class of the society. There is no doubt in it that the so called representative of SC and ST left no stone unturned to make their own life golden in the name of welfare of dalit people .Political messiah of dalit group made all efforts to accumulate maximum wealth for their own families at the cost of backward people of the society for which they were given the benefit of reservation in Parliament and state assemblies.
It is also bitter truth that political parties who claim to be messiah of SC and ST used them as vote bank and enjoyed the fruits of power but failed completely to mitigate the agony of people of these backward caste, shattered the dreams of Constitutional makers who provided quota for SC and ST for ten years
Rather poverty and backwardness increased year after year and V P Singh government in eighties passed an act providing additional quota for Other backward Castes (OBC) to the extent of 27% in addition to 22.5 % existing for SC and ST, Not only this, during last two decades of implementation of OBC quota numerous demands from numerous other caste groups in various states have been raised demanding separate quote for them. Political parties like RJD, SP, BSP, CPM,BSP who from to time shed crocodile tears for Muslims have raised demand for separate quota for Muslim community too. It is not that these parties are well wisher of Muslims but they firmly believe that Muslim votes are casted in block and if they succeed in garnering the support of Muslims, their victory in various elections in numerous constituencies will be guaranteed.
It is proved by sixty years of experience of quota that Indian politicians have used the quota for personal gain but the fate of really backward people have not changed. Majority of people of these caste groups as also of that of general caste are still constrained to lead a life almost like a beggar and they have not tasted the fruits of progress made by India on different fronts. India may become super power in the world or economic growth of the country may not be effected by global recession, but the standard of living of majority of Indians constituting at least 70 % of population is still very poor and their poverty is increasing year after year. I am unable to understand why our political leaders do not take lessons form the past mistakes and become ready to change the system which failed to improve the status of SC, ST, OBC inspite of quota fixed for them in all jobs and education institutes and despite billions of rupees spent for their development during last six decades.
It is known to all that Indian male politicians who dominate the society and who hold all valuable and powerful posts in the country could not reduce poverty, corruption and unemployment in the country but they definitely became rich and growing richer year after year. I do not hesitate to say that Quota for woman as provided in the Woman’s reservation bill is not going to bring about any change neither in the status of woman nor in the society or in the country as long as politicians do not change their mind set .Most of Indian woman who are confined in their homes, do not have administrative or political exposures and are constrained to lead a life of housewife.
Though there has been considerable improvement in education level of woman compared to man during last few decades, women in India by virtue of Indian culture are still next to their husband or male guardians in their families and they get mental satisfaction only after taking concurrence from their husband or male guardians. It is also possible many times that their decisions are overpowered by male guardian. Willingly or unwillingly this Indian culture is the maker of India and has played significant role in making India greater and greater in the world so far as the peace and stability of family life is concerned. In our country cases of divorce is not much as it is in other western Nations. We Indians have given woman a more dignified position in the society and give them more value and more love than foreigner give woman in their country and it is also true that woman extend their wholehearted support to their male willingly. This Indian culture helps in maintaining of social peace to a great extent. It is to be kept in mind that even nature has built woman that they to remain below the man to achieve the goal of maximum love. As such quota for woman is not going to make much difference and at least not as much as claimed loudly by political and media pundits.
I do not like to throw much light on status of woman in other countries but I firmly believe that woman in India are already empowered by dint of Indian culture. Proposed quota for women will not improve their status in any way; rather disturb peace in the society, create awkward scene in state assemblies and Indian Parliament until we nourish them and make them political fit to run the country. I do not mean to say here that there is paucity of able woman in the country but I apprehend that political pundits will utilize the proposed quota to introduce their wife, daughter in state assemblies and Parliament as they have been doing since Independence.
In our country Rabri Devi can be made Chief Minister of state not because she was an able lady but because she was wife of a dethroned corrupt Chief Minister and her husband Lalu Yadav. Even now most of woman representatives in the parliament or in state assemblies are belonging to families of powerful political male leaders.
Of course we have seen excellent woman leaders like Indira Gandhi and we have now leaders like Sushma Swaraj, Renuka Choudhury, Mayawati, Mamta Banerjee and so on. But these woman leaders have spent several years in politics and have acquired dignified status. After introduction of quota political parties will be forced either to give tickets to even incompetent and inexperienced woman candidates or else they will prefer their own wife or daughters in their area of operation. . As a result Parliament and state assemblies will be filled by woman of lesser capacity to participate in debate and discussion. Already we have seen during last few decades sharp fall and continuous fall in hours spent in debate and discussion in Parliament and state assemblies .There is no doubt that presence of incapable representatives, woman or man in such Hall of fame will make the debate a remote possibility, rather it will become a place of saying Ayes and Noes only.
It would have been better to make it mandatory for all political parties to have 40 to 50% as female members in their party and they are forced to increase number of tickets allotted to woman by five to ten percent in every election till they achieve the target of 33% . In this way they have the liberty to select capable woman from places where they are available and they will get time to prepare and nurture other woman candidate in other residual areas. In the days to come, government will have to give reservation for woman in job and educational institutes too. More and more woman IAS and IPS officers, woman armed forces, woman police forces, body guards and commandos will be needed to protect and support woman representatives in achieving the goal envisaged in Woman Quota Bill. Empowerment of woman cannot take place overnight by introduction of magic stick of quota. It is possible only in gradual manner with relentless effort in this direction to change the traditional mindset of Indian woman,
Quota of SC ST or OBC has created more chaos, caste conflict and confusion in the society. More and more claims for quota from different corners will arise including that from Muslims. There is no end to greed of getting easy money and easy power. Quota could not improve the benefited groups in the past and will not help the backward in future until wholehearted and sincere efforts are made to create merit in poor, backward and downtrodden class of our country uniformly and devotedly. With the help of Quota political pundits may prosper but not the real poor people.
It is undeniably true that Indian woman are preferred class and not discriminated class as alleged by advocates of woman quota. If we exclude negligible instances of torture against woman I think woman are already empowered class in Indian society. If protagonists of woman quota are of the view that mere existence of larger number of woman in legislative bodies or placing of woman on top post will cure the ailing system or help in welfare of woman, I think they are mistaken.
India has seen experienced female Prime Minister Indira Gandhi for 17 years and it is true that during her tenure also extraordinary measure were not taken for woman’s welfare and neither woman of India felt elevated in society merely by having a female PM or female President of India. Even now the state of UP is having female Chief Minister called as Mayawati and everyone in UP understands that she takes care of only her statue, her name , her park, her share in bribe , her caste and her image . Can anyone claim that during the tenure of Mayawati as Chief Minister there is any improvement of status of woman or there is any fall in instances of torture against woman?
We have several women’s colleges headed by woman Principal. Have they exhibited any charismatic result, at least better than their male counterpart? There are several police station manned by female candidates only, but lodgment of FIR is a rare phenomenon there too. There are numerous girls school and the level of study there is not invariably better than that male schools. What I mean to precipitate here that it is not a man or woman as a class which is good or bad. It is the quality of the person which is of much importance. There are several instances of woman making history in good work and similarly there are instances of failure of woman as head of any department in the same way as their counterpart man fails.
Lastly it is not the empowerment of SC or ST or OBC or Muslim or Woman which is of value, the real achievement and prosperity lies in the empowerment of the country and of all citizens of the country. Even our most respected Constitution has advised and envisaged in its religious chapters not to discriminate person on the basis of caste, community, region, religion or gender. It is painful that one after other discriminatory bills have been proposed and enacted by so called protectors of Constitution during last 60 years of freedom even sometimes going against the ruling of Supreme Court just to serve their political vested interest.
Danendra Jain
Ganaraj Choumuhani
Agartala
11th March 2010
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