Well there is much merit in the demand for 33 per cent reservation for women in state assemblies and Parliament.
The three-day parliament session on April 16, 17 and 18 will create history.
There may be still some hurdles - major, minor and technical ones. Remarkably women in India began to play a key role in politics and governance long before they have done so in the US or Britain. Americans are yet to get their first woman president though its democracy is 250 years old.
Indira Gandhi became India's Prime Minister in 1966. In Britain, Margaret Thatcher became PM for the first time only on May 4th, 1979.
 |
| Thatcher and Indira Gandhi |
She was in office till 28 November 1990. She was the first female Prime Minister, leading the Conservative Party to three consecutive election victories (1979, 1983, 1987) and becoming the longest-serving British Prime Minister of the 20th century.
As a progressive nation, India can justifiably feel proud over the position enjoyed by Indian women despite some serious social challenges in some parts of the country. But it is also true that women are also under represented in Parliament and state assemblies. It is sad but true male chauvinism still persists and Netas with feudal mindset may still think of ways and means to scuttle the historic move.
A few near historical political decisions vis-a-vis empowerment came out of political compulsions. Sonia Gandhi was offered the coveted post of the office of the president of more than a century old Congress party first when Rajiv Gandhi was killed - in 1991. This happened when she was grieving and was a reluctant widow.
But in 1998; on 14th March, she became AICC president after Sitaram Kesri was ousted in a bloodless coup. Sonia held on to the office till December 16, 2017.
She again took charge of the party affairs in August 2019 after Rahul Gandhi stepped down owning moral responsibility for party's defeat in May elections.
The Congress party gave India's first two women chief ministers - Sucheta Kriplani (Uttar Pradesh) and Nandini Satpathy (Odisha).
Mamata Banerjee, Uma Bharti, Anandiben Patel, Vasundhara Raje and Rabri Devi have been only woman chief minister(s) of their respective states.
Delhi has had three women CMs so far - Sushma Swaraj and Rekha Gupta of BJP while Sheila Dikshit was CM for 15 years heading Congress government. Sushma Swaraj also served as I&B Minister under Vajpayee and foreeign minister between 2014 and 2019 under PM Narendra Modi.
The RJD under Lalu Prasad had made his wife Rabri Devi chief minister in 1997 when following adverse court verdict Lalu had to resign.
 |
| Sonia Gandhi with King and Queen of Bhutan |
J Jayalalitha in Tamil Nadu, Mayawati in UP, Rajinder Kaur Bhattal in Punjab and Janaki Ramachandran also in Tamil Nadu were chief ministers in their respective states.
Assam gave India's only woman chief minister Syeda Anwara Taimur as a Congress leader.
In Tamil Nadu, Ammakutty Swaminathan was a social worker and political activist during India's independence movement and also had become a member of the Constituent Assembly.
 |
| Ms Swaminathan |
Aruna Asaf Ali (16 July 1909 - 29 July 1996) attained popularity for hoisting the Indian National Congress (party) flag at the Gowalia Tank Maida in Bombay during the Quit India Movement of 1942. She was honoured with the highest civilian award Bharat Ratna posthumously in 1997.
Sonia Gandhi's estranged sister in law and wife of Late Sanjay Gandhi is certainly a battle scarred politician. A fierce fighter she served as a minister under Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Narendra Modi.
Maneka Gandhi was also a key member of the V.P. Singh government (1989–1990), serving as the Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Environment and Forests.
Tail piece
Indira Gandhi and Pak military ruler Yahya Khan
Perhaps none paid for the folly of underestimating Indira dearly than the Pak military ruler Yahya Khan. He had boasted to a group of western journalists "If that woman thinks she is going to cow me down ....I refuse to take it."
This was on Nov 27, 1971. Within two weeks the general had lost the war and Pakistan lost its eastern wing - now called Bangladesh.
 |
| Gen Yahya Khan |
ends
No comments:
Post a Comment