women for 33.5%

Gender equality or bias
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Some sixty years ago the constitution ensured that fundamental rights would be granted to all and sundry and that no inequality would be allowed in terms of wages, opportunities and justice. Though this remains the bonafide line of action and belief, how much equality we encounter in society is for all to see. What then prompts our female parliamentarians to infer that 33.5% would do the trick for us? Are we not undermining the struggle that people irrespective of gender have undertaken not just to survive but also to live rightfully.
It has indeed been a hectic week for all of those who rooted for, stood by, stood against or just stood agape watching the proceedings inside and outside the parliament. The allegations were hurled the questions were asked and the speeches were made but none seemed to have asked the pertinent question- about the women who lead underprivileged lives who slog day in and day out to feed huge families. The families continue to be large because no one ever told them that they had options. I think they need to be empowered directly and not through representatives in parliament.

I am given to believe that the lot of woman can improve because more women will be elected to parliament, as more tickets will be given to them- this being the premise for the women’s bill to be tabled, I would like to think that the men’s lot improved because there were more men in the parliament…………. But is that the truth, the whole truth.

The fact, that women need to be in fuller numbers in the parliament to have a say in parliament and governance is to say the least, flimsy grounds for making way for more like minded feminists into the parliament. Not many would disagree that the people in the parliament hardly ever ponder ‘seriously’ over ‘serious’ issues. And if at all they choose to speak, those moments are but rare where we the taxpayers are watching with bated breath for the words of wisdom to tumble out of these so-called representatives and lo! it’s a blink and you can miss it saga, where like I said the moment is transient and rarely repeated. What women’s issues will be tackled when we have more women in parliament is beyond my comprehension.
… if at all there is any cause for celebration it should be for the fact that educated and semi literate Indian women have been contributing to the GDP growth, have become active partners through social agencies like NGO’s and have been elected to panchayats and other local bodies for the work that they have done. Women over the past fifteen years have become fiercely independent go-getters and are increasingly being recruited by major private and public agencies and all this without the reservation, that we now assume will help to forward their cause
In this day and age when we talk of breaking barriers, the metro sexual phenomenon, researches on male pregnancies the hope for a pregnancy without men, cloning, (the lesbian, gay, transvestite upsurge notwithstanding) we are celebrating reservation on the basis of gender! We strongly feel we are equal to men but the world is ruled by men so we need reservations- what bigger way could there be to reaffirm the myth that men are stronger and to top it we celebrate the moment as the “first in the world”. No wonder we never heard one congratulatory note from the female fraternity around the world…so we need to rethink what we need not what we want. It would not hurt many sentiments if I was to say…… ……………
Move over – the age of feminists is clearly over. It is the age of the confident corporate boss, the time of the successful entrepreneur and the moment of the teenaged exam toppers who were never told that their brothers were more powerful than them… And yes the answers to the pertinent question ……… give them (boy sand girls) education, free, fair and complete… the rest…as it is said will be history… -Nidhi Mishra