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| Modi and women | | CM reinforces their traditional role | |
EVEN though the BJP is yet to make up its mind and act, Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi has already appointed himself its prime ministerial candidate and started his home work. Since businessmen are already eating out of his hand he is focusing on other vote-banks like youth and women.
On Monday Modi addressed the FICCI Ladies Organisation. Though he spoke to women industrialists, he did not treat them as such. They were “sisters and mothers” and he was a patronising patriarch, upholding the traditional view of an Indian woman as a self-sacrificing home-maker, a victim and a bread-earner. He did not discuss business ideas or government policies or explain where they can invest in Gujarat. He did not raise the issue of poor representation to women in decision-making in government or corporate boardrooms.
Instead, the Chief Minister regaled them with a few success stories from Gujarat: Jassuben taking on Pizza Hut by offering better pizzas or a cooperative of women achieving commercial success with “Lizzat Papad”. That he or his government had no role in their success is another matter. Selling the idea of women empowerment, Modi said his government had passed a Bill providing for 50 per cent reservation for women in the civic bodies but the Governor, a woman, had blocked the Bill. He was misleading the audience with half-truths. Governor Kamala Beniwal has actually welcomed reservations for women but opposed compulsory voting, which, she feels, is a violation of the principle of individual freedom under the Constitution.
Modi raised issues which he felt would interest women -- like female foeticide – but did not mention that under his chief ministership Gujarat’s sex ratio had deteriorated. Malnutrition and the maternal mortality rate are high. When asked to explain once, the Chief Minister blamed this on young women for being beauty conscious. A smooth talker, Modi selects his audience carefully, comes prepared and connects with listeners with a personal touch and an anecdotal style. But at the end, he is a politician. Whatever he says has to be taken with a pinch of salt. (Courtesy: The Tribune) |
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