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| For floor discipline, give tickets to women | | | NIRBHAY JAMMUAL
JAMMU, Nov 1: Though the process of giving tickets for contesting the forthcoming Assemly election in Jammu and Kashmir by various political parties is yet to be completed, initial reports indicate continued bias against the fair sex. This gender bias has been there right from the first election that was held in the state in 1951.The bias has been there whether it was national Conference or the Congress in power in the state. After the Government added two more seats to the Assembly it provided an opporunity for women to get berth in the House. But just two nominated women do not represent the over 45 per cent female population in the state. Yes, the two women could electrify the proceedings in the House. And when the system of giving nomination to two women was introduced most of the legislators were seen coming to the House well dressed .They were seen on their feet while participating in the question or zero hour.It was done simply to impress the two women members, even if they had crossed the age of being attractive and charming. The case is similar to the Lok Sabha. On three occasions women were elected to the Lok Sabha from the Kashmir valley. Begum Akbar Jahan, wife of Sheikh Abdullah, had woon the Srinagar Lok Sabha seat in 1977 and the Anantnag seat in 1984.Since then only Ms Mehbooba Mufti, PDP President ,has been able to hold high the flag for the fair sex when she got elected to the Assembly twice.First from Anantnag in 1996 and then from Pahalgam in 2002.Later she got elected to the Lok Sabha in the byelection caused by Mufti Sayeed's resignation as he had to contest the Assembly election after becoming the Chief Minister in November 2002.
When compared to the Kashmir valley there have been bigger number of women from Jammu having got elected to the Assembly and among them are included Suman Bhagat,Swaranlata,Gurcharan Kumari Raina,Kanta Andotra etc.Whenever the schedule for the election is announced various political parties talk of women empowerment,equal share to women and so on.But when it comes to the allotment of party tickets all the parties are misers.Their leaders have fears that the male voters,whose number is higher than the women electors,may not be moved by the hip curves, curly hair,fair skin or buxom bosom of women candidates.Exceptions apart, male voters are invariably stung by inferiority complex.Others continue to believe that "women are for the hearth and men for the field."This fear and feeling have gripped senior leaders of various political parties despite the fact that they have made a beginning by introducing 33 per cent reservations in the elections of the Panchayat committees.Since it was a beginning made by the National Conference Government not many women candidates entered into the poll fray because some of them felt coy in rubbing shoulders with men and others were plagued by fear psychosis.One wishes the Government carves out at least 10 constiteuncies which could be reserved for women.Once this is done one could enoy the deliberations in the Assembly amid a flock of butterflies.This could force the loud mouthed male members to remain disciplined.They could be motivated to do a lot of homework before coming to the House so that they do not cut a sorry figure in front of women member. |
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