‘Women to remain political extras in male monopolies’

The flag-waving, activist-member of the CPM’s women’s wing, the All-India Democratic Women’s Association (AIDWA), Brinda Kara...

The flag-waving, activist-member of the CPM’s women’s wing, the All-India Democratic Women’s Association (AIDWA), Brinda Karat, could smash the bourgeois contempt for the ‘‘mahila mandal’’ types in a jiffy. With stout conviction, Karat lashes out at the duplicity exhibited by the political class on the ill-fated Women’s Reservation Bill. She takes on the Prime Minister, Sushma Swaraj, Laloo Yadav and Uma Bharti, on the new proposal of double member constituencies in place of one-third representation in the original Bill. Excerpts from an interview by Vrinda Gopinath.

You and several women’s organisations have sent a letter to the PM condemning the alternative proposal where all 180 parliamentary seats to be reserved for women will be converted into double member constituencies?
It is for the first time in parliamentary history where the NDA government wants to withdraw its Bill (Women’s Reservation) before it goes to vote. The BJP and the PM’s new proposal is insulting to women because it creates two classes of MPs. One, the privileged class, where a male member has independent right to represent his constituency and two, the under-class, where the woman elected to represent her reserved constituency will have to do so with another member. The message is clear, women will remain political extras in powerful, male monopolies.

Double membership did exist in the 50s in SC/ST reserved seats?
Clearly the same arguments were advanced for the SC/STs as they are today for women’s reserved seats. Would any government today, dare demand double membership for the SC/ST seats? It was abolished in 1961, by an act of Parliament, as it was found to be flawed and harmful to democratic processes.

When was this proposal raised?
It was first raised by the BJP at its national executive in Chhattisgarh, a few months ago, then the PM mentioned it in his I-Day speech and later, during the no-confidence debate.

But Sushma Swaraj has been a champion of the Women’s Bill?
Sushma is very much party to the new proposal. She is a member of the BJP.

You said it is harmful to democratic processes?
Yes, it gives dominant, national parties two seats for one. Voting pattern studies in double member constituencies all over the world have shown that voters cast their vote for the same symbol for both members. A national party can thus choose a winning parliamentary constituency for the reserved seat and legitimately put two candidates and win two seats instead of one. This is particularly unfair to regional parties which now play a dominant role in national politics, as the new proposal is a useful method to create majorities and form governments. And, even if it is the Election Commission which decides the reserved seats, there is scope for manipulation in choosing strong, winning seats.

Opponents to the original Women’s Bill use the same argument that it is a method to increase upper caste representation through women’s reserved seats. OBC leaders like Mulayam, Laloo and even the BJP’s Uma Bharti have said they want reservation for OBC women within the Bill?
In Parliament today, the single largest group is represented by OBC men. The post-Mandal mobilisation has broken the upper caste monopoly, but obviously, Laloo and Mulayam do not want to share the benefits with OBC women. Why can’t OBC women candidates be nominated instead of men in some of these seats?

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Because they are happy the caste composition has changed but would not like the gender composition to change. Uma knows this well but she is using this for a different purpose — she is looking at OBC male voters and assisting her party. To try and tag these objections to the bill is clearly sabotage.

How do you plan to mobilise opinion against the proposal?
It depends on the NDA allies to stall the BJP’s efforts to withdraw the original bill and bring in the new one. We have already written to regional parties like the AIADMK, DMK and TDP. I believe politics is about ideology not biology.