South parties smile: Been there,done it

In sharp contrast to the opposition to the Womens Reservation Bill by satraps of the Hindi heartland,major political parties from South India....

In sharp contrast to the opposition to the Womens Reservation Bill by satraps of the Hindi heartland,major political parties from South India whether it is arch rivals AIADMK and DMK in Tamil Nadu or the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) in Andhra Pradesh and even the Muslim League in Kerala have happily supported the legislation.

This despite the fact that almost all of them are in favour of an OBC and Dalit sub-quota in the 33 per cent reservation. The competitive politics in their home states have left them with little option but to support the legislation now and campaign for inclusion of the quota later.

It is no secret that successive governments in Tamil Nadu have played the women card to the hilt. Whether it is the DMKs decision to give equal rights to women in ancestral properties or providing 30 per cent quota for them in government jobs or the all-women police stations and the cradle baby scheme to prevent female infanticide introduced by the AIAMDK,the competition was much visible.

Story continues below this ad

Adding to the fact is that both the Dravidian parties were not worried like their counterparts in Bihar or Uttar Pradesh where almost all the parties are against the Bill about upper caste politicians cornering the seats allocated to women.

The backward and most backward classes constitute over 65 per cent of the population in Tamil Nadu,and even now majority of the cadre base of both these parties as well as their MPs and MLAs belong to the backward classes. Both AIADMK and DMK have made it clear that they want OBC sub-quota but would prefer the Bill to see the light of day first.

There is a historical perspective to the support for the Bill in Tamil Nadu. As early as in 1929,Periyar had talked of providing equal rights to women in ancestral properties, DMK MP T K S Elangovan said.

Since Tamil Nadu has provided 33 per cent quota for women in local bodies over a decade ago,AIAMDK and DMK are not much worried about finding suitable women candidates. We want the Bill to be passed first. Demands including sub-quota can be looked into later, AIADMKs V Maitreyan said.

Story continues below this ad

The situation is similar in Andhra Pradesh. In fact,it was TDP founder N T Rama Rao who,for the first time in the country,brought in nine per cent reservation for women in local bodies. The successive TDP and Congress governments also vied with each other to announce schemes for women.

Even during the Assembly elections last year,while the late chief minister,Y S Rajasekhara Reddy,announced Abhay Hastam,a monthly pension scheme for women members of self help groups who have crossed the age of 60,TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu promised to pay cash to female members of all the families. But TDP leaders admit that the party till some time ago was echoing the SPs demand for sub-quota for OBCs and Dalits.