Woman, in India is synonym of Durga, Saraswati, Laxmi- and if by
any chance she is outspoken or a rebellion she gets transform into Kali.
Encircled by adjectives and overburden by the expectations- within their limit
the women of India have set their own world.
Laxmi- This word every Indian, whether male or female- must have
heard or probably have used for girl with, what I say have ‘S’ factors- Sabhya,
Sushil aur Sundar. This form of girl quintessentially is the most sober and adorable
girl of your colony. And male’s terminology define it as the one who is quite
easy to victimized, to rule on and to dictate on. The best better half male
looks for.
Saraswati is one with extra factor- ‘Education’ but still should
have each and every possible qualities of Laxmi as well. Sounds bit burdensome.
Kudos to the ladies who have managed to play the dual roles in single yet small
life.
After the years of slavery, the women in India has fought
incessantly and wrested among the beeline of men to get the tenable position in
society. They actually know what nudging means!
Moreover, women got the right to vote in the year 1930 but
they are still not seen as a coveted constituency. The Election Commission
of India’s website proudly unveiled the statistical data of general election of
2014- out of 814 million voters; the commission has successfully enrolled 38
million (47.6 %) women to participate in the greatest festival of democracy.
Let me now give an overall view of the virtual participation of
women in the democracy of India-something beyond facts and statistical data. The
voters, undoubtedly resides in the rural India. They actually and truly vote
for their better future- be under the influence of money or power!
While my tour to Maner, 28 Kms west to Patna, Capital of Bihar-
for General Election (Pataliputra Constituency) was a journey towards the
walkway of the undemocratic power of women of the state. The Yadav dominated
Maner constitutes of 24 per cent of the voters. Singhwara, a small village
of not more than 80 houses seems to be progressive before I had words with the
women of the village. The women helping their husbands in fields, girls riding
bi-cycle, women carrying loads of harvested crops- a village where women were
enjoying the liberty of roving around with half-aanchal on their
head. While my cameraman was busy capturing the independent rural women, I
decided to stroll inside the narrow kacchi sadak. I saw an old wrinkled lady
making food on chulha. Anyways I approached her and asked – “Aap vote karengi
iss bar?” The shocked lady gave me a murderous look. I again interrupted her
from making her meal and repeated the question. “Haan denge”- she retorted.
Me: “accha ye bataiye, aapko kaun si party acchi lagti hai?”
Lady: “utna party ka naam nahi pata” . The lady actually didn’t
expect that even after her ignorance I would put up further question.
Me: “Thik hai. Kaun sa candidate accha lagta hai?”
Lady: “Lagta hai sehar se aayi ho. Tabhi itna sawal karti ho,”
Here came the much expected comment. “utna naam nahi pata. Ab kuch mat poochna,
bahut kaam hai. Jao”
And I was literally thrown out of the house. But the bottom line
was why she didn’t know the party or candidate name even after she must have
voted for more than 20 times.
I proceeded further. Saroja Devi, 29 year old lady was cuddling
her one and a half year son. She noticed me and gave me a stranger look. We
started chatting and she unveiled the voting behavior of the women of the
village. “We are not allowed to participate in any political chit chat. So we
don’t know the name of the candidates fielding for the election. On the polling
day, my father-in-law comes with a paper- on which the symbol of the party is
made, on which we are supposed to vote. Sometimes they even say the
chronological order of the party symbol on EVM machine to avoid any mistake,”
said Saroja Devi, whose husband works as a labor in Delhi.
Samphoola Devi, who was listening to our conversation added to
my information and mumbled- “In our village our husband or the male members
decide whom to cast vote. The situation in neighboring villages is pitiful. The
Bahubali or the local hooligan decides for the village where to vote.”
The women of Singhwara village were victims of Patriarchal
society and upbringing. They are ’Laxmi’.
After a set of short interactions with the rest of the women in
the village I along with my cameraman headed towards the busiest chowk of
Maner- Gauraiyasthan, which was the lone market of the nearby villages and
was claimed to be pretty ‘advance’ as per the villagers.
Nilkanth Tola, the village opposite to the market had much
female population but was not as much independent and liberal as Singhwara. In
search of women to talk about democratic drama I walked about half a kilometer.
Finally I found a femme brigade sitting beneath the tree to beat the scorching
heat. I tried to get mix in their group and we started our conversation.
The women here also followed the patriarchal trend of voting.
I saw a girl in black suit struggling with comb to get a tidy
hairdo hiding her behind the women from me. I asked her if she will vote or not
and came an odious reply- “Vote? Ladikyan vote nahi deti. Sirf aurat, mard
or ladke vote dete hain”
Reena further complained- “This year I tried to get my name
enrolled in the voter identity card list. But the officer sitting at the camp
office said that only married girl of the village will get the voter ID cards.
All the newlywed girls in my village have got their voter identity card.”
Reena turned 18 last year and is voter
of Nilkanth Tola, Goraiya Sthan, Ward no. 5, Maner.
Like Reena, there are almost 40 girls in the village who are
deprived of their Rights. Many of them are not even aware of the polling dates.
Kushum, a twenty two year old girl round the clock was watching
my activity. She was more impressed with the camera I was carrying than me. In
order to get into her comfy zone, I clicked her and ask her about the voting
dates. She reverted embarrassingly - “ Pata nahi kab vote dalna hai.
Meri shaddi hogi to hum bhi dalenge. Bhaiya log kabhi kabhi Misa Bharti ka naam
leta hai.” Kushum unaware of the candidates and the election symbols
still has note casted vote.
Sharing her experience she said- “The officers do not
consider us to be the member of the village. We are supposed to get married to
get our voter EPIC. I have not seen how the polling booth and machine looks
like. I am eagerly waiting to get married to get my voter ID card.”
Jitendra- brother of Kusum interrupted in between- “Madam, the
unmarried girls are not allowed to go to polling booth to cast vote even if
have their EPIC. The senior male members of the village do not allow girl to
step out of house and show their faces to more than 1000 men present on the
polling day. I know few girls from neighboring village who vote, but they are
considered to be bad by character,” added Jitendra.
Kusum and Reena and many several girls are deprived of their
constitutional right, waiting to get married for their EPIC. They are ‘Durga’–
they tried, struggled for their rights- but were shown their limitation very
next moment.
During my tour I visited the outskirts of the constituencies
including Nalanda, Patna Sahib and Muzaffarpur. The patriarchal voting trend
rules!
I came back to my place, filed my report. The way of
participation of women in democratic festival revealed the much claimed fake
women empowerment of the state and the country.
I called up my Granny who is an eye witness to Independence,
Emergency and JP movement. She was married at the tender age of 12 and started
voting at the age of 20. She is 86 now. “The women at my time were never asked
about our choices. I was bit privileged since my husband was an active
politician. The women were not allowed to vote. But gradually when the
politician understood the importance of vote, they allowed women to step out to
vote. But only women, no girls. And the men got another chance to rule us. They
decided where to vote for their better half. I think any reformation to empower
women has given one more chance to men to victimize women.”
Granny’s words were bitter but true!
My mother saw the polling booth after she was married. “When you
get married to any boy, willing or unwilling you have to adopt their culture,
tradition and even their voting behavior. I have voted for the party which my
in-laws said. We need a revolution- a woman should decide whom to cast their
individual votes.”
Like Saroja, Jawanti and Samphoola there are more than thousand
females who enjoy their right of casting vote, unaware of the fact that they
are being deprived of their decisive power. We are actually celebrating the
half naked truth of democracy.
Change is an understatement- we need revolution. This is the
time when we need palpable empowered Durga and kali.
The namby-pamby attitude won’t work anymore. A total revolution is call of an
hour, where women can roar back on men and enjoy the real feeling of casting
vote.
