Avtar Bhat
JAMMU, Dec 17: Though women constituted about half of total population, grant of 33 percent reservation in representative bodies like Parliament and State Assemblies has become only a buzzword as no political party is interested in giving justice to the fair sex.
Notwithstanding the claims made by various organizations regarding the women rights, the political parties in J&K like other parts of the country have failed to give due representation to women folk in the ongoing Assembly elections in the State.
As the Bill regarding grant of 33 percent reservation to fair sex is hanging in balance in the Parliament for last many years with political parties reaching no consensus on the issue, the mainstream political parties in J&K have also not given more than four to five percent reservation to women folk in Assembly elections. This revealed how insensitive the political system in the country is towards women folk and claims of granting equal rights to women at par with men are just a political gimmick has been a general opinion among the women in the State.
The failure of political parties in giving due representation to them while fielding candidates revealed that women have to still struggle for decades together to seek their rights, said Monika a B Tech Student.
The BJP, which is ruling at the Centre and claming to be the champion of women cause by giving due representation to them in organizational set up has also failed to give justice to them in the Assembly elections in the State. Not to talk of giving mandate to 33 percent women in the Assembly elections in the State, the Party has miserably failed to field more than five percent female candidates in the Assembly poll.
As per data of election authorities provided to Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) and JK Election Watch led by Balwinder Singh, out of 76 seats contested by the Party in the State it has given mandate to three female candidates and all of them are from the Kashmir Valley. The Party failed to field any female candidate from Jammu region which is its stronghold.
People’s Democratic Party (PDP) which is headed by a female (Mehbooba Mufti) as its president in the State has been more callous towards the fair sex as it has only fielded one candidate in Assembly poll. Asiea is the lone female candidate of the party, who is in the fray from Hazratbal Assembly segment, in Central Kashmir district of Srinagar.
The three BJP candidates included Dr Hina Shafi Bhat from Amirakadal in Srinagar, Dr Darakshan Andrabi from Sonawar Assembly Segment in Srinagar and Neelam Bashir Gaash, from Zadibal Assembly Segment in Srinagar district.
Congress, which is also headed by a woman as its national president is sailing in the same boat. The Party has fielded three candidates from the State though it is contesting all the 87 seats. Its candidates included Khem Lata Wakhloo from Sonawar Srinagar, Shameema Raina from Zadibal, Srinagar in Kashmir Valley and Suman Lata Bhagat from R S Pura, Jammu.
Even Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) which too is headed by a woman (Mayawati) as its national president has fielded one candidate in the Assembly elections. The Party has failed to give justice to women folk by fielding only one candidate in the Assembly elections in the State. Sheraz Begum is its candidate from Darhal Assembly Segment in Rajouri district of Jammu region.
National Conference (NC) however has been a bit sensitive towards the women cause as the party has fielded six candidates in the State which is double the number of Congress and BJP.
The Party candidates included Bimla Luthra from Jammu East, Assembly Segment, Sakina Itoo from Noorabad in Kulgam district of South Kashmir, Satwant Kour from Samba district, Shakti Bala from Chhamb in Jammu region, Shamim Firdous from Habbakadal Assembly segment in Kashmir Valley and Shamshad Bano from Gool Arnas in Reasi district of Jammu region.
Besides, the JKNPP has fielded two candidates, who included Anita Thakur from Gandhi Nagar Assembly Segment and Kesar Parveen from R S Pura Assembly Segment of Jammu region.
Among the total 29 women candidates in the fray Bhartiya Bahujan Party has fielded one candidate from Gandhi Nagar while SP has fielded three candidates and RPI one. Besides, there are seven independents in the fray.
Taniya Gupta Playback singer in Bollywood who hails from Jammu said it is unfortunate if the political parties in J&K have failed to give due representation to women in the selection of candidates. The women and men are two wheels of the society and no society can progress when one wheel becomes dominating over the other. She said the youth should come forward and raise their voice against this injustice towards women.
Prof Rita Jitender, a well known educationist said it is unfortunate that women despite having more talent than men are deprived of their due share. The women have proved to be good Prime Ministers, Chief Ministers, Governors as well as bureaucrats but still they are deprived of their due right by the male dominated society. Instead of giving 50 percent representation to women in all fields, the political parties have even failed to give them 33 percent representation in Parliament and State Assemblies which is a cause of concern, she added.
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