Brij Bhardwaj
The empowerment of women, which had been ignored by our lawmakers for nearly three decades, has now acquired new urgency as women have become a sizable power in deciding election outcomes. Whichever side gets more women to vote for them wins. This was established when Lok Sabha polls took place in 2019 and has been reaffirmed in elections to State Assemblies in Himachal Pradesh and Karnataka in 2023. Election trend savvy politicians could not ignore these signals, and so a race has started to woo women.
The Congress Party in Karnataka gave a monthly allowance as well as free travel in state-run buses to women below the poverty line. The allowance and benefits have been improved in poll promises in states like Rajasthan and Telangana, which will be going to polls soon… Not to be left behind in the race to woo women, the BJP Government has decided to revive a three decade old proposal for the reservation of 33 percent of seats for women in Lok Sabha and State Assemblies.
A bill to this effect was passed by the Rajya Sabha 27 years ago but it could not get the approval of the Lok Sabha as many parties were opposed to it. A revised proposal will now be moved in the special session of Lok Sabha. This time it has the support of the NDA and the majority of parties in India. As such, support from two thirds of the members present is assured, alongside an assurance of a vote in both houses of Parliament. Both the ruling party and the opposition want to take credit for this: the ruling party for reviving the old proposal and the Congress in opposition for having first moved it long ago.
Women will not benefit from it for many years. Besides the Parliament, the bill will also have to get the approval of half of the State Assemblies. Implementation will be considered only after the delimitation of constituencies. If this process starts in 2025 it will be completed in about two years’ time. So the best bet is that the benefit of it will be available in the poll for the Lok Sabha in 2029. In the meantime, both sides will continue to give other benefits to women like more gas cylinders for Rs 500 and free travel facilities.
In the coming elections, two sections of our society which had been neglected so far, women and backward classes, particularly the poor among them, will receive special attention. Members of OBC communities have also been promised loans without security for starting small production units. To start with, they will get a loan of Rs 1 Lakh without security, and in case they are able to repay this loan, they will get a new loan of Rs 2 Lakhs. This is in addition to loans being offered for building toilets and houses.
Another area which is getting attention is education. All States are trying to set up special schools with facilities like good buildings, well equipped labs, and qualified teachers. Students are also being given loans. Farmers are another sector who are being promised high procurement prices, loans, as well as free electricity and water for irrigation. With this race, elections will certainly be interesting.
There will, however, be pressure on the state and central budgets due to the increased spending on welfare schemes. Unless this is accompanied by better collection of taxes and a stop to wasteful expenditure, the budgets of the states and the union Government will come under stress which can lead to high inflation. There is also a serious threat posed by climate change which is causing damage through changes in weather patterns, leading to an increased frequency of floods and droughts.
India is entering an interesting phase where voters are demanding more and politicians will have to change to meet the aspirations of the growing population in these difficult times. They will need to use new techniques like using better quality seeds to help in making the seasons for crops shorter as well as improving their yield. The same will have to be done on the industrial front.
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