SUNDAY, MAY 19, 2024
ROBIN ROY
Ironically, the first time the Women’s Reservation Bill was referred to in Parliament…it was done by the United Front Government of H D Deve Gowda in 1996 as the 81st Amendment Bill.
And almost 28 years later, the matter of women’s honour and pride have returned to haunt the Gowda family.
Unfortunately, the Bill had lapsed then as Lok Sabha was dissolved. The issue was brought up again in 1998, 1999, 2002 and 2003 but in vain.
However, on September 21, politicians passed the first legislation considered in the country’s new Parliament building: the Women’s Reservation Bill, 2023. The bill, which passed in both Houses of Parliament almost unanimously—with just two votes against—would ensure that women occupy at least 33 per cent of the seats in State Legislative Assemblies and the Lok Sabha.
It may be recalled that the Chief Election Commissioner while announcing the world’s biggest electoral festival of democracy celebrated the fact that India’s gender ratio of 948 to 1000 is a ‘very healthy sign’ for women’s participation in electoral matters.
And one must note that the same should be noted along with the President’s assent to the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam Bill paving the way for 33% seats for women in the Lok Sabha, the National Capital Territory, Delhi and the State Legislative Assemblies.
But even today, reports of alleged exploitation of women have not only kept rocking the nation but when the alleged activities are reported against people’s representatives, what else can be said.
Earlier this year, Sandeshkhali and now Karnataka have shamed the nation and let it down big time.
While Sandeshkhali is in West Bengal’s North 24 Parganas district and it is an island in the Sunderbans, close to the Bangladesh border, and is reachable only by boat… and alleged kingpin of this entire episode is Sheikh Shahjahan, over the past week, a massive sex scandal has rocked Karnataka, overshadowing the political scenario during the high-octane ongoing Lok Sabha elections. And in this script the name that is doing the rounds is that of Prajwal Revanna, grandson of former PM H D Deve Gowda, and sitting MP from Hassan.
East or south… the script sounds similar… the plot albeit has different shades.
This episode has once again brought into focus the use of muscle power in Indian politics and it’s the same irrespective of region. According to a 2023 analysis by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), out of the 4,809 election affidavits of sitting MPs and MLAs, 134 individuals, including 21 MPs and 113 MLAs, have cases related to crimes against women. The BJP leads with 44 such members, followed by the Congress with 25 and AAP with 13. It is shocking to see as many as 18 MPs and MLAs have declared pending cases related to rape.
Such cases, including charges like assault or criminal force to outrage modesty, paints a sorry and shoddy picture of the parties (involved) across the political spectrum. It’s also alarming how candidates with criminal cases against them manage to win elections and this trend has been continuing decade after decade and ‘ALL’ said and done, no one takes up the cudgels to clean up this mess.
Also, one important thing, amid all this high decibel rhetoric over women’s representation, parties have failed to fulfil even half of the promised 33% quota for women when it comes to nominating women candidates. With time, the passing of the Bill and converting it into an Act and subsequent approach towards it by political parties may have a negative impact on women if such apathy continues and such real life stories of mass abuse keep pouring in.
Apparently, Karnataka BJP leader Devaraje Gowda, who had purportedly written to the party leadership about JDS MP Prajwal’s sexual misconduct, submitted a pen drive containing alleged obscene videos to the SIT.
Gowda had claimed that he had sent a letter to Karnataka BJP president BY Vijayendra earlier this year, urging the party not to give a ticket to Prajwal from the Hassan constituency.
However, BY Vijayendra has denied receiving any such letter from Devaraje Gowda, saying the claims by the BJP leader were ‘patently false’.
It is also reported that many were aware that Prajwal had sought the court’s intervention months ago against the publication of the videos.
If that is the case, one must ask questions about the slogans coined and raised by political parties regarding Nari Shakti.
It is shocking to see how politicians simply use muscle power to exploit women, the poor and downtrodden and post Sandeshkhali, the same script emerging elsewhere in the country makes it clear what absolute power corrupts absolutely means.
If Sheikh Shahjahan’s is a rags to riches story, the family of former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda is all-powerful in Hassan. Prajwal Revanna is a sitting MP. His brother Suraj Revanna is a Member of the Legislative Council, his father HD Revanna is the current MLA. His uncle HD Kumaraswamy is the former Chief Minister of Karnataka, while his mother, Bhavani Revanna, is a member of the Zilla Parishad.
The khandaan is a living example of Parivarvaad and among the most powerful political dynasties not only in the State of Karnataka but in the country as well.
Also, as a voter… it is rather shameful to come across allegations of the ‘timing’ of leaking the alleged tapes. This also shows that rather than the crime ‘committed’, people in power are more concerned about the ‘timing’ of being framed and want to win election after election despite allegations of taint.
(The writer is a senior journalist and former Associate Editor, O Heraldo, Goa)
