BY RAM PUNIYANI

It is shocking to hear women make comments that are derogatory to their own community, making it clear that they are victims of a hierarchal communal mindset.

AFTER THE 2009 general elections, Uttar Pradesh is witnessing a tussle for Dalit votes. While Rahul Gandhi could make substantial inroads into UP, Mayawati was humbled by the election results. Before the elections, the popular impression was that the BSP would romp home with a huge electoral percentage. After the elections, this image has been shattered as Rahul Gandhi’s efforts to establish a rapport with Dalits in particular appears to be working to the advantage of Congress. Infuriated by this, Mayawati intensified her vitriol against Congress, claiming that Rahul’s attempts to identify with Dalits at the social level are politically motivated natakbaji (drama). She also put Mahatma Gandhi’s work to connect with Dalits in the same category, a drama bereft of any substance or for the real benefit of Dalits.

What followed was the unfortunate and condemnable statement from the state Congress chief, Rita Bahuguna Joshi (July 2009), about the deteriorating law and order situation in UP, where rampant atrocities, rape in particular, against Dalit women are compensated with Rs. 25,000-50,000. She questioned: If money is all that matters in such cases, then women want to know how Mayawati would feel if she was given a crore of rupees as compensation for rape. The utter insensitivity, crudeness and anti-women nature of the remark deserves a severe reprimand, more so because the comment was made by a woman and, that too, one who holds such a high and respectable position in the hierarchy of the ruling party.

CONDEMNABLE

WHAT followed was equally condemnable as Joshi was arrested under charges related to anti Dalit atrocities and her house was burnt. Mayawati accuse Joshi of insulting Dalits. Quite an opportunistic twist to a highly condemnable remark! The remark went against gender sensitivities, yet Mayawati gave it an anti Dalit twist to gain sympathy and ensure that the Dalit vote bank is retained/won back from the inroads made by the Congress.

One recalls that similar comments were made by Mayawati herself about the Mulayam Singh’s government in relation to payment of compensation to rape victims. She had directed similar comments to Mulayam Singh’s female kin. Unfortunately, her comments did not come under the scanner of critical media and the people’s gaze.

Rape is an ugly and dangerous weapon of the male dominated society against women: subjugating them to enforce patriarchal aggression. It has been used time and again in history and in the present day with the same purpose. Different social commentators have looked at it from their political angles. It will be recalled that Kalyan Subedar’s daughter-in-law was brought to Shivaji as a gift. Shivaji returned her with full honour, something which is worth appreciating. With regard to this incident, Hindu Mahasabha leader and Hindutva ideologue, Savarkar criticises Shivaji. According to him, Shivaji should have considered that many Hindu women were molested by Muslim rulers and should have followed the policy of ‘retaliation’. Savarkar a adopted similar attitude to the women victims of the partition tragedy and said Pakistani women should be subject to similar treatment: tit for tat, an eye for an eye.

PATRIARCHAL NORMS

COMMUNAL ideology is the most concentrated expression of patriarchal norms of society. It is puzzling, however, when women themselves indulge in such language, totally seeped in male chauvinism. At one level, it is surprising to note the insensitivity of women to use such language. However, one has to remember that the transformation process of gender relations is not linear. During this phase of transition, the political forces working for status quo, working to restore caste and gender hierarchy of feudal times, to communalise the social space… it is because of these reasons that such language becomes prominent and dominant. The result is a section of women themselves become victims of this mindset.

When the women’s movement first began to rise, activists had to work hard to disprove the popular myth that women are their own worst enemies. The myth arose from the fact that women actively participated in matters of dowry and bride-burning. The dominant role of mothers-in-law or sisters-in-law in subjugating the position of daughters-in-law is well known. There have been painful instances during communal violence in Mumbai 92-93 and the Gujarat carnage when a section of women helped ‘their’ men violate the modesty of women from the other community. The Gujarat carnage is full of these tragic incidents when some Hindu women played this ugly role. Even George Fernandes, a BJP associate, commented that rape in Gujarat at the time was not a big issue as it was an old phenomenon!

MALE DISCOURSE

FROM the Rita Bahuguna Joshi episode, it is obvious that politicians indulge in male-dominated discourse. This is perhaps why the UP Congress chief and Maywati, despite being women themselves, resort to such expressions in pursuance of their political agenda of coming to power or retaining power. This also reveals the state of affairs of law and order in UP and exposes the communalised mind set of women.

Communalism is not restricted to religious communities alone. At the core of communalism, is the attempt to suppress the rights of women and socially as well as economically backward sections of society. Interestingly, in the case of Mayawati, she belongs to two suppressed communities - women and Dalits. She shifts from one suppressed identity to the other. In her battle with Joshi, she has sought to fight using the caste issue, when it is the other she needs to concentrate on.

Gender equality is the core issue, along with the annihilation of caste, which needs to be addressed by social movements. The awareness of these issues needs to be broadened to different layers of society, including women themselves of course, to make the transition to a just society and to avoid repetitions of such ugly episodes.