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OBC Aarakshan Samiti YUVA Office, 52/3 Narepark Municipal School, opp. Narepark Municipal Ground Parel (E) Mumbai 400012 Phone 24143498, 24116393
Saturday, June 28, 2008. To Dr. E. M. Sudarshan Nacchipian, Chairman, Parliamentary Standing Committee (Personnel, Public grievances, Law and Justice) Rajya Sabha, New Delhi, 110001. Respected Sir, Subject: Representation on the Constitution (108th Amendment) Women’s Reservation) Bill.
OBC Aarakshan Samiti is an umbrella organization of socio-political-cultural institutions, backward castes organizations, sociological research institutions, individuals, youth groups, intellectuals, student and academicians from higher educational institutions having common objective of seeking justice for the backwards and disadvantaged sections of the society, who unfortunately constitute almost 80% of the Indian population. We hereby would like to submit our suggestions in the matter of “Constitution (108th Amendment) Bill for Providing 33.3% Reservation in Lokasabha & State Assemblies” which was introduced in Rajyasabha on 6th May 2008. Due to the abject gender inequality prevalent in the Indian society in every field, be it political, social or commercial; women’s participation in decision making has been almost negligible. In the last fourteen Lokasabha elections, proportion of elected women has remained between 4 to 10%, despite them being almost 50% of the Indian population. Even amongst the office bearers of the political parties, very few women occupy the positions of power. The above 108th amendment is brought forward to remedy these socio-political ills. We never the less would like to draw your attention to the fundamentally more exploitative aspects of the Indian society viz. social backwardness of Muslims, Tribal, Dalit & OBCs. We therefore, emphatically demand that women of the different varna, caste, religion, cultural and social groups, particularly the victimized sections, should get proportionate representation in the reservation. You may note that to date the proportion of Muslims, Tribals, Dalits & OBC women amongst the elected women candidates is abysmally negligible. In the last 14 elections 39 women members have been elected from Maharashtra to the Loksabha. 89% of these belong to the upper castes. Not a single Scheduled Tribe or Muslim woman was ever elected. One Dalit candidate elected, that too from a reserved constituency (Ms Kalpana Narhare from Usmanabad district) and a lone OBC (Ms. Kesharbai Kshirsagar from Beed) candidate elected three times. In last sixty years, not a single woman was elected from Dhangar, Mali, Vanjari, Agri, Koli or Bhandari etc. which are numerically dominant OBCs in their respective geographies in Maharashtra. On this background, the plight of the minuscule castes such as Lohar (blacksmith), Sutar (carpenter), Pinjari, Sali, Rangari, Koshti (artisans from the cotton industry) etc. is unbelievably dark, partly due to their small size and partly due to semi nomadic lifestyle. These microscopic castes form more than 60% of the OBCs. These facts emphatically bring out the abject social disparity amongst Indian women. In the true democratic polity, no socio-religious community should be excluded from the decision making and merely hypothetical tokenism or symbolic participation should be avoided. Therefore, the Women Reservation Bill, if it really intends to correct the injustice so perpetuated at the grass root level, then it has to provide reservation for all these disadvantaged social groups. Without such specific reservation, it will exclude Tribals, Muslims, Dalits and OBCs from being represented. Decision making in democracy is responsive to various forces. Interests of the decision making groups are the most important factors. Broadly speaking various castes, classes, communities and social groups in the society, using the collective power (in the form of elected representatives) take care of the interests of their respective castes and classes. There are gender specific as well as gender independent caste/class/ community specific interests. Invariably the latter are far more influential than the gender specific interests. In this context, the experience of Ms Bhagawati Devi, MP from Bihar is revealing. Ms Maneka Gandhi then Environment Minister, in a typical elitist style banned the practice of bird capture and selling, divesting the women of Bahelia (nomadic) community (approximately 1 crore population) of their only means of livelihood. When Ms Bhagawati Devi tried to raise this issue in the Parliament, most of the women MPs did not support her. However, when Ms Sushma Swaraj raised the issue of 250 Kasmiri Brahmin families (they were ordered by Supreme Court to leave Delhi), almost all women MPs supported her vociferously. Blood seems to be thicker than all policies of social equity. The observation recorded in the 1974 Report viz. “Towards Equality” published by the Department of Social Welfare, GOI is also revealing. During the discussion on the private Bill viz. “Equal wages for equal work” in the Rajyasabha, not even 1/3 rd of Women MPs were present and fewer still participated. While analyzing the lack of concern and insensitivity about the gender specific issue of the working women, particularly from the unorganized sector, the report reasons that most of women MPs come from socially and economically dominant and elitist sections and hence this indifference. It may not be out of place to recall the support extended to the tradition of ‘Sati’ by BJP MP Mrs. Vijaya Raje Scindia, a typical feudal practice and she could not be bothered about the welfare of common Indian woman. Second important point in this issue is about violence against women. Social violence against women is very serious issue in our society. This is particularly the issue of Muslim and backward caste women. If women from this socially disadvantaged section of society occupy the position in power structure;
That will create some fear/apprehension in the minds of anti social elements. These women will be influential in the penal system. This will improve the status and honor of these women increasing their self esteem and consequently determination to resist such injustice.
However to bring this social change, it is essential to create political system conducive to bring women of lower sections in to power structure. But the matter of proposed bill is oblivious to these social reengineering aspects. If this bill is passed in its present form it will only benefit women from higher strata of society. In that case there is no chance of improving the deteriorating problem of repressive social violence. ‘Reservation’ is a sociological concept evolved to bring about social reengineering. In order to bring a desirable social change we have to take in to consideration the complexities of exploitative social structure of our society and take appropriate measures accordingly. The backward class representatives have consistently taken this stand in the matter of women’s reservation. Backward class members had raised these points before the joint parliamentary committee headed by CPI MP late Mrs. Geeta Mukharjee. Though JPC in its report did not recommend the special provision for OBC women, it had recommended considering this at the appropriate time. JPC mentioned that, ‘there is no provision of political reservation for OBCs in the Constitution; however whenever Parliament makes such amendment, OBC women can avail reservation at that time. We should note that JPC in principle did not oppose reservation on the basis of caste as the issue was beyond its jurisdiction. The advocates of ‘blanket reservation’ during last twelve years did not bother to make any efforts to remove this technical difficulty. Deliberately pushing aside all these serious issues of social reengineering, using tactics suitable in dirty war, breaking all the democratic norms of parliamentary procedures of introducing such Constitutional Amendment bills in Loksabha, Congress has introduced the women’s reservation bill in Rajyasabha in the wee hours of concluding session. We condemn these undemocratic, repressive tactics. We staunchly demand the reconstruction of women’s reservation bill with the provisions for the proportionate representation for disadvantaged, under represented SCs, STs, OBCs and Muslims women. Thanks and regards, Your's Sincerely, Rekha Thakur, Convener, OBC Arakshan Samiti, Mumbai. Mobile: +91-9819584554 E-mail:
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Members, 1. Bharip Bahujan Mahasangh
Shasakiy Kutir, Free press General Marg Nariman Point.
2.Rashtriya Samaj Paksha
406/B, Snehasarovar, off Jaorl, Military Road, Andheri (E), Mumbai 400072 3.Akhil Bhartiya Bhandari Samaj Maha Sangh
Worli Mumbai
4.Kunabi Samajonnati Sangh
Kunabi Dnyatigriha, Waghe Hall, St. Xavier Street, Parel, Mumbai 400012
5.Agari Yuvak Sangathana
c/o Praffull R. Patil, Ramkrishna Chemburkar Marg, Mumbai 4100071
6.Itar Magaswargiy Inqalab
7, Ratilal Chawl, Murumkhan Pada, Fatherwadi, Vasai (E), Dist. Thane
7.Maharashtra Aadiwasi Koli Mahasangh
A-10 Nishigandha Society, Srinagar Complex, Wagle Estate, Thane (E), 400604
8.Yuva Bharat Sangathana
A-101 Poonam Aastha, Poonam Complex, Tirupati Nagar, Virar (w)
9.Maharashtra Yuva Parishad
Gala no. 13, Keshavsut Uddanpul, Senapati Bapat Marg, Dadar (W), Mumbai 400027
10.Vidrohi Sanskrutik Chalwal
11.Ganai Sanskrutik Punaruthan
12.Vidyarthi Bharti
Nitin Niwas, Juni Dombiwali, Shastri Nagar, Dombiwali (W),
13.Yuva Sarkar
127, Nanabhai wadi, Koroba Mithagar, Vadala (E), Mumbai 40037
14.Awami Bharat
15.Yusuf Meherali Youth Biradari
D-15, 1st floor, Ganesh Prasad, Nawashir Bharucha Marg, Grant Road (W)
16. India Center for Human Rights and Law
2nd floor, Motiwala Mention, 56 Dontad Street, Damar wadi, Masjid Bandar, Mumbai 400004
17. National Campaign for Dalit Human Rights
Dream Residency, 604, 6th floor, 27/C, Goregaon (E), Mumbai 400065
18.Youth for Unity and Voluntarily Action
52/3 Narepark Municipal School, opp. Narepark Municipal Ground Parel (E) Mumbai 400012
19.Shubha Ranganathan, IIT-Bombay
20.Arati Ware, IIT Bombay
21.Sai Thakur, Tata Institute of Social Sciences
22.D. Parthasarathi, HSS Dept- IIT-Bombay
23.Supratik Chakraborthy, CSE Dept, IIT-Bombay
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