By Soumitra Banerji
On the occasion of the recently passed International Women’s Day, I felt it appropriate to trace steps from the initiation of the framing of the Indian Constitution to where we are today. Was it stepping down…or climbing up is something which is the objective of my thoughts in this column.
So let us start with the Women who determined the ‘FEMININE’ perspective of the ‘MAKING OF INDIA’. I would personally love to refer to them as ‘THE FIGHTING FIFTEEN’ because it had to be a tough and fighting act in a highly Patriarchal Ecosystem.
These were: Ammu Swaminathan, Dakshayani Velayudhan, Begum Aizaz Rasul, Durgabai Deshmukh, Hansa Jivraj Mehta, Kamla Chaudhry, Leela Roy, Malati Choudhury, Purnima Banerjee,
Rajkumari Amrit Kaur, Renuka Ray, Sarojini Naidu,
Sucheta Kriplani, Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit, Annie Mascarene.
Out of a total of 389 members (which included 93 members from the princely states, who did not attend) the Fighting Fifteen were the Feminine voice.
I have a personal connect to these Fighting Fifteen through the daughter of Kamala Chaudhry, Dr Ira Saxena, … hence a private gallery exposure to their lives, aims and aspirations for a newly independent resurgent Nation. Being an elected member of the Constituent Assembly, from the United Provinces (now Uttar Pradesh), she was passionate about Gender Equality and The Hindu Code Bill.
The Fighting Fifteen had a majorly joint stand on the ill effects of Patriarchy, quite prevalent in the Indian Society; and the associated mental health trauma faced by the women, not only within the four walls of their household, but also in the social fabric outside. While we are hearing so much about the Uniform Civil Code, even after 75 years of India’s independence; we need to be aware of Hansa Jivraj Mehta’s passion and focus on this even at the time of debates on the constitutional framework…with a specific pointer to Gender Equality (a common cause for the entire Fighting Fifteen).
A distinct thread joins the voice of Dakshayani Velayudhan, a Dalit woman, in her fight for social justice to the under-privileged. Her voice also gave strength to Ambedkar to create affirmative Gender, Class and Caste rights to enable gap correction for the Dalits. However, India still grapples with the gap, but Institutions are being created to reduce fallibility.
Raj Kumari Amrit Kaur had been a champion on Public Health and Women’s rights, giving heft to the very much ignored segment of independent India’s starting ecosystem. While Durga Bai Deshmukh toiled in multiple committees to ensure Women’s perspective in all facets of the Constitutional Framework.
Each of the 15 women brought unique and valuable perspectives to the assembly. In essence, these women were not just passive participants; they were active contributors who helped to shape the very foundation of the Indian Republic.
While fact checking with Dr Ira Saxena on her mother Kamala Chaudhry and the entire corpus of the Fighting Fifteen, it was quite obvious that all of them were mesmerised by Bapu (Mahatma Gandhi) and obsessively followed his cult and aura. These were good training grounds for not only resilience, but also mental and physical endurance.
However, the moot question which arises in my mind while compiling this piece on our proud Women Warriors is – have we really done justice to their dreams, aspiration, toil, pain and labour? Have we really succeeded in creating an ecosystem which has been equitable and even handed with women; overcoming the age old fungus of Patriarchal Egotism?…Have we been able to create effective institutions to enable growth of the ‘Feminine’ in our male infested society?
The Fighting Fifteen made it certain to have Gender Inclusive Fundamental Rights…and the heavyweights of the likes of Sarojini Naidu, Sucheta Kriplani and Vijay Laxmi Pandit ensured an inclusive process of Nation Building.
So, to move forward and do justice to these monumentous ladies; we have ticked the right boxes in having women in leadership roles…the Prime Minister, President, multiple Chief Ministers, multiple Ministers, both in the Centre as well as in the States, a growing number of Bureaucrats in senior positions of governance…and now also in the Indian Defence, even in combative positions (albeit very reluctantly indeed).
All this, while one of our greatest preachers, the United States of America, is yet to have a Woman President.
But when we drill down to the backend of these achievements, all the right boxes have been ticked by Chauvinistic Patriarchs…they thought it to be the right way to go…a good way to brand, so as to have a huge chunk of female voter following…what they did not visualise was that given that one single chance, a ‘Gudia’ will convert into one of the most powerful leaders we have ever had – Indira Gandhi…We will have the very popular charisma of Sushma Swaraj…and the list goes on in every domain, including the Indian Corporate Sector and Professionals in every sphere including leading Scientists.
The Fighting Fifteen made certain to have given teeth to the right minded politicians for affirmative action in favor of the marginalised and under privileged…not only our women populace, but also the socially and fiscally backward. The much awaited ‘Women’s Reservation Bill’ has been passed by our incumbent governance…a positive step towards better political representation; and so, a better voice in our polity at all levels.
Our Woman and Child Development has lagged behind even our lesser neighbours – Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. Would hope to see that to be a passe.
May India’s Nari Shakti be the way forward towards becoming an inclusive economic Superpower.
(Soumitra Banerji is an acclaimed Indian author and writer, best known for his thought-provoking novel “Liminal Tides”.)
