Story Of Two Extremes: Takeaways From UP Elections

As we celebrate International Women's Day, we can talk about three women faces of this Uttar Pradesh elections. Mayawati, the so-called messiah for the downtrodden and the weak; Dimple Yadav, also known as Dimple 'Bhabhi' by the crowd as Akhilesh Yadav is widely referred as 'Bhaiya' and the third one remains Priyanka Gandhi, who is also known as the last hope for Congress.

But can they survive alone? Mayawati keeps on talking about her mentor Kanshi Ram, while Priyanka Gandhi keeps citing her family legacy and Dimple 'Bhabhi' keeps reminding us her relationship with husband and UP CM Akhilesh Yadav.

One extreme
This is happening in a state which had the first female chief minister, Sucheta Kriplani from 1963 to 1967. These leaders are either known as ideal bahu, mother, sister or sister-in-law. That means they still struggle for their individual identity in patriarchal society. The slogans like 'Vikas ki chabhi, Dimple Bhabhi', says a lot about her presence in a political space. She is an ideal bahu with less makeup and a bindi on her forehead. Her speeches are more about 'Bhaiya' than her and women of UP. Priyanka Gandhi promotes Rahul Gandhi, without doubt. Mayawati has emerged like a god-like creature for Schedule Castes.

Despite this, we know them. We have seen them. We have heard them speak. This is one extreme where women are seen as making change. You can hate them, love them but you can't ignore them.

The other extreme
BW Businessworld visited villages adjacent to Varanasi to understand the condition of women in rural Uttar Pradesh. Vimala lives in chamar toli in Asna village in Chandauli district. She is around 55. Around is important here because when asked about her age, she said she is not educated so how can she say how old she is. All she knows that she is becoming old and can't work much. Vimala was joined by many women of the village. Development has no meaning for them. All they want are electricity and food. Vimala said, "We haven't got any gas cylinder yet. We still use wood or cow-dung cakes to cook food. Kerosene is costly so we light lantern only for few minutes in the evening."

When asked whether untouchability is still an issue in the village, all women shouted in one voice. It is much better than earlier. They said, "Rajputs, Brahmins, would hate everything we would touch. Be it paddy we used to give them after cutting them from their own fields. The feeling is not gone completely yet but it is much better than earlier." They referred Bhim (Bhimrao Ambedkar) as their god and Mayawati as their mother.

A woman from another village, name her Radha, Kamla, Sarita, anything you want because it doesn't matter. She has got no identity. For every question, I asked, she sought answer from her husband. When asked, who is she going to vote for, she said, "Malik jo bolenge (whatever husband will say)."

But they understood demonetisation or notebandi. Vimala said, "We were badly hit by notebandi. We didn't have enough food for many days. Male members of our families were not able to earn anything."

They know their problems, but they can’t have solutions. The reasons are many. Patriarchy to illiteracy, there are nth number of reasons. This is another extreme.

Missing women in rally
PM Narendra Modi's road show was attended by lakh of people, but where were women missing? Same goes for Akhilesh Yadav's rally. While on the contrary, Mayawati's rally was attended by women coming from a particular section of society. Whatever be, atleast women came to show their existence. In Modi's or Yadav's rally, there were hardly any woman except some onlookers, who were standing on the rooftops. Why?

'Saving' women
Women living at BHU hostels are not allowed to go out of their hostels after 8 pm. It is said to be for their own good. GC Tripathi, Vice Chancellor, BHU, said, "In BHU, the most important is university culture. We have to take care of our female students because BHU is an open campus and anything can happen after 8 pm. It is an old rule for their safety."

But aren't we instilling fear in women by such regressive rules? Why not give them such atmosphere where women learn to fight from all sorts of fears? Tripathi added, "We have a history of more than 1000 years. And women are always superior to men. There is no inequality, women were and are superior."

'There is no inequality'. This sentence sounds funny. Especially, to a female reporter who was sitting with three other male reporters for his interview. The gap of inequality is too huge that it will take several decades to get filled. Instead of considering women as symbol of 'izzat, maan, samman, make her a fighter and visionary.

Some years ago, we had Sonia Gandhi as ruling party's chief, Meera Kumar as Speaker of Lok Sabha, Pratibha Patil as President, Sheila Dikshit as Chief Minister of Delhi and Sushma Swaraj in the opposition. It was a good sign.

Women ministers missing
How many female Chief Ministers have we in India? We have Mamata Banerjee, Vasundhara Raje and Mehbooba Mufti after Jayalalitha passed away recently.

While we have only Sushma Swaraj, Smriti Irani among few in the incumbent government at the Centre. Why there is silence over the Women's Reservation Bill?

Women entrepreneur missing
Isn't it true that we struggle for new names when we look for top women entrepreneur every year? Leave aside big entrepreneurs, how many women have you seen running small shops in rural areas or small cities? Because women from good families shouldn't be doing certain things and selling things at a general store comes under that.

International Women's Day is not about celebrating womanhood, it should be about realising the power of women that they possess. It is about freeing them from fear so that they can fight their own battles. It is about liberating them and reconsidering the meaning of 'izzat, maan and samman'. So don't just celebrate, let's realise International Women's day.