#chipko movement leader

[edonascriticaldesign]

CHIPKO ANDOLAN – a movement of village women A key example of an ecofeminist movement is the Chipko Andolan in India in early 1973. Chipko was a forest conservation movement in India led by both male and female activists and leaders such as Indian environmentalists, Chandi Prasat Bhatt and Sunderlal Bahuguna, and the indigenous women of the Himalayan region of Uttarakhand in the Chamoli district, then part of Uttar Pradesh.

The story of the Chipko movement in 1973 follows how a contractor was given the right from the state to fell trees for a sports manufacturing company. The area, already denuded, was subjected to landslides and floods due to rapid deforestation from commercial logging. Women also had to trek further for fuel, fodder, and water.

When the loggers arrived at the village, they were met by the womenfolk who formed a circle around the trees, linked arms, and embraced the trees to prevent the men from cutting them down.

[valkyries-things]

GAURA DEVI // ACTIVIST

“She was a grassroots activist and a rural women community leader from India who played an important role in the Chipko movement. She came to the forefront of the Chipko movement in 1974. She was told by a young girl that local loggers were cutting trees near their village. The men of Reni village had been tricked out of the village by news that the government was going to pay out compensation for land used by the army. Gaura Devi and 27 other women decided to tackle the loggers. She confronted and challenged the men to shoot her instead of cutting down the trees and she described the forest as "Vandevta" (God of Jungle) and her maika (mother's house). Finally, with the help of other women she managed to halt the work of loggers by hugging the trees despite the abuse and threats of the armed loggers. The women of village and Gaura Devi kept guard of the trees that night and over the next three or four days other villages and villagers joined the action.After this incident, the Uttar Pradesh Government established a committee of experts to investigate the issue of felling of trees, and the lumber company withdrew its men from Reni. The committee stated that the Reni forest was an ecologically sensitive area and that no trees should be felled there. Thereafter the government of Uttar Pradesh placed a 10-year ban on all tree-felling in an area of over 1150 km².”

[livesanskrit]

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Sunderlal Bahuguna.

Sunderlal Bahuguna (born 9 January 1927) is an Indian noted Garhwali environmentalist and Chipko movement leader. The idea of Chipko movement was of his wife and the action was taken by him. For years he has been fighting for the preservation of forests in the Himalayas, first as a member of the Chipko movement in the 1970s, and later spearheaded the Anti-Tehri Dam movement starting 1980s, to early 2004. He was one of the early environmentalists of India, and later he and people associated with the Chipko movement started taking up environmental issues, like against large dams.

#sansgreet #sanskritgreetings #greetingsinsanskrit #sanskritquotes #sanskritthoughts #emergingsanskrit #sanskrittrends #trendsinsanskrit #livesanskrit #sanskritlanguage #sanskritlove #sanskritdailyquotes #sanskritdailythoughts #sanskrit #resanskrit #sundarlalbahuguna #chipkomovement #environment #environmentalist #forests #himalaya #himalayas #tehri #garhwal #uttarakhand #celebratingsanskrit #gandhian #satyagraha #padmashri #nature

[skumburgers]

The Chipko movement (Hindi: चिपको आन्दोलन, lit. 'hugging movement') is a forest conservation movement in India. Opposed to commercial logging and the government's policies on deforestation, protestors in the 1970s engaged in tree hugging, wrapping their arms around trees so that they could not be felled.

Sunderlal Bahuguna, Chipko movement leader

“ In a lecture on a college campus some years back, I gave examples of activities being undertaken in defense of life on Earth—actions in which people risk their comfort and even their lives to protect other species.

In the Chipko or tree-hugging movement in north India, for example, villagers protect their remaining woodlands from ax and bulldozer by interposing their bodies.

On the open seas, Greenpeace activists intervene to protect marine mammals from slaughter. After that talk, I received a letter from a student I’ll call Michael. He wrote:

I think of the tree-huggers hugging my trunk, blocking the chain saws with their bodies. I feel their fingers digging into my bark to stop the steel and let me breathe. I hear the bodhisattvas in their rubber boats as they put themselves between the harpoons and me, so I can escape to the depths of the sea. I give thanks for your life and mine, and for life itself. I give thanks for realizing that I too have the powers of the tree-huggers and the bodhisattvas.

What is most striking about Michael’s words is the shift in identification. Michael is able to extend his sense of self to encompass the self of the tree and of the whale. Tree and whale are no longer removed, separate, disposable objects pertaining to a world out there; they are intrinsic to his own vitality. Through the power of his caring, his experience of self is expanded far beyond that skin-encapsulated ego. I quote Michael’s words not because they are unusual, but to the contrary, because they express a desire and a capacity that is being released from the prison-cell of old constructs of self. This desire and capacity are arising in more and more people today, out of deep concern for what is happening to our world, as they begin to speak and act on its behalf. ”

- from Joanna Macy's essay in Spiritual Ecology: Cry of the Earth

[indiejones]

IN THE ACTUAL ERSTWHILE GOVERNING COUNCIL, GOVERNING ALL THE GODS & SUPER GODS OF THE ENTIRE UNIVERSE, A FULL DECADE THRU 1980's, IMHO !!!!!!

IN THE ACTUAL ERSTWHILE GOVERNING COUNCIL, GOVERNING ALL THE GODS & SUPER GODS OF THE ENTIRE UNIVERSE, A FULL DECADE THRU 1980's, IMHO !!!!!!

AMONG THE EXTREMELY EXTREMELY EXTREMELY EXTREMELY 'OLDEST' & EXTREMELY EXTREMELY EXTREMELY EXTREMELY EXTREMELY EXTREMELY 'GREATEST' THERE'S EVER BEEN!

FAMOUS INDIAN SOCIAL ACTIVIST, & THE BIIGST LEADER OF INDIA'S 'CHIPKO MOVEMENT' TO PROTEST AGAINST DEFORESTATION IN UTTARAKHAND BY FORST CONTRACTORS, BASICALLY PUTTING PAID TO MOST BIG CONSTRUCTION WORK IN THE HILL STATE!

1 GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG PEOPLE TO THE UNKNOWN WORLD, & 1 GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG YOUNG TO VERY YOUNG PEOPLE TO OTHER PARTS OF WORLD, IN ASTONISHMENT!

BOW,

GAURA DEVI ! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaura_Devi

[everythingshouldbereality]

Chipko movement leader Sunderlal Bahuguna declares support to farmers

Chipko movement leader Sunderlal Bahuguna declares support to farmers

Image Source : TWITTER Chipko movement leader Sunderlal Bahuguna In a major development, Chipko movement leader Sundarlal Bahuguna has extended his support to farmers protesting against the three farm laws. Talking to reporters, Bahuguna said that he supports the demands of the ‘annadatas’. Sunderlal Bahuguna is a noted Garhwali environmentalist and Chipko movement leader. For years he has been…

[blogstaggeruniverse]

Gandhi Peace Prize

Gandhi Peace Prize is also known as The International Gandhi Peace Prize. It is named after the Father of Nation of India i.e. Mahatma Gandhi and this peace prize is given annually by the Government of India.

Gandhi Peace Prize established in 1995 at that time the P.M. of India was P. V. Narasimha Rao and the President of India was Shankar Dayal Sharma.

This award was launched on the occasion of the 125th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.

The award is given to individuals or institutions for their contribution to social, economic, and political change through non-violence and other Gandhi Ji methods.

The award prize is 1 Crore rupees (10 million) in cash.

The jury members for this award are the Prime Minister of India, The Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, The Chief Justice of India, Speaker of the Lok Sabha, and other eminent persons who decide the winner for this award.

Awarded for Contributions in social, economic, and political change through non-violence and other Gandhian methods.

Gandhi Peace     Prize given by the Government of India

Prize Money 1 Crore     (10 million)

First award     in 1995

Recent     award 2018

Total     awarded 17

First Gandhi     Peace Prize winner was Julius Nyerere

Recent Gandhi     Peace Prize winner is Yohei Sasakawa

Some Important Recipients of the International Gandhi Peace Prize.

First Winners of this award

Recipient Country Year

Julius Nyerere (First recipient) from Tanzania, in 1995. Julius Kambarage Nyerere was a Tanzanian politician who served as the leader of Tanzania, and previously Tanganyika, from 1960 until his retirement in 1985.

A.T. Ariyaratne (Second recipient), from Sri Lanka, in 1996, Founder of Sarvodaya Shramadana Movement.

Gerhard Fischer (Third recipient) from Germany, in 1997 German diplomat, recognized for his work against leprosy and polio.

Ramakrishna Mission (First Indian Organization to receive this award), from India, in 1998

Founded by Swami Vivekananda for promoting social welfare, tolerance, and non-violence among disadvantaged groups.

Baba Amte from India, in 1999 Social worker, known particularly for his work for the rehabilitation and empowerment of poor people suffering from leprosy.

Nelson Mandela from South Africa, in 2000 Former President of South Africa.

Grameen Bank from Bangladesh, in 2000 Founded by Muhammad Yunus.

John Hume from the United Kingdom, in 2001 Northern Irish Politician

Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan from India in 2002. Educational trust that emphasizes Indian culture

Vaclav Havel from the Czech Republic in 2003. Last President of Czechoslovakia and first President of the Czech Republic

Coretta Scott King from the United States in 2004. Activist and civil rights leader.

Desmond Tutu from South Africa in 2005 . He was a South African cleric and activist

Chandi Prasad Bhatt from India in 2013. He was Environmentalist, social activist, and pioneer of the Chipko movement. Founded Dasholi Gram Swarajya Sangh (DGSS)

ISRO from India in 2014. Space agency of the Indian Govt.

2018 Gandhi Peace Prize

Recipient Yohei Sasakawa

Country Japan

For his contribution to Leprosy Eradication in India and across the world.

2017 Gandhi Peace Prize

Recipient Ekal Abhiyan

Country India

For Contribution in providing Education for Rural and Tribal Children in remote areas pan India, Rural Empowerment, Gender, and Social Equality.

2016 Gandhi Peace Prize

Recipients Akshaya Patra Foundation

Country India

For A non-profit organization in India that runs mid-day meals program across India

2016 Gandhi Peace Prize

Recipients Sulabh International

From India

It is a social service organization that works to promote human rights, environmental sanitation, non-conventional sources of energy, waste management, and social reforms through education.

2015 Gandhi Peace Prize

Recipient Vivekananda Kendra

Country India

For Rural Development and Education sector

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प्रसिद्ध पर्यावरणविद एवं चिपको आंदोलन के नेता सुंदरलाल बहुगुणा  का निधन | Renowned environmentalist and leader of Chipko movement Sundarlal Bahuguna passed away

 https://www.newskutch.com/2021/05/Renowned-environmentalist-and-leader-of-Chipko-movement-Sundarlal-Bahuguna-passed-away.html

[doonitedin]

Padma Vibhushan and Padma Shri Chipko awardee Sundarlal Bahuguna died of COVID19

Padma Vibhushan and Padma Shri Chipko awardee Sundarlal Bahuguna died of COVID19

The 94-year-old, Padma Vibhushan and Padma Shri awardee was admitted to the hospital after his oxygen levels started fluctuating, Rishikesh Renowned environmentalist and Chipko movement leader Sundarlal Bahuguna succumbed to COVID-19 infection at All India Institute Of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Rishikesh on Friday. “Chipko movement leader Sundarlal Bahuguna died of COVID-19 at AIIMS, Rishikesh…

[livesanskrit]

Send from Sansgreet Android App. Sanskrit greetings app from team @livesanskrit . It's the first Android app for sending @sanskrit greetings. Download app from https://livesanskrit.com/sansgreet Sunderlal Bahuguna. Sunderlal Bahuguna (born 9 January 1927) is an Indian noted Garhwali environmentalist and Chipko movement leader. The idea of Chipko movement was of his wife and the action was taken by him. For years he has been fighting for the preservation of forests in the Himalayas, first as a member of the Chipko movement in the 1970s, and later spearheaded the Anti-Tehri Dam movement starting 1980s, to early 2004. He was one of the early environmentalists of India, and later he and people associated with the Chipko movement started taking up environmental issues, like against large dams. #sansgreet #sanskritgreetings #greetingsinsanskrit #sanskritquotes #sanskritthoughts #emergingsanskrit #sanskrittrends #trendsinsanskrit #livesanskrit #sanskritlanguage #sanskritlove #sanskritdailyquotes #sanskritdailythoughts #sanskrit #resanskrit #sundarlalbahuguna #chipkomovement #environment #environmentalist #forests #himalaya #himalayas #tehri #garhwal #uttarakhand #celebratingsanskrit #gandhian #satyagraha #padmashri #nature https://www.instagram.com/p/CnKZnBWvMbM/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[popularnews]

Chipko Movement Leader Chandi Prasad Bhatt Says Mindless Rampage On Himalayas In Name Of Development Must Stop

[gkt49]

Mindless Rampage On Himalayas Must Stop: Chipko Movement Leader

Mindless Rampage On Himalayas Must Stop: Chipko Movement Leader

The glacial burst near Chamoli district’s Raini village, the cradle of the Chipko movement, should serve as a wake-up call to stop the rampage on the Himalayan ecological system in the name of…

[newsmatters]

Mindless rampage on Himalayas in name of development must stop: Chipko movement leader

Mindless rampage on Himalayas in name of development must stop: Chipko movement leader

GOPESHWAR: The glacial burst near Chamoli district’s Raini village, the cradle of the Chipko movement, should serve as a wake-up call to stop the rampage on the Himalayan ecological system in the name of development, said Magsaysay awardee Chandi Prasad Bhatt on Monday. According to the 87-year-old environmentalist, who was a Chipko movement leader, projects like the Rishi Ganga hydel project,…

[bhartiyabulletinfantasticdestiny]

Kisan Andolan Update: किसान आंदोलन का समर्थन करेंगे चिपको आंदोलन के प्रणेता ‘सुन्दर लाल बहुगुणा। #किसानआंदोलन

[samiksha5915]

Responsibility of human’s towards other living beings.

-Samiksha Patil

Responsibility is the fact of being accountable to someone or something, likewise as human beings (the dominant species ) being a part of this whole ecosystems not only the advantage of controlling the environment but also holds us accountable for the impacts. But are we human’s considering them? Are we working on them? Rather do we even have an idea what the responsibility is? So hence my topic will be dealing with the responsibility of an individual human and responsibilities of the humankind towards other species which are animals, plants, rivers, sea etc. And what way are we currently dealing with it and what way we actually should.

• So what are these responsibility of human towards other living beings?

For instance, let’s keep it quite clear that the universe works with giving and take if we are talking something we need to give in return and if we don’t opt to do that there are consequences. So stating the responsibility point-wise it would go

1. If we are taking wood for the paper it is our responsibility that in return we need to plant more trees.

2. If we are using plastic even after knowing it’s an adverse consequence it is our responsibility to recycle them.

3. If we are using waterways as transport it is our responsibility to take proper measures to protect sea life.

4. Of we are emitting carbon dioxide it is our responsibility to plant more trees and increase oxygen.

So the problem of development arises when these responses are under looked hence the major problems would like to highlight are Deforestation, Animal cruelty, Endangered Species, carbon dioxide and plastic waste.

• why don’t we obey our responsibilities?

Starting from a scientific point of view it seems that we should focus on first and foremost on our own survival and prosperity, even if it means leaving this planet devoid of life. In terms of evolution, the only purpose of life is to survive and continue to survive for as long as possible. Even if we take into account our added concept of happiness, what seems to matter is that we, as a species, are happy. But what we are not under response that the harm or less we think about other species the more it is revolting against us, not now not currently but surely and the results of years of ignorance are been seen in the recent decade.

• What are the approaches to fulfil the responsibilities

There are various approaches with respect to the individual’s problems to state in points like

1. To reduce plastic – ban plastic production, avoid plastic consumption in the unnecessary mode, recycle the used plastic, reuse until damage and many more.

2. To reduce carbon dioxide- CDR methods include afforesting, agricultural practices that sequester carbon in the soils, bio-energy with carbon capture and storage, ocean fertilization enhanced weathering, and direct air capture when combined with storage.

3. Approaches to protecting endangered species -Scientists tell us the best way to protect endangered species is to protect the special places where they live. Wildlife must have places to find food, shelter and raise their young. Logging, oil and gas drilling, over-grazing and development all result habit destruction.

4. Approaches to stop animal cruelty-Be a responsible pet owner,

Be an example of kindness to other pets, Intervene if you witness animal cruelty.

Report animal cruelty, abuse or neglect,

Teach your children to have respect for animals,

Demand stricter laws for the protection of animals.

5. Approaches to stop deforestation- Plant a Tree where you can, Go paperless at home and in the office, Buy recycled products and then recycle them again,

Buy certified wood products, Support the products of companies that are committed to reducing deforestation.

• What are the success stories, are there any responsible individuals and organizations dealing with these problems?

It would wrong if I say the whole humankind is resisting the responsibilities which are not so because there are individuals, organizations and government trying to make a change, trying to develop the idea of responsibly amongst people or set an example like- success stories

Deforestation -

The Chipko Andolan or the Chipko movement is a movement that practiced methods of Satyagraha where both male and female activists from Uttarakhand played vital roles, including Gaura Devi, Suraksha Devi, Sudesh Devi, Bachni Devi and Chandi Prasad Bhatt, Virushka Devi and others.

Saalumarada Thimmakka, also known as Aalada Marada Timakka, is an Indian environmentalist from the state of Karnataka, noted for her work in planting and tending to 385 banyan trees along a four-kilometre stretch of highway between Hulikal and Kuduro. She has also planted nearly 8000 other trees.

Animal cruelty-

FIAPO was set up to bring activists and NGOs together, to be able to talk about issues on animal welfare, to set higher goals, achieve them and look at the factors that affected our success. The purpose of FIAPO is to help us find each other in a storm i.e. struggle for the animal rights movement.

PETA exposes animals suffering in laboratories, in the food industry, in the clothing trade, and in the entertainment industry.

Endangered species-

The WWF is the world's leading animal conservation charity. One of the best known organizations that helps endangered species , WWF definitely deserves a place in our list. This globally known organization has been fighting for wildlife conservation since 1961

Created in 1948, The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) is a membership union composed of both government and civil society organizations. It is the largest and organization that helps endangered species in the world including sea turtles, whales, polar bears and lions.

Carbon dioxide-Cool Effect is an organization on a mission to reduce carbon emissions through a variety of science-backed sustainable projects.

The Indian Government has made a voluntary international commitment to reduce the emissions intensity of its gross domestic product (GDP) by 20–25 per cent from 2005 levels by 2020.

Plastic waste - Plastic Pollution Coalition is a growing global alliance of more than 1,200 organizations, businesses, and thought leaders in 75 countries working toward a world free of plastic pollution and its toxic impact on humans, animals, waterways, the ocean, and the environment.

India has pledged to ban all single-use plastics by 2022. All offices of central and state governments and major PSUs have been told to prohibit single-use plastic products. India banned imports of solid plastic waste only in March this year.

Apart from these success stories, there are many people but not all who are carrying the responsibilities of humans towards other living beings.

• What are the various platform that covers these problems?!

Not every mainstream media platform talks about these responsibilities quite a few organization pages and study papers on the web give u the information and the reason they don’t talk is that the consumers of media don’t really intend to know as the mainstream media is commercialized. Yet there are places where u can see media support to these responsibilities-

Deforestation- Over the last few years, there has been a notable increase in the international media coverage of deforestation and its link to climate change – with an increase by two thirds in global coverage between 2014 and 2018 and a more than doubling between 2016 and 2018.

Animal cruelty- Activists investigations of animal cruelty expose the public to suffering that they may otherwise be unaware of, via an increasingly broad-ranging media. Most people discussed the media coverage with others afterwards but fewer than 10 % contacted politicians or wrote to newspapers. A social organization like Animal Aid in India has their public social media accounts where the not only share their success stories but also reach out to a large number of audience.

Carbon dioxide- Global Carbon Budget 2019

Carbon Dioxide. Emissions Hit a Record in 2019, Even as Coal Fades.

Plastic- WEF Brief Explores Opportunities for Circular Plastics Economy

Economic meltdown threatens Europe’s war on plastic.

• What is the final conclusion we get from the responsibilities of human towards other living beings?

responsibilities of human towards other living beings should be like any other responsibility that we carry as a member of a community or I would say the universal family the same we as we are accountable to our own family members and take their problems as our own.

For a brief description of my topic would refer you to read- https://samiksha5915.wordpress.com/

[loyallogic]

Need for women leadership in Indian politics

This article is written by Aayushi Gupta of Rajiv Gandhi National University of Law, Punjab. This article deals with the status of women representation in the political sphere, causes for less representation, main women leaders, need for more women leaders and Women Reservation Bill, reforms and suggestions. 

Introduction

Over the past two decades, the rate of participation of women in the National Parliaments worldwide has incremented from 11.8% in 1998 to 23.5 in recent times. But we still have a long way to go to ensure equitable and fair representation to women. 

Women leadership in Indian politics

When we talk about the participation of women in Indian Politics, it usually reverberates with misogynist rants proscribing women and their leadership skills. They are often seen as irrational, indecisive, and even imprudent. And yet, women are marking their presence felt in national and international politics. 

At a time, when politicians like Jacinda Ardern, PM of New Zealand, are marking their presence by transforming the world opinion, Indian politics still remain within the clutches of misogynist men who refuse to share the limelight with women. She has offered an effective and powerful model of leadership incorporated with compassion and strong political determination. Within the span of a week, she was able to amend the gun laws in the country in the wake of a mass shooting at Christchurch, while also showing sensitivity and support to the wounded communities. 

There are immense examples of women nailing at this job. Much of the credit for the removal of Sudanese Dictator Al-Bashir, goes to women who played distinguished roles in the uprising against him. There are several women, who didn’t participate in electoral politics directly but made a profound impact on the political system. For example, Medha Patkar, who led the Chipko movement, made a tremendous impact on the political system, by leading a women-dominated social movement. Vandana Shiva is one such woman, who is attributed to the promotion of eco-feminism and food sovereignty in India. She started Navdanya as a program for the Research Foundation for Science, Technology, and Ecology (RFSTE), which provided direction and support to environmental feminism. Wangari Maathai was an infamous Kenyan social, political, and environmental activist and the first African woman to be bestowed with the Nobel Prize.

The participation of women as political leaders is not only low in India but around the world. As of now, only 24% of the global legislative members constitute women. And India, out of 193 countries, stands on 150th position in having the total percentage of women as legislators. In the lower house, women constitute 12.6% of total members and in the upper house, they constitute 11.5% of total members. What is more surprising is the fact that the least developing countries like Bangladesh stand in a better position than developed and developing countries like India in giving leadership to women. Rwanda tops the table with 62% of its legislators as women while India languishes at the bottom spots just above Liberia. What is more striking is that barely a decade after the genocide in Rwanda, women constitute more than 50% of its total legislators, in contrast to India, which was actually the world’s second state to have a woman as the Head of the State. Even after being elected to prominent positions, women’s political skills and competency are questioned repeatedly. 

The number of women elected in the Lok sabha has grown over the years, from 52 women in the 15th Lok Sabha to 78 women in the current one. But what is significant is that the numbers are growing eventually, but it is not changing on a very positive note. A country like India which has had a significant history of women leaders in the national movement is performing only slightly better than countries like China and Hungary. While the world boasts of many great leaders like Jacinda Ardern, yet women don’t seem to be present in sufficiently large numbers in electoral politics and representative institutions. What could be the reasons?

Lack of political knowledge: Most of the women are unable to participate in politics is due to the fact that they don’t possess adequate knowledge for the same. States like Uttar Pradesh present alarming figures that around 85000 women are unable to vote in each constituency as they aren’t registered as voters. Most of the women in the country don’t know how politics work, how the institutions govern the people and themselves. 

Household and marital barriers- Women’s voices are left unheard of in their own households. Technical and other ancillary works are supposed to be done by men while women are supposed to perform only the household chores. And most of the women are not allowed to work after marriage. In fact, even in the usual course, they are denied the basic opportunity to work. While even in household chores, they don’t receive help from their relatives, so they are left with no time to do anything. Generally, women in India experience varying degrees of exclusion because they are forced to succumb to the societal norms of marriage and motherhood and also due to obstructions imposed by the lack of access to public life.

Safety issues- Women, most of the time, don’t feel safe to work outside because of the safety issues. Most of the news that we hear, regarding the alarming number of rape, eve-teasing cases, makes the women feel unsafe to work outside.

Religion- Even our religious practices are reflective of our male-dominated political system. The politics is supposed to be a male-dominated area and women are not supposed to participate in state affairs. The word Politics draws its roots from the Greek word polity, which has often been presented as a male-dominated affair or gathering.

Socio-cultural norms and traditional structures- Another set of obstructions is presented by the entrenched social and traditional structures that create certain patterns of disempowerment and privilege like caste, gender, religion, sexuality, disability, and many more. Despite several provisions like the universal adult franchise, reservations, and limited opportunities, these long-held social, cultural, and traditional norms bar the women from participating in the electoral process-both as contesting candidates and voters. These discriminatory laws, practices, and structures discourage women to participate and become leaders. And also the disproportionate effect of poverty on women is one of the reasons.

Political Parties- They tend to ignore the hard work of women party workers, who work at the grassroots level, setting aside most of their time, performing tasks like door-to-door campaigning, community networking, and that of organization. What happens after that is when it comes to choosing the face of the party and leaders, the women tend to get belittled and they are not elected for the same, as the face of the party and the leader should be masculine. It is unfair that parties draw upon the diligence and labour of female party workers while excluding them from contesting elections and getting a shot at positions of power.

Structure of the institutions- The institutions, be it private or public, tend to be discriminatory. Women are often not given proper medical attention. And what is scarier is that in many of the states girls are actually killed in the mother’s womb or after their birth, let alone the opportunity for political representation. Women are not provided with good educational opportunities as well. And even political institutions and structures are exclusionary and discriminatory. Indian women face many obstacles while making their presence felt in the Indian political system. The institutions- be it in the private or public sphere such as family, educational and religious institutions, and even the courts- regulate women’s way into the political arena. It is also because of the gendered nature of violence and politics that women are not given enough opportunities. The gendered nature of violence even on digital platforms and social media inhibits women from seeking or gaining representation in the political sphere.

Lack of incentives or role models- It is also due to the fact that women are not given enough incentives to participate in the electoral process. Lack of awareness and incentives leads to low women participation. And also, there are not enough role models who can inspire women to participate in the political field.

Lack of resources- Indian women- like any other women in different parts of the world- have less time and fewer resources than the other gender due to the gendered division of reproductive as well as domestic labour. Even when women are able to access formal political power, it is not always coupled with considerable political participation. This is because the informal homosocial networks remain strong and constantly work to keep women out of the political reach. 

Main leaders

India is far behind these countries like Bangladesh and Rwanda in the total percentage of women legislators. Despite these countries being less developed and having had a recent history of violence, as in Rwanda, these countries have more women legislators as compared to developed and developing countries like India and China. India has had a glorious history of women leaders in the national movement, but it performs significantly poorer than these countries. It’s not that women are incapable or indecisive to perform in politics. It’s just that they aren’t given enough opportunities to represent themselves as leaders. When women are given opportunities, they perform differently and even make some prominent changes in the system as well as in society.

It’s mainly the political work of women that have contributed to the expansion of women’s rights in countries around the world over the years. When it comes to Indian women’s political role, the movement against dowry deaths, domestic violence, custodial rape still serve as important milestones for the nation. Numerous women political workers and activists have led campaigns for better health, sanitation, and education in the country. The landmark 73rd and 74th Constitutional Amendment Acts that provide for 33 per cent of reservation of seats for women in the local government institutions have opened up large possibilities for women to participate in the political processes in the country.

Over a million women were able to join formal political processes for the first time ever. The participation of women in the processes has been accompanied by a refreshingly different approach to the work and it is also seen that they have set different agendas that proved to be more relevant to the lives of the citizens. The inclusion of women in these institutions has reported timely and efficient working, better tax collection, greater attention to development work, and so on. But this also reported a problem. While the men tend to get their wives elected as the representatives, they worked in place of them and women remained as mere nominal figures. Yet, all these instances prove that women can work wonders when provided with adequate opportunities.

History has stood the brilliance of women in politics, time and again. Even our country has had a long history of women leaders during the national movement. Women like Rani of Jhansi, Begum Hazrat Mahal, Kasturba Gandhi, Rani of Ramgarh, Savitri bai Phule, and other women made an impeccable impact on our society, and even our present times are replete with examples of women leaders in our politics. 

Sucheta Kriplani was the first head of the Women’s department of the Congress Party. She also spearheaded the Quit India Movement with Aruna Asaf Ali and other women. Gandhi was highly impressed with her political dedication and helped in her appointment as the Organizing Secretary of the Kasturba Gandhi National Memorial Trust in 1946. This year proved to be life-changing for her as she was elected as a member of the Constituent Assembly with the task of laying down the Charter of the Indian Constitution. In 1949, she was chosen as a delegate to the United Nations General Assembly. Later, she fought her way into becoming the first-ever woman to occupy a position in the Indian political sphere, by becoming the first woman Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh.

Indira Gandhi was a politician and a central figure of the Indian National Congress. She was the first and to date only female PM of India. She served as the Prime Minister of the nation from 1966 to 1977 and again from January 1980 till her assassination in October 1984, making her the second-longest-serving PM of India after her father, Jawaharlal Nehru. While she was the PM of the nation, she launched some radical programs for the poor and she also nationalized 17 of the banks. She was also known for her political obstinacy and unprecedented centralization of power. She went on war with Pakistan in support of the independence movement for East Bengal which led to the formation of present-day Bangladesh. This step increased the regional influence of India to the point where it became the leading power of South Asia. She also instituted a state of emergency from 1975 to 1977, where civil liberties were suspended and the press was censored. It is said that it was a harsh period of atrocities. But in 1984, she was assassinated by her own bodyguard after she launched the Operation Bluestar. The southernmost Indira point is named after her and the international airport at New Delhi is named after her. The largest university in the world, Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU), is in her honour.

Pratibha Patil served as the 12th President of India from 2007 to 2012. A member of the Indian National Congress, she is the only woman to hold this office. She has also served as the Chief Minister of Rajasthan from 2004 to 2007. She has been felicitated with Mexico’s highest Civilian honour Order of the Aztec Eagle in 2019. 

Sushma Swaraj was a politician and government official who served in various legislative and administrative posts at the national and State level, Haryana. She even served as the leader of BJP in Lok Sabha. She was seven times a Member of Parliament and three times a Member of the Legislative Assembly. She was also the Union Minister Of External Affairs of India and became the second woman to do so after Indira Gandhi. With her tremendous work, she has actually helped many Indians and other foreign nationals to get back to their home country. 

Nirmala Sitharaman is an Indian politician serving as the current Minister of Finance and Corporate Affairs of India. She has been a member of the Rajya Sabha since 2014. She formerly served as the Defence Minister of India, thereby becoming India’s second female defence minister and also the second female finance minister after Indira Gandhi, and first full-time serving Finance Minister. Prior to that, she has served as Minister of Commerce and Industry under Independent charge and has also been a spokesperson of BJP. Forbes magazine ranked her 34th among the 100 most influential women around the world in 2019.

Sheila Dixit was a politician and stateswoman. She was the longest-serving chief minister of Delhi as well as the longest-serving female chief minister of any Indian state. She served for a period of 15 years beginning in 1998. She led the Congress party to three consecutive electoral victories in Delhi. She also received an award by the Indo-Iran society for her outstanding performance.

Mamata Banerjee has been the Chief Minister of West Bengal since 2011 being the first woman to hold the office. She founded the All India Trinamool Congress in 1998. She has previously served twice as Minister of Railways, the first woman to do so. She was also the first female Minister of Coal, and Minister of State for HRD, Youth Affairs, sports, Women and Child Development in the cabinet of the Indian government. She has also been named as one of the most influential women in the world. She is a self-taught painter and a poet. She also received the Skoch Chief Minister of the Year award. 

Vasundhara Raje Scindia is also one of the most influential political leaders of India. She is currently serving as the National Vice-President of the Bharatiya Janata Party. She also held the post of 13th Chief Minister of Rajasthan from 2013 to 2018 and previously from 2003 to 2008, becoming the first woman to hold this post. She is also the head of the royal Dholpur family. In 2007, she received the Women Together Award by the UNO for services rendered towards the self-empowerment of women. 

Agatha Sangma is a Member of Parliament of India. She represented the Tura constituency of Meghalaya. She was the youngest Minister of State in the UPA 2 Manmohan Singh’s cabinet.

It’s not just these women, there are many other women like Ambika Soni, Supriya Sule, Jayalalitha, Sonia Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi, Mayavati who are counted as the most influential women in Indian Politics. Their political brilliance and schemes have been appreciated by many and at the same time criticized. However, their political contributions to the development of the country and its citizens cannot be left unnoticed.

Need for more women leaders

When asked the question, “what should be the position or status of women in politics?”, we come across several misogynistic rants denouncing women as indecisive or incompetent. Even in the previous times, the contribution of women keeping the polis together was left unnoticed. But when women were given opportunities in the political arena, they did wonders. When women started working in these Panchayati raj institutions and local self-government, their contributions were left unaccounted for. Even when women became top political leaders, their political capabilities and skills were questioned at each level. This discouraged women from even participating. There is clearly a dire need for more women leaders in the political arena.

The first purpose which electing more women leaders will serve is the shattering of the age-old stereotypes and prejudices. Women are always seen as indecisive, irrational, and incompetent for such works. But when more women leaders will be elected, this will definitely shatter all these stereotypes and will surely encourage more women to participate. Also, women don’t participate in the political arena because of the lack of role models. There are only a few women leaders who can be looked up to by other women as role models. So, if there are more women leaders out there in the field, other women will become more aware of such opportunities and it will inspire them to aspire for such positions. 

Having more women representation in the political bodies is pivotal for many reasons, besides serving as a source of role models for other women. Elected women representatives in the political bodies tend to bring a sharper focus on what is termed as women’s issues. Generally, these issues are left unheard of when men are in power. It is generally perceived that when women are engaged and represented in significant leadership roles in a meaningful way, fruitful and more inclusive outcomes follow. 

The all-embracing and impartial representation of women in public life is a quintessential element to building and sustaining vibrant and strong democracies. More political participation of women also helps advance gender equality and also have a positive effect on the range of policy issues and the solutions advanced. There is also strong evidence that as more women are elected to political bodies, there is a parallel increase in policymaking emphasizing quality of life and also prioritizing family, racial, ethnic, and women related issues. Women, more than men, tend to be highly responsive to constituent concerns and they also help secure lasting peace among the members. Active participation of women in the political sphere tends to generate higher citizen confidence in democracy, by way of their own participation. Women are also seen to work more across party lines and they also prioritize health, sanitation, education, and other crucial factors. Women’s political participation is also seen as a decisive factor for the development of an all-inclusive, approachable, and transparent democracy. Women must be encouraged and empowered to become a strong and decisive community and political leaders in order to fulfil the worldwide development goals and also to build strong and sustainable political systems.

Women reservation bill

The obstructions and barriers to entry for women legislators are much higher as they contend with several social, cultural, economic, institutional, and structural issues. One way to overcome these challenges is through quotas or reservations. 

In 1994, India ratified the 73rd and 74th Constitutional amendment, granting women ⅓ or 33 per cent reservation of seats in the rural and urban local self-governments. This provision opened up a number of possibilities for women to participate in the political process. Over a million women were able to participate in the political process with refreshingly different approaches leading to development. It was also noticed that these local governments reported better time efficiency, more focus on developmental goals, better tax collections, and greater equality. But this wasn’t enough because it had its own problems. The bigger problem was that there was no reservation of seats for women in the State and the national Legislatures.

Subsequent to these amendments, the Women’s Reservation Bill was introduced in 1996 which had the provision of reservation of 33 per cent of seats in Lok Sabha, the lower house of the Parliament, and the State Legislative Assemblies on a rotational basis. This bill was initially introduced in the Lok Sabha on September 12, 1996, by the United Front government of HD Deve Gowda. The main aim of this bill was to reserve 33 per cent of seats for women in Lok Sabha and State Legislative Assemblies. The seats will be reserved on a rotational basis as per the bill. The seats would be ascertained by a draw of lots in such a way that a seat would only be reserved once in every three consecutive general elections. It sought to reserve ⅓ of the total number of seats for women from Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. The Vajpayee government pushed for the bill in Lok Sabha but it still hasn’t passed. 

A Joint Parliamentary Committee chaired by Geeta Mukherjee reviewed the 1996 bill and made several recommendations. Five of these recommendations were included in the 2008 Bill. These recommendations were: reservation for a period of 15 years, quota-within-quota for Anglo-Indians, reservation in cases where the state has less than three seats in Lok Sabha, reservation for the Delhi Assembly and changing “not less than one-third” to as “nearly as one-third”. Two of the recommendations which stated the reservation of seats in Rajya Sabha and Legislative Councils and sub-reservation of OBC women were not included. 

The Congress-led UPA-I government again introduced this bill in May 2008. The 2008 bill was referred to the Standing Committee on Law and Justice. The committee failed to reach a consensus but had three recommendations. The recommendations were that every political party must distribute 20% of its tickets to women, the reservation must not exceed 20% of the total seats and also introduced quotas for OBC women. They also considered two other methods of increasing representation. First was that the political parties were to nominate women for a minimum number of seats and the second was that there should be dual-member constituencies, where women should contest for one of the seats. But the reservation of seats in Rajya sabha is not possible as it elects on the basis of a single transferable vote, which makes it impossible to reserve seats. 

After its reintroduction, the 108th Constitutional Amendment bill was passed by Rajya Sabha on March 9, 2010, but it is still pending in Lok Sabha. Political personalities like Lalu Prasad Yadav, Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik, Chirag Paswan have been some of the vocal opponents of the Women’s Reservation Bill. Currently, the bill is still pending in Lok Sabha. It will only be passed if the ruling government pushes for the bill, as they are in the majority. It continues to languish even after 24 years of its introduction. 

The Women’s Reservation Bill certainly looks promising and its attempt to address the internal intricacies within the category of women by recognizing their deprivation points are bound to bear fruitful results. Such a bill would make sure that their narratives are voiced out, which are left unheard otherwise.

Need for the bill

Since the introduction of the bill, there has been absolutely no concrete effort made for the political inclusion of women. As per the data by the Inter-Parliamentary Union and UN Women, India stands on 148th position out of 193 countries in terms of representation of women in politics. Since then, the government has not made sincere efforts for the larger participation of women. Also, the Committee for the Empowerment of Women has a restricted ordinance and doesn’t perform any other function besides suggesting minor improvements to the already existing welfare programs. Women’s percentage in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha is 11.6% and 11% respectively, which is lower than almost all the nations. This bill is the need of the hour to further improve the political participation of women. It is imperative many of the nations have made legislative and constitutional reforms to ensure greater participation of women and they have been successful. So, the passing of this bill would surely help women to come out in the political arena and have a positive impact.

The lack of political representation of women in powerful positions in the National or State Legislatures hampers the focus required on women’s financial independence or their education, which may have helped them to break from succumbing familial or social ties. This bill certainly makes sure that unheard deprivation or narration of women is voiced out and gets placed in the open. Also, the greater participation of women in the political sphere would lead to a gradual breaking of a patriarchal mode of production, where men materially gain from the subordination of women in the private as well as the public sphere. The Women’s Reservation Bill is imperative for a more egalitarian and gender-just society, though we know that we have to walk many more miles before we dream of it.

Reforms and Suggestions

These quotas allow women to get access to positions of power, but some may say they also go against the spirit of merit-based elections in a democracy. In the bill, there is a provision of reservation of seats for SC and ST women, but there is no similar provision for OBC women, despite recommendations. Also, the reservations in local government may force the women to run for elections because of the pressure from the relatives to gain a position material benefit. Their spouses, the panchayat patis, often control the position, wielding power through their wives’. One of the reasons for the greater inhibition of women in the political system is the prevailing institutional structure. Political parties often tend to ignore the grassroots and ground-level work that women members do by sacrificing their time. But often their work is minimalized and left unaccounted for. And women are also not seen as the face or the leader of the party. It is pretty unjust to draw on women’s labour while excluding them from electoral politics. The political parties must also realize their role as protectors of women’s interests. Rudimental reforms at the party level will serve as an important and strategic complement to the Bill. 

Women joining politics in India are drawn from diverse sections of society. While some are highly qualified and professional, on the other hand, some are poor and have no education at all. Thus, a one-size-fits-all approach will not work in strengthening women’s role in politics. Women are not a homogenous group- women belonging to different caste, religion, social and economic backgrounds, women with disabilities, and trans women have different experiences and have different impacts on the approach to politics. The Indian Parliament, in order to be truly representative, needs to draw more female members from the wide-sections of society.

Also, a change in people’s attitudes and social structure can help women get free from these historically entrenched barriers. Even women who are educationally or economically backwards can be provided with awareness or micro financial facilities to be uplifted. More self-help groups of women can help encourage and aware women regarding the political system and what opportunities it upholds. 

The main problem with lesser participation of women in the political sphere is exhaustive familial ties. They will be able to take their rightful place in these political institutions when Indian men change their attitudes towards the other gender, recognize them as distinct persons and start sharing the household responsibilities with them. Perhaps, capacity-building workshops for men in this area would be a substantial way to bring about a qualitative change in women’s political participation. It is apparent that reservations are a great deal to increase the participation of women in electoral and representative institutions, but a positive enabling environment coupled with gender equality in terms of access to power and opportunities, and distribution of resources is fairly important. Even when women get elected their abilities and skills get questioned. The liberty to take action without pressure and work independently will make a great impact on their performance and will bring about a transformation in every sense. This can only come through ‘Awareness, Recognition and Demand” of the women, by the women and for the women.

Conclusion

There have been several efforts made for higher inclusion of women in the political leadership, but till the men are not sensitized and the social and institutional barriers are not shattered, there is still a long road ahead for their representation.

References

https://rajyasabha.nic.in/rsnew/publication_electronic/reserv_women_pers2008.pdf

https://www.prsindia.org/theprsblog/update-women%E2%80%99s-reservation-bill

https://www.indiatoday.in/education-today/gk-current-affairs/story/women-politicians-261252-2015-09-04

https://padindia.wordpress.com/blog/womens-reservation-bill-pros-and-cons/

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