I have reservation with 'reservations'!

India has managed to create a history of sorts ahead of many developed countries, when the country's Upper House (RS) passed the 108th Amendment of Constitution or what we're calling the 'Woman's Reservation Bill'. Although, India has seen many women in powerful political positions in the likes of late Mrs. Gandhi or our present President of the country Mrs. Patil, but still getting to pass the Woman's Bill just through its first hurdle, which would entitle women t0 33.3% seats in Parliament and State Legislative bodies, took good 14 years of pulling and pushing and much shouting and fisting to come through!! So, in a sense the whole euphoria surrounding it and the sense of victory for all womenfolk( who ironically DO constitute half of the population) is well deserved and justified.

I on the other hand, am not feeling like dancing the victory dance at all at this addition of a new reservation in the line of many others. Well, of course being a woman myself I would always rejoice anything to mark another step forward in woman's empowerment wholeheartedly, but for a few reasons that I find are like gaping holes in this Bill I really cannot accept it on face value. Though, I do support this Bill as just a 'symbol' and a strong symbol to take forward the decades old quest for empowering our women..the other half of the population; and I'm absolutely abhorring those leaders/people whether man,woman or it..who are opposing the Woman's Bill not for the right reasons or its flaws, but for the fear of 'men losing out to women' or fear of losing out support of their vote banks etc. for these reasons show why such people shouldn't be ruling us and why we actually haven't achieved equality, not just gender but caste,class,creed..everything that keeps us divided.

Many(especially my fellow species members) might find me cynical or even a traitor to 'our' cause by not accepting the Bill unquestionably, but with due apologies to all such people I have to declare in a brilliant woman's words(Sarojini Naidu) that ' I am not a feminist'..and like her I too agree there is no reason for me to take on that tag, for I have not suffered regression to my development ever. I was brought up in a liberal and forward thinking environment and was given equal opportunities to study, grow and accomplish and have been brought up to never assent to inequality; why should I then knowingly acknowledge myself as inferior, oppressed and agree to victim-hood?! Rather, with my position of privilege I'd like to acknowledge the position of the truly disadvantaged people..women..the real victims of this shamelessly nonchalant society. These people need to be pulled up to really make a difference from their endless illiteracy,poverty and lack of opportunities; not the people or women who are already at the top enjoying such luxuries causing pulling beyond 'top' would only result in toppling!

The woman's Bill is a bright beacon which has been lit to wake up all the snoozing people and draw their attention to this really important issue of upliftment and empowerment of neglected half of the society, but what is more important now is to not get dazed and lose our way in that dazzle and frenzy instead look hard and deep within to identify the real issues to root them out for good and NOT overlook anomalies like in this Bill. What good is any amendment or reservation if it doesn't achieve its purpose?!? and I have serious apprehensions that the purpose of woman's increased participation in our country's politics through this bill, and hence their empowerment is something that this bill might not achieve. I maybe absolutely wrong(which I'd like to be very much) in doubting the effectiveness of this bill, but wavering remains till someone logically explains to me the nuances of this 33% reservation; like
a) How exactly would it be decided as to which of the 181 of 543 seats of Lok Sabha and 1,370 out of a total of 4,109 seats in the 28 State Assemblies be chosen under this bill and based on what perimeters?sex ratio?? Why, then states like Haryana and Punjab might never see a single woman representing any of those 181 seats with their lowest male to female population ratio in the country!!
b) It seems the reserved seats would be allotted to constituencies by rotation having a validity of 15 years; so basically so far to me its sounds like Russian Roulette to me with a 'desi' twist. Does it mean that a certain constituency under this amendment would be only available to women to contest elections and hold posts?? What happens if a constituency doesn't have any eligible or willing women to contest, also doesn't it put such constituencies under the risk of pseudo-governance- like we've already previously seen in case of Bihar, where Laloo Yadav very slyly and effortlessly ruled making his wife Rabri Devi as the puppet CM??? Won't it be gross injustice to all the eligible and efficient male candidates as well as the people of that constituency?!? And does the 15 year barrier mean a no-woman policy post the allotted years?? Would that be fair to women then after all?!?

I agree that the present reservations at the Panchayat level bodies has seen a marked difference in the position of women to slight extent in rural background, also it has been observed that many women Panchayat heads have brought about positive changes in their areas by addressing issues related to agricultural growth, education, health care etc. given their biological bent towards nurturing and growth. These are remarkable achievements by those few women and needs to be applauded and carried forward, but one should not forget to look at the other side of the coin as well. Do we really need more Mayawatis and Jayalalithas in the name of empowerment...women who have done absolutely nothing, neither for their so called causes n people nor for women,these women who have been equally corrupt and power hungry as their male counterparts, for we must not forget where the basic human (whether male or female) quality succumbs to-power! As they say, 'Power corrupts; absolute power corrupts absolutely'. And this stark difference should not be overlooked by people who are in the position to make a difference to our society when devising such measures.

What good is a reservation just for the heck of it if it doesn't add to or achieve anything, rather become an added burden to our already back-broken system?!? And I ask, what good is any reservation for that matter when they don't ever address the root of the problem, rather are put up as patches which only grow up to add to new irritants rather than solutions?!? Take the reservations in our education system for example; what good has it done in all these years when India's literacy rate is still at 66% compared to the average World literacy rate of 84%, and to top it we also boast to be having the the largest illiterate population of any nation on earth!!?? Our wonderful system reserves about 50% of seats in all levels of Higher education like- Engineering, Medicine, Management, Law etc. for the underprivileged children or scholars of our society namely the Scheduled casts and Tribes, Other backward classes etc. (ST,SC,OBC) out of sheer goodness of heart and nobility! Excuse my lower levels of intelligence but, the logic behind such a move totally beats my or any logic by miles...for however might I try, I fail to reason- Why would the reservations be made at the highest possible level of education and not at the basic level like primary and secondary level??? Did the people who crafted 'this' reservation bill, in order to make up for all the atrocities and disadvantages meted out to such underprivileged communities felt that such people don't really need to go through the WHOLE grind of education, rather lets just give them 'double-promotions to the power of n' and let them just become engineers and doctors to make them feel good??? Or did they assume that nobody could be under-privileged enough to not get adequate education in our great country and not reach up to the doors of engineering and medical colleges, and that's where lies the real problem so let us pop open a side door for such crowd???? Again such a reservation or privilege even with the best intentions and foolish minds has just been thoroughly abused by privileged people with non-fitting victim tags!! A total sham and shame.

So, its a sincere pray to god to grant this time around a good level of comprehension, coherence and clarity to such people and to not add to our bagful of sham-y reservations with the Woman's Bill. Cause if the system has any sincerity in feeling the need for more active female presence in the governance of our country then what they should be providing is a stronger right and platform to fight and get a chance to be elected for the most deserving candidate, who in turn would ensure upliftment and empowerment of all. Of course everyone needs a little push at times to overcome big hurdles, and if the woman's reservation bill intends to be that genuine push at all, then what it should be reserving is not seats in houses but 33% (I'd say 50) TICKETS from each registered political party to be provided for women candidates to fight a fair battle and let the best among the equals win for the greater good of all!!!

Amen.

I'm a Bitch..

I had heard this song ages ago as a teenager or as we call now a young adult (yes that sounds better), and back then it was a fabulously 'COOL' song...a symbol for standing out and the rebel anthem of sorts. But that was then...and like all things in the kingdom of time the song also faded out..I moved on and grew up or that is the impression I had at least! coz for sometime now I've been told so quite persistently that perhaps I have not grown up at all and still wearing the hat of 'the rebel without a cause'...

Initially I used to get extremely angry and irked by such implications..then I started getting hurt and felt sad cause of the same and somewhere my confidence in my being kind of faltered and that could never be a good sign!! ;-) So then I thought..and thought and thought some more about it...and realized a simple thing; we all by the virtue of being human are made up of both good and bad..we're like coins with two sides and neither the same as other. And what has happened in my case is....we both(i.e. myself and this source of implication mentioned above) were looking at the same person 'Me/I' from two different sides...seeing the two different faces of the same coin but not flipping it over for the other side to come to light too!! So now I accept and am a believer again..in myself and them too! :-)

And all that thinking again after a looong period reminded me of this song which in a funny way fits in this two faced coin story....

"

I hate the world today

You're so good to me

I know but I can't change

tried to tell you but you look at me like maybe I'm an angel

underneath

innocent and sweet

Yesterday I cried

You must have been relieved to see the softer side

I can understand how you'd be so confused

I don't envy you

I'm a little bit of everything

all rolled into one

Chorus:

I'm a bitch, I'm a lover

I'm a child, I'm a mother

I'm a sinner, I'm a saint

I do not feel ashamed

I'm your health, I'm your dream

I'm nothing in between

You know you wouldn't want it any other way

So take me as I am

This may mean you'll have to be a stronger man

Rest assured that when I start to make you nervous

and I'm going to extremes

tomorrow I will change

and today won't mean a thing

Chorus

Just when you think you've got me figured out

the season's already changing

I think it's cool you do what you do

and don't try to save me

Chorus

I'm a bitch, I'm a tease

I'm a goddess on my knees

when you hurt, when you suffer

I'm your angel undercover

I've been numbed, I'm revived

can't say I'm not alive

You know I wouldn't want it any other way "

xxx :-)

That story..

Loneliness and emptiness looms heavily like suspended mist over a ghost town; emotions burning...churning..frothing and foaming...and boiling over into nothingness, for no one. A film of insanity settling over like dust day by day; where is that elusive mirage that the heart chases or is it just hallucinations?!? Memories rush in..flood in to fill the void and with each step they trample over and break something, and then feel guilty..for they came in to soothe but its just blood all around...somewhere thick, dark and clotted and somewhere thinning in tears. The savior needs saving...with a hand held outstretched and muted speech but screaming eyes...please...is anyone out there..anyone at all?! where do all the Princes come from when rescuing is needed from life itself..?!?