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India - Activists Reflect On Women's Rights &
Image credit: UNDP
The result of
By Saira Zuberi - AWID
July 7, 2014 -
Commentators have noted that there is no apparent departure from the former
Congress-led government’s economic policies, with unbridled economic growth
being the goal, even at the expense of the environment or individual and
collective rights. With 282 of 543 seats (51.93%) in the Lok Sabha, the
BJP now holds power in the world’s largest democracy.
The Indian National Congress (INC), which
led the United Progressive Alliance that ruled the country for the past ten
years, suffered its worst defeat in history – receiving less than 20% of the
popular vote and winning just 44 seats. Despite holding itself up as the
main champion of secularism, the Congress was unable to overcome widespread
public perception as being ineffective in controlling inflation and rebooting a
stagnant economy, turning a blind eye to corruption in its own ranks and in
major public services, and being soft on terrorism and crimes against
women. Their secular credentials were also badly tarnished by decades of
“soft” communalism and opportunistic divide and rule politics[ii]
The election results reflect not only a
rejection of Congress rule, but the successful overhauling of the image of
Narendra Modi and the country’s most impressive electoral PR campaign to
date. Modi was recast from a provincial to a national leader; from the
man who presided over genocide to the architect of the “Gujarat Model”
symbolizing rapid economic development with clean and efficient governance; and
from a rabid fundamentalist to a mature, inclusive national leader. This
recasting of Modi was essential since he has never managed to shake off the
stigma of being the leader in charge Gujarat state on India’s west coast, where
in 2002, some 2,000 Muslims were systematically slaughtered, and countless
others tortured, raped, maimed, and over 100,000 homes seriously damaged or
destroyed. This dark history, and the lack of accountability that
followed - combined with the more muscular neoliberal policies of the BJP and
how these impact labour and economic rights for those who are not
beneficiaries--has raised concerns about what the new BJP government will mean
at the national level, particularly for religious and ethnic minorities, those
at the lower end of the caste system, women, workers, and sexual
minorities.
Little surprise at the results
For feminist writer and activist Vasanth
Kannabiran, the election results came as no surprise. “There was a clear
indication that the wind was blowing that way.” What did perhaps surprise some,
was the extent of backlash suffered by Congress. “The sweep and decimation of
all other parties was a shock. But, (there is) also a sense that the way the
Congress and the Left had bungled along, they deserved it. At least this
is the naked truth. We have no secular illusions.”
Veteran women’s rights activist Abha
Bhaiya had the sense that this time “the total lack of alliances within
so-called secular parties was going to clear the way for BJP. As such,
the tremendous finances pumped into the election campaign--including an
unusually ugly and nearly total take-over of the media and a tremendous
support of the aligning fundamentalist fronts--was well orchestrated.”
Bhaiya pragmatically concedes that
"the fact is they have come with the people’s verdict. Since this is a
democratic election in the country, the verdict of the voters has to be
accepted, with all my apprehension, I still think.” For her, the
elections marked a defeat of various movements, clearly pointing to the lack of
popular support. “We have not been able to build our constituency. We know the
reasons for this and this moment in history must be used by us to do
serious reflection.” At the same time, she cautions against despair: “Let’s not
forget within the screams and high-pitched celebrations of victory for the BJP
that it is only 31 to 35 % of the voting population that has voted for the BJP and
its allies.”
A disturbing track record
Kannabiran and other women’s rights
activists are also deeply concerned by Modi’s track record as Chief Minister of
Bhaiya says, “[w]e still need to wait and
see how BJP fares on issues of women's rights, minority rights, and
communal politics and practices. It appears obvious which
side they are going to lean. The fact is that violence against women and
girls has never been so brutal, so extensive” In her view, the BJP will
continue the neoliberal development model promoted by the Congress,
accelerating “the pace of selling the nation to the global market and the
corporate sector. The displacement of the poor, tribals, Dalits,
… all marginalized [groups] will bear the brunt of this newer dawn of
the nation.”
Fears about the impact on rights
Many engaged in rights-based social
movements are alarmed by the results of
Maya Ganesh, working from Bangalore with
international information rights and advocacy organization Tactical Tech, notes that
already impacts are being felt, with international environmental organization Greenpeace targeted in the recent Intelligence Bureau
report, as attacking India’s coal sector and threatening development.
“Everything we feared has happened so soon. Industry supported Modi and is
trying to push their skewed notion of 'development', and the voice of dissent
has been targeted.” Already “More than ten people have been arrested for saying
‘defamatory’ things online about Narendra Modi [iv]. When the last government was challenged it was
'freedom of speech', now it is called 'defamation'.”
An activist working at a sexuality rights
organization, R. says “The future does not bode well for overall development or
rights-related issues --the current government is likely to focus on whetting
the middle class' aspirations at the expense of all else - the poor, the
environment, and any 'minority' groups..” Bhaiya concurs, saying, “[t]he deadly
combination of the fundamentalists and the capitalists is something we are all
dreading. The destruction and sale of natural resources is
inevitable. We are in for a dark period in history.”
Watching, analyzing and critiquing
For now, R. sees social movements as
“watching, analyzing and critiquing, but from all accounts, space for free
expression and dissent is also surreptitiously disappearing. However, we have
many strong and fearless people who continue to speak up, so there is hope that
things will not get too bad.”
A defiant Bhaiya promises, “[a]s
feminists, we will continue to struggle and carry on our work. We are not going
to stop our work or allow any paralysis, [even though] in fact our tasks
are heavier, but [they are] critical. I am an optimist and do believe in
people's wisdom."
Feminist researcher-activist Srilatha
Batliwala also maintains her optimism: “For the past sixty years, Indians have
become used to a high level of civil liberties and democratic space. While
many—especially the middle and upper-middle classes—may be willing to surrender
some of these in exchange for a high growth rate and less corruption (at least
of the kind that affects them), after a while, they or their children will
react against a serious curbing of their freedoms. And those from more
marginalized groups, who do not benefit much from the current model of
development, will not suffer long in silence. Indians are simply too used to
protesting and speaking out.”
Further
http://awid.org/Library/An-Unnoticed-Fact-The-RSS-India-s-Biggest-NGO-Gets-Foreign-Funding-Too
http://awid.org/Library/Narendra-Modi-as-prime-minister-would-roll-back-women-s-rights-in-India
[i] With inputs from Srilatha Batliwala
[ii]The worst example of which was the pogroms against the
country’s Sikh population after the assassination of Indira Gandhi, and the
failure to punish those from within its own ranks who fomented this
violence.
[iii]http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/UN-watchdog-accuses-India-of-dereliction-of-duty-over-rapes/articleshow/36870692.cms
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/india-arrests-3-teen-sisters-gang-rape-murder-hanging-from-mango-tree/