November - 2014 Review

Women Politics in Odisha : Trends and Challenges Dr. Dasarathi Bhuiyan

There was a big gap between men and women influence. Despite the fact that Basant Manjari in Odisha in electoral field during the pre - Devi had been the Deputy Minister she was at independence era. This can be inferred from the best a “decorative piece” of the cabinet of H.K. fact that none of the three ministry of Odisha Mahatab and Nabakrishna Chaudhury from 1946 during the Pre-Independence Assembly period, to 1959. Up to the end of 1960’s the political i.e., from 1936 to 1947 included any women, scene of Odisha was dominated by male leaders although Sarala Devi and Punya Prabha Devi like Harekrishna Mahatab, , Rajendra were elected from the town constituency, Narayan Singh Deo, Nabakrishna Choudhary and A. Laxmi Bai was elected from the Brahamapur . constituency. But in the link assembly from 1947 to 1952 among the women legislators Smt. A. The mid-term election to the Odisha Laxmi Bai was the Deputy Speaker of the Odisha Assembly was held in 1961. Smt. Saraswati Legislative Assembly from 29.05.1946 to Pradhan, a Congress Party candidate was elected 20.02.1952 and Smt. Basant Manjari Devi was from Bhatali constituency of Sambalpur district. the Deputy Minister of Health in the Harekrushna She was inducted into Biju Patnaik’s Cabinet as [3] Mahatab Ministry, who assumed the charge of a Deputy Minister of Education. Smt Saraswati office on 23rd April,1946. Pradhan was again inducted as a Deputy Minister of Education in the Biren Mitra’s government on After the Independence of there 2nd October, 1963. She also served in the Ministry had been a spectacular increasing in the political of Sadasiv Tripathy as the Deputy Minister of participation of women in Odisha. Many of them Education as before. Smt. contested in the elections to the Assembly and served as a Deputy Minister in the three Ministries . A few of them were also appointed of Biju Patnaik, Biren Mitra and Sadasiv Mishra as the ministers both at the centre and in the states. from 1961 to 1967, but she was not promoted But except Basant Manjari Devi, others were not to the Minister of state or Cabinet rank. The fact very influential. The real powers continued to lay is that Smt. Saraswati Pradhan was appointed with the male politicians. Although Basant Manjari only to fill up the women quota in the ministry. Devi, (queen mother or Rajmata of Ranpur) was a prominent women political personality during Smt. Anang Manjari Devi, a Jana the post-Independence era, she lacked statewide Congress candidate from Sukinda constituency,

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Smt. Swaraswati Pradhan of the Congress party end of the J. B. Patnaik’s first tenure of Chief from Bhatli constituency and Smt. Ratna Prabha Minister. In the 1985 Assembly elections 7 Devi, a Swatantra candidate from women members were elected to the Odisha constituency were elected in the elections of 1967 Assembly. Never before such large number of to the Odisha Assembly. The Swatantra–Jana women candidates were elected to the House. Congress, Swatantra–Jana Congress Ministry did Miss Frida Topno was inducted as the Minister not include any women from the elected women of State for Fisheries and Animal Husbandry in legislators from their respective parties. the second Ministry of J.B. Patniak in 1985. nd In the mid-term elections to the Odisha J.B.Patnaik reshuffled his Ministry on 22 July Assembly of 1971 although 12 women candidates 1986. He inducted Smt. Parama Pujari and Smt contested, none of them were elected to the Saraswati Hembram as Deputy Ministers. Smt Odisha Legislative Assembly. But Smt. Nandini Pujari was given the portfolio of Child Satpathy, then a Union Minister of state became Development and Rural Reconstruction while Smt the Chief Minister of Odisha though she was not Parama Pujari was given the portfolio of Harijan & Tribal Welfare. Shri a Member of Assembly. [4] Smt. was the first woman Chief Minister of Odisha. became the leader of the Congress Legislature Party and he took over as Odisha’s Chief Minister Later on she was elected to the Assembly from th Cuttack Constituency on 26.11.1972 in a bye on 5 December, 1989. He included all the women ministers of J.B.Patnaik’s Cabinet. election. [5] In the 1974 mid-term elections Nandini In the March 1990 elections seven Satpathy formed her second ministry on March women members were elected to the Odisha 6, 1974. Other women candidates such as Assembly. Except Congress legislator, Smt. Sairindri Nayak, Subhansu Malini Ray of Nandini Satpathy, all others were elected from Congress and V. Sugyan Kumari Deo of Utkal Janata Dal Dal ticket. But Biju Patnaik inducted Congress were elected to the Assembly. But only Dr. Kamala Das as a Minister of state for none of them were included in the ministry of Education and Youth Services (Primary and Adult Smt. Satpathy. The Ministry Education) into his Cabinet. In the 1995 elections to the Odisha Assembly eight women members that assumed charge of office on 29th December 1976 also did not induct any woman minister. were elected. Among them Smt. Nandini , took over the administration Satpathy, Parama Pujari, Usha Rani Panda, of the state on June 26, 1977. Eventhough, out Bijayalaxmi Sahu, and Saraswati Hembram were of seven women legislators five were elected from the prominent and high-flying members having , Routray Ministry did not include any previous political experience. But Shri J.B. Patnaik woman minister. inducted only one woman member, Smt. Bijayalaxmi Sahoo, in his Cabinet, and was given In the 1980 elections to the Odisha the portfolio of Women and Child Development. Legislative Assembly 5 women members were On 9th February, 1999 J.B.Patnaik resigned from elected. Sri J.B Patnaik inducted Smt. Saraswati his office and he was succeeded by Giridhar Hembram, as a Deputy Minister of Child Gamango. He inducted Smt. Usha Rani Panda, Development and Rural Reconstruction. Smt. Smt. Parama Pujari, Smt. Swaraswti Hembram Hembram continued as a deputy minister till the and Smt. Bijayalaxmi Sahoo in his cabinet in

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February, 1999. But after super cyclone of Pramila Mallik,(BJD) as the Cabinet Minister of October 1999 he was removed from his post and Women & Child Development and Smt. Surama Shri Hemananda Biswal succeeded him. He Padhy,(BJP) as the Minister of state for retained all the women ministers of the Gomango Cooperation. [7] The trend of the 2009 Assembly Ministry without leaving any one of them. Election in Odisha was the poor representation Shri assumed the charge of women candidates. This election saw just six of office of the BJD-BJP coalition government women candidates making it to the State Assembly on 5th March, 2000. Fourteen women members and none to Lok Sabha. The women members were elected to the Assembly for the first time. elected to Assembly were Pramila Mallik from This was the highest number of women members Binjharpur, Anjali Behera from Hindol, Sipra ever elected to the Assembly. Shri Naveen Mallik from Kendrapada, V.Sugyana Kumari Deo Patnaik inducted two women ministers in his from Kabisuryanagar, Usha Devi from Chikiti and cabinet. Dr. Kamala Das was included in the Mamata Madhi from Chitrakonda. There were ministry as the Cabinet Minister of Health, Family just 118 women candidates in the fray for 147 Welfare, Women & Child Development and Smt. seats, the major culprits being the principal parties. Draupadi Murmu as a Minister of state for The Biju Janata Dal had nominated just eight, while Commerce and Transport. But in 2002 he the Congress gave tickets to 14 women aspirants. dismissed Dr Kamala Das from his Ministry on The BJP nominated 14 too. Parties like CPI and the charges of corruption and after the reshuffle CPI (M) did not nominate any women candidate of the Ministry on 6th August 2002 he included at all. It is ominous for the cause of women Bishnupriya Behera in his Ministry as the Minister empowerment in Odisha. Talking about the issue of state for Women and Child Development. He does not make any sense if political parties do also suspended Smt. Kumudini Patnaik, Member not practice what they say. Not nominating of Parliament from Aska constituency, in April, adequate number of women candidates is an 2002 to avert a possible split in the Parliamentary indicator in itself. [8] But after a couple of days of party. In order to prevent a formal split in the her induction into the ministry as the Minister of Parliamentary Party, Bishnu Priya Behera, Shri Women and Child Development Smt Pramila Padmanav Behera were accommodated in the Mallik was asked to resign from the State ministry. The suspension of Kumudini Patnaik Cabinet for her alleged involvement in dal scam. assumed significant, as she was the wife of senior In the last week of May, 2012. Shri Naveen B.J.D leader and former Finance Minister, Shri Patnaik recommended dismissal of Women and Ramkrishna Patnaik. Angry with the Chief Child Development Minister Anjali Behera from Ministers’ decision to shift him from Finance to the Ministry for her alleged support to Shri Agriculture Minister, Shri Ramakrishna Patnaik Pyarimohan Mahapatra. had resigned from the BJD-BJP ministry. In a mark of revolt the Patnaik couple resigned from Table -1 the BJD and joined the opposition Congress Number of Women Legislators with Party. Percentage of Representation (1952-2009) The 2004 election elected 11 women 1952 1957 1961 1967 1971 1974 1977 1980 1985 1990 1995 members Shri Naveen Patnaik inducted Smt. 2000 2004 2009

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Total Assembly Seats 140 140 140 140 140 147 147 147 147 147 147 147 147 147 Women Representation 3 5 4 5 1 4 7 5 8 9 10 14 11 6 Percentage 2.14% 3.57% 2.85% 3.57% 0.71% 2.72% 4.76% 3.40% 5.44% 6.12% 6.80% 9.52% 7.48% 4.08%

Table-2

Chart-1 DISPLAY OF WOMEN REPRESENTATION IN PIE CHART

Women Representation

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Chart-2

RISE AND FALL OF WOMEN REPRESENTATION

tokenism and symbolism when it came to Trends of Women Politics in Odisha: representation of women. Women issues were 1. Parties hesitate to field women not taken up by parties in a serious manner nor candidates: translated into programmes, policies and legislation nor were they mandated specifically to Almost all parties hesitate to field women address issues of women. candidates. Hence the number of women candidates fielded by various political parties has 4. Women Cells working as ancillary bodies: always been very low as compared to their Almost all political parties set up a numbers in the population. Among women who women’s cell or wing but they worked as ancillary manage to rise in the political echelons, in spite of bodies. Very few women were able to capture their ability in administration and the art of political seats of power. The number of women in the articulation, very few women reach the level of legislatures remained very small. Very few women cabinet ministers. reached the position of party president or leader 2. Less Important Portfolios: of legislative party. Mostly they remain deputy ministers or 5. Legacy of the Past : ministers of state. When women reach the few The political mobilization and participation ministerial positions, they are generally assigned of women has been impressive in the Indian portfolios in the social service sectors of Health, National Movement. They belonged to the elitist Education, Social Welfare, Women and Child groups. It is worth-noting that the political Development etc. mobilization of women and their participation in elections has steadily increased since the first 3. Most parties resorted to tokenism General Elections of 1952. Women like and symbolism: A.Laxmibai, Subhadra Mahtab, Kiran Lekha Another trend of women representation Mohanty, Sarala Devi, Saraswati Devi joined real in Odisha reveals that most parties resorted to politics during this period.

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6. The elite and high castes groups: visible in case of scheduled caste and scheduled Women legislators elected from Odisha tribe representation. to State Assembly and Parliament so far, mostly 8. Mostly through family dynasties or belonged to the elite and high caste groups. through male political patronage : The Kshatriyas (rulers of ex- princely Another trend can be easily noticed that states) have contributed the largest number of it is the elite and politicized families from which women legislators. The noticeable supremacy of there is a smooth entry for women in politics. Kshayatriya women over other women in the field Women playing supportive roles to males in the of politics is mainly due to the feudal ruling family and emerging from their shadows have also backdrop and influential temperament. It is found easy entry. imperative to note that up to 1971 not a single 9. Widows’ succession-Entry of widows Brahmin woman could be elected as an MLA of prominent political figures : despite the fact that it as one of the “Dominant Castes” of the state. It was after only in 1972 the Another trend has been the entry of Brahmins, Karans and Khandayats entered into widows of prominent political figures into politics politics. The fate of OBC women representatives and positions of power. Some widows of the is also miserable. departed MLAs have also got the party tickets in order to contest in the bye-elections. Smt. Patta 7. Representation through Reservation: Nayak wife of ex-Minister Sri Trinath Nayak and Due to the introduction of reservation in their daughter Anjali Behera, Smt. Ratna Manjari representation, some scheduled caste women and Devi wife of Raja Sisir Kumar Narendra Deb, scheduled tribe women are getting involved in Shanti Devi, wife of Shri Ananta Narayan Singh politics. Some of them are elected MLAs and Deo, Usha Devi, wife of Shri Trigunateeta Deb MPs as a result of the reservation policy of the of Chikiti, V. Sugnana Kumari Deo, wife of Purna government. It is important to note that the Chandra Mardaraj Deo and daughter in law of election success of scheduled caste or scheduled Ramchandra Mardaraj of Khallikote royal family, tribe women is merely symbolic. They are just Mandakini Behera, wife of ex MLA Sri Bhagabat “token elites” without exercising any power. Most Behera, Usharani Panda, wife of ex-Minister Sri parties resorted to tokenism and symbolism when Sarat Chandra Panda etc have entered politics it came to representation of women. It is clear through this family legacy. Table-3 : Caste-wise representation of Women Legislators YEAR Brahmin Kshyatriya Khandayat Scheduled Scheduled Others Total Caste Tribe 1952 3 03 1957 5 05 1961 3 1 04 1967 4 1 05 1971 1 01 1974 1 2 1 04 1977 1 4 1 1 07

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1980 1 04 05 1985 1 1 1 5 08 1990 2 5 1 1 09 1995 6 2 2 10 2000 02 3 1 1 3 3 1 14 2004 01 2 2 2 4 11 2009 2 3 1 06 TOTAL 16 31 04 09 10 21 01 92 Chart-3

9. No tribal representation outside to note that till 1980 not a single women from reservation: Odisha was elected to the Lok Sabha. It was Odisha has 33 seats out of the 147 in the only in 1980 Smt. Jayanti Patnaik, wife of former legislative assembly reserved for tribals. At the Chief Minister; Shri J. B. Patnaik was elected to parliament level, five of the total 21 seats are the Lok Sabha. Since1980 only ten women so reserved for ST candidates. Historically, political far have been elected to the Lok Sabha and since parties have never fielded more than an 1952 ten women have been elected to the Rajya insignificant number of women from these seats. Sabha. But when women candidates have been given a 11. Frequency is very low: chance, they have won - not just once, but twice The total number of women MLAs and thrice - proving that they too can master the elected to the Legislative Assembly between 1936 ‘winnability factor’. Saraswati Hembrum, Frida and 2009 was 56. Among them 36 women Topno, , Hema Gamang. Draupadi MLAs were elected for one time, 10 women Murmu were examples in this regard. MLAs were elected twice, 5 women MLAs were 10. Poor Representation in Parliament: elected thrice, 3 women MLAs were elected four The representation of Odia women in the times, 1 women MLAs was elected for seven Parliament election is very miserable. It is pertinent times and 1 women MLAs was elected for 9

53 Odisha Review November - 2014 times. Among them V.Sugyan Kumari Devi had Assembly in terms of winning the election and been elected for 9 times and this is the highest representing the state legislature by a women. number of frequency in Odisha legislative Next to her Nandini Satpathy had won 7 times. Table-4 Party wise representation of women YEAR Congress Ganatantra Swatantra Jana Utkal Janata Janata BJD BJP Others total Parishad Cogress Congress Party Dal /Ind 1952 2 1 03 1957 2 3 05 1961 3 1 04 1967 1 1 3 05 1971 1 01 1974 3 1 04 1977 1 5 1 07 1980 5 05 1985 06 01 01 08 1990 01 08 09 1995 06 04 10 2000 03 08 03 14 2004 02 04 04 01 11 2009 1 5 06

Total 37 04 01 03 01 06 12 17 07 04 92 Chart-4 Party-wise representation of women to Odisha Legislative Assembly

INDEPENDENT

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References : 12. Ghosh. Sunit., (1979 ), Odisha in turmoil, Book Land International, , p, 123 1. B. B. Jena and J.K.Baral, “Government and Politics in Orissa”, (ed), Print House, lucknow: 1988. 13. J.K. Mohapatra, “Factional Politics in India”, Chugh Publication, Allahabad, 1985 2. B. B. Jena, “Orissa-People, Culture, and Polity”, Kalyani, Delhi,: 1980. 14. Jena .B.B and Baral J.K(1988)., Government politics in Odisha, Print House, Lucknow, pp,403-412 3. B. C. Rout, “The State Government and Administration in Orissa”, Panchasila, 15. K. Banerjee, “Regional Political Parties in India”, Bhubaneswar, 2006. B.R.Publishing Corporation, Delhi: 1984. 4. B. K. Patnaik, “The Politics of Floor Crossing in 16. Manoranjan Mahanty, and L.N.Mishra, “Orissa: Orissa”, Santosh Publication, Berhampur: 1985. Politics of Political Stagnation,” State Politics in India, (Ed) Iqbal Narain, Meenakhi Prakashan, New 5. B.C. Choudhury, and Harihara Das, Delhi: 1976. 6. Bailey F.G., “Politics and Social Change-Orissa 17. Orissa Reference Annual-2004, Information and in 1959”, University of California Press, 1963. Public Relations, Govt. of Odisha 7. Bhuyan Dasarathi, Janaki ballav: A Political 18. Orissa Reference Annual-2004, Information and Biography , Indian Publisher & Distributors,Delhi Public Relations Department, Government of p,108. Odisha, Bhubaneswar: March, 2005, p, 325-381. 8. Bhuyan Dasarathi,(2006) Naveen Patnaik: the Best 19. Patnaik Balkrishna,(1985), Politics of Floor crossing chief minister, Indian Publisher & Distributors, in Odisha, Santosh Publications, Brahmapur, p, 130 Delhi, p -93 9. Dasarathi Bhuyan, “Politics of Orissa: From 1936 to Contemporary”, Mangalam Publications, New Delhi: 2010. 10. Dasarathi Bhuyan, Dayanidhi Parida, “Role of Regional Parties in Orissa”, Abhijeet Publication, New Delhi: 2010. 11. Dash.S.C, “Orissa of our Union”, Home (PR) Department, Government of Orissa, Bhbaneswar: Dasarathi Bhuyan, Lecturer, P.G. Department of Political 1968. Science, Berhampur University, Berhampur-760007.

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