How Far for Women

Volume 38 No. 2 Organ of the SOCIALIST UNITY CENTRE OF INDIA September 1, 2004 Founder Editor-in-Chief : COMRADE SHIBDAS GHOSH Price : Rs. 2.00 WOMEN RESERVATION BILL How Far For Women For quite some time, the demand for reserving 33% of patriarchal exploitations, the seats of the Lok Sabha and the Vidhan Sabhas for the that their problems would women is being raised from some circles. It is argued that be considerably mitigated if this is a step towards empowerment of womanhood. the proposed measure is Considerable discussions and deliberations on this have adopted. In this situation, it been going on in the pages of newspapers and journals as has become extremely well. But it is intriguing to find that the capitalist class, the necessary to deliberate upon media controlled by it and the political parties subservient all aspects of the proposed to it like the Congress and the BJP who are not at all measure of reserving a bothered about the barest minimum for subsistence of over quota of seats for the 90 % of the population, the toiling millions, are all very women in the Lok Sabha vocal on this question of reservation. It is also a fact that and Vidhan Sabha. the CPI(M), the CPI and their associate parties too have joined them in the chorus on this question. The ousted BJP Women’s problems government, with the support of the then parties in stem from the socio- 26 December, 1893 — 9 September, 1976 Opposition like the Congress, the CPI(M), and the CPI, economic condition ‘‘Certain people ... think that there is too made several attempts to get the Women Reservation Bill It goes without saying little freedom under our people’s democracy passed in the Lok Sabha. But it could not be passed because that the problems of women and that there is more freedom under of differences on the questions of percentage of seats to be arise from the problems of reserved and the provision for special reservation along the particular country, Western parliamentary democracy. They ask caste lines within the total percentage of reservation. The society they live in, and so for a two-party system as in the West, with Congress and the BJP, along with the CPI(M) and the CPI, if viewed in isolation from one party in office and the other in are sparing no efforts to get the Bill passed. The newly the social perspective their opposition. But this so-called two party installed Congress-led government has once again declared problems cannot be its intention to get the Bill passed. Naturally, in the minds scientifically analyzed, the system is nothing but a device for of many, including a large section of the women a sense of actual nature of the maintaining the dictatorship of the hope and aspiration has also been generated. An impression problems cannot be bourgeoisie; it can never guarantee freedoms is sought to be created among the women — neglected, understood and the correct to the working people. As a matter of fact, tortured, oppressed and smarting under capitalist and Contd. on page 2 freedom and democracy exist not in the abstract, but only in the concrete. In a society The International Tribunal has indicted President where class struggle exists, if there is Bush as a war criminal in freedom for the exploiting classes to exploit New York. Comrade Manik the working people, there is no freedom for Mukherjee, Vice-President the working people not to be exploited. If of the All India Anti- there is democracy for the bourgeoisie there Imperialist Forum has placed his testimony is no democracy for the proletariat and other against Bush before the working people. The legal existence of the gathering in New York on Communist Party is tolerated in some the occasion. capitalist countries, but only to the extent that it does not endanger the fundamental interests of the bourgeoisie; it is not tolerated (Left) Poster published in beyond that.’’ the USA about the — (Mao Zedong on Correct Handling of International Tribunal. Contradictions among the People; SW : Vol. V) PAGE TWO SEPTEMBER 1, 2004 PROLETARIAN ERA Capitalist system — stumbling block in path of progress Contd. from page 1 exploiters can never be the same as party of the proletariat come out population. The elected women solutions cannot be found out. So, the democracy and the rights of the victorious in the election by from this or that party serving the to understand the character of the exploited. It is in this sense that overcoming all obstacles put up by interest of the capitalist class would problems of Indian women, democracy and rights have class the capitalist class, they are unable serve the capitalist class just as different aspects of the present character. Exposing their hypocrisy, to do anything to even somewhat obediently as their male capitalist economic and political he raised the question: Democracy mitigate the intensity of exploitation counterparts in the legislature. This system of India would have to be for which class, against which on the people, because the is what is being daily observed in examined. class? He stressed that those who government that is formed through the parliamentary politics of the Everybody knows that after talk about “democracy for all, rights such elections is deeply wedded to whole capitalist world. independence a capitalist state and a for the whole people” sidetracking the capitalist class; what is more, in capitalist economic system were this question, are either utterly a capitalist system, exploitation by Moribund capitalism - root of established in India and a social- ignorant, or else cunning, seasoned the capitalist class can never get all evils cultural framework suited and agents of the capitalist class, lessened, it only intensifies more The second aspect to be conducive to these has been built up subservient to it and protectors of its and more - such is the system. So, considered is that in capitalist India, in post-independent India. In this interest. those few genuine people’s elected the basic factor hindering system, it is the ruling capitalist representatives, if they are really development of the womenfolk and class that possesses all economic Manipulations galore in imbued with revolutionary ideology, as such acting as the basic cause of power. The political power is also bourgeois parliamentary can do only one thing and that is all their burning problems, is the concentrated in the hands of the elections they can to some extent, portray the lack of their economic freedom, the capitalist class. 95 % of the people Such being the condition, it is heart-rending picture of the denial of even the minimum of the country, irrespective of their not difficult to understand that in a merciless oppression of all opportunity for them to earn a gender, do not enjoy any political capitalist system, simply winning downtrodden people irrespective of livelihood freely, without which all power in the true sense. Despite elections or getting elected does not community, caste, creed, language high sounding rights stand some rights on paper, talks about mean anything as real power lies or gender, and raise their legitimate meaningless. It is known to all, that democracy, equality, fraternity on elsewhere. Secondly, it is also true demands inside the legislature and it is this economic freedom that is the surface and holding of the that although elections may be held simultaneously reveal to the people the determinant of all other election spectacle at definite from time to time under this system, the real character of the ruthless freedoms and rights. No right can be intervals of time, these have no true representatives of the exploited exploitation of the capitalist class. If established in its absence. The value in the lives of 95 % of the masses can never get elected in a legitimate movement of the rights conferred on the women in population, irrespective of gender. significant numbers in such exploited crystallizes, they can writing or verbally in this capitalist These rights conferred on them with elections. Election results are project its voice inside the system are all bereft of their so much trumpeting have no swayed in favour of the capitalist legislature, and any elected essence. In the moribund capitalist effectiveness in changing their class through clever ploys and representative imbued with system of today, there is no further poverty-stricken existence, their fast stratagems, use of money power, revolutionary ideology, whether a scope of any industrial development deteriorating condition. The ruling concerted, all-out propaganda by the man or a woman, can do this. That to generate more employment. class and its agents try to create media controlled by monopoly the elected revolutionaries, if they Under this system, not to speak of illusion among the exploited masses capital, indiscriminate use of muscle are men, would speak about only creation of new employment by a grand show of such “rights” power to intimidate and terrorize the the oppressed men, or if the elected opportunities, even the existing devoid of any substance in order to common people, confusing and revolutionaries are women, they opportunities are fast getting both nip in the bud the possibility of deluding them by raising the issues would solely focus on the squeezed. It is not because of the an organized, revolutionary of religion, community and caste or destitution of the oppressed women unwillingness of any individual or movement of 95 % of the race, and if necessary, even naked or is, it goes without saying, something group of individuals but due to the population oppressed and clandestine all-out rigging, shedding inconceivable. Such unrealistic, inexorable law of the capitalist suppressed under the grinding all pretence of democracy.

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