Opportunity lost by Women of India or is it our country 'India' which lost?

There are countless reactions to the recent failure of the government to get approval for reserving 33% of the seats for women in Parliament. It has been linked to the delimitation of the total seats in the parliament. It has been called either clever or cunning!

Whatever it is, the increase is phenomenal! Wonder why the country kept it in abeyance for so long? It is now declared  as a missed opportunity! I suppose it is how politics are played by politicians!  Kettle calling the pot black!?

If there was a need to fix what is perceived as an unfair formula, as a democracy we should have fixed it. Hopefully by debate and discussion and not by other undemocratic means. The increased cost of delimitation is also worrying. 

Apart from that, I wonder if any of  the experts, known as influencers, were concerned about the possible increase of shouting in the parliament as one of them spoke. Debate seems to have lost its charm. Imagine the din as more hands begin to thump the table in front or the rush down the aisle to demonstrate a protest, hopefully not a stampede! I guess these are treated as small worries!  

 

I am assured with increased number of women, the parliament and the country will do better and be more productive! The cry is about the missed opportunity for the country with lesser number of women  taking part in the parliament. In fact, women have been contributing  without being elected to the parliament. Our history shows that women  have worked for the betterment of people and especially women!

Hopefully with the addition of more women there would  be less number of MP's with criminal cases. *Just a hope as both men and women MPs in the present parliament have declared that criminal cases are pending against them! I am neither imagining nor predicting, but only reflecting on the present  parliament and its working! Lets be optimistic about it.

(--*about 1 in 3 women MPs in Lok Sabha have declared some criminal case, and ∼1 in 5 face serious charges, .... )

I had pointed out earlier to another group, that  mention of Nari Shakthi is misleading. Women are powerful and have been so in their own way! A few more in politics is welcome! Women empowerment is accepted today! I guess the chauvinistic males are getting scared that they have to work harder! Perhaps a little more in the Hindi belt! It is a tricky subject as it is part of human nature to have the cake and eat it too! We do hear that in some instances that even if a woman is elected, it is the men  in the family who control.

We brag about being the largest democracy in the world. And being demographically the best situated! It is very debatable.  It is said while our population has quadrupled, the percentage of  people Below Poverty Line has dropped. It is also true that in absolute numbers, the people in poverty are still large.

I will be asked to keep quiet, if I try to compare India with China.  Anyway that is another sensitive subject. 

Getting back to the present subject, it is an eye opener to see, thanks to AI for responding to my request, the most notable Indian women of the last hundred years (roughly 1920s–2020s), categorized by their contributions is listed. 

Politics & Governance

·        Indira Gandhi (1917–1984): India's first and only female Prime Minister.

·        Sarojini Naidu (1879–1949): Freedom fighter and the first woman governor of an Indian state.

·        Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit (1900–1990): First woman president of the UN General Assembly.

·        Rajkumari Amrit Kaur (1889–1964): Independent India's first Health Minister.

·        Sucheta Kripalani (1908–1974): First woman Chief Minister of an Indian state (Uttar Pradesh).

·        Pratibha Patil (Born 1934): First female President of India. 

 AI cautions that list may not be entirely right. Interesting to see that Nehru family, who have chosen to call themselves Gandhi and their loyal friends have dominated in politics!

Interesting to know that Sarojini Naidu's parents are from Bengal! Rajkumari Amrit Kaur belonged to a royal family! They both were educated in England! Sucheta Kriplani was also a Bengali! C M of West Bengal, Mamata Banerjee could feel proud with the role Bengali women have played in India! 

Here is the full list that AI listed! I see that it is created after scanning the website!

Freedom Movement and Social Activism

·        Aruna Asaf Ali (1909–1996): Known as the "Golden Old Lady" of the Independence Movement, famous for hoisting the national flag during the 1942 Quit India Movement.

·        Kasturba Gandhi (1869–1944): A pivotal leader in the Women's Satyagraha and an active supporter of Mahatma Gandhi's nonviolent movements.

·        Usha Mehta (1920–2000): Gandhian freedom fighter who organized the underground 'Secret Congress Radio' during the Quit India Movement.

·        Captain Lakshmi Sahgal (1914–2012): Led the Rani Jhansi Regiment, the all-female unit of Subhas Chandra Bose’s Indian National Army. 

Science and Technology

·        Kalpana Chawla (1962–2003): The first woman of Indian origin to go to space, serving as a mission specialist on the Space Shuttle Columbia.

·        Tessy Thomas (Born 1963): Known as the "Missile Woman of India," she was the first woman to lead a missile project (Agni-V) at DRDO.

·        Dr. Asima Chatterjee (1917–2006): Renowned chemist and the first woman to receive a Doctorate of Science from an Indian university.

·        Gita Gopinath (Born 1971): First female Chief Economist of the International Monetary Fund (IMF). 

Sports and Adventure

·        Mary Kom (Born 1983): Six-time world boxing champion and the first Indian woman boxer to win an Olympic medal.

·        P.T. Usha (Born 1964): Legendary track-and-field athlete who dominated Asian athletics in the 1980s.

·        Sania Mirza (Born 1986): Trailblazing tennis player, the first Indian to win a WTA title.

·        Bachendri Pal (Born 1954): The first Indian woman to climb Mount Everest (1984). 

Literature, Arts, and Business

·        Lata Mangeshkar (1929–2022): Iconic playback singer known as the "Voice of the Millennium," honored with the Bharat Ratna.

·        Arundhati Roy (Born 1961): Author and activist, the first Indian citizen to win the Booker Prize (1997).

·        Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw (Born 1953): Founder of Biocon, pioneering entrepreneur in the biotechnology sector.

·        Nita Ambani (Born 1963): Founder of Reliance Foundation and a major figure in education, sports, and philanthropy.

·        Mother Teresa (1910–1997): Nobel Peace Prize laureate who founded the Missionaries of Charity in Kolkata, dedicating her life to the poor. 

Impressive list. Below is another link provided by AI 

WordPress.com

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