New Delhi, April 16 -- On March 28, the 7th Annual Day of a women's movement (Penn) was held at Chennai to chalk out a new course of politics as the politics of today is violent, vituperative, indecent, selfish, and cruel. The whole space is meant for men, and women go there, and if they have to be masculine in all their activities. If they profess a politics of women, they have to be silenced and sidelined. That we have seen in local governments. These are all the statements of the members of the movement. The mainstream of politics today is meant for women of the political families. There is no way they are different from the men of their families. Hence, this movement wants to pursue a new politics different from mainstream politics. This is their declaration. What politics they want to chalk out is the politics of love, inclusiveness, empathy, emancipation, empowerment, unity, sobriety through increasing the stature of women. In this process, the women collectives want to cultivate and practice equality and democracy in the family, organisations, and institutions wherever they are working and functioning. We know the Indian Social reality and it is totally against democratic values, as it is feudal, unequal in every aspect of society, not only between men and women but among the segments of the community as it is arranged in hierarchy observed by the women collectives. Since Indian women have enormous patience and endurance in order to keep the family values, the transformative process is slow, yet it is taking place. The women's collective wants fundamental transformation, but that transformation through the participation of women and men. It could be possible by raising the stature of women with this aim; steadfastly, they are working. The way politics is being practised in this country by the political parties, one can easily gauge that it will lead nowhere. Hence, the woman has to pursue and practice politics with a difference.
We women, consciously aware of ourselves not as subjects or objects but as conscious citizens, have responsibilities and duties in the transformative process of society. As women, we have to pursue politics that is our politics, and it is women's politics, but it is for the whole of humanity. When parties are pursuing their party politics meant for power and wealth for party men and women, we, the women, have to perform our politics as women's politics meant for the whole society. But our politics is distinct, different, and unique by its objective, methodology, and pursuits. It is possible only through conscious preparation of women as women with knowledge about ourselves, our society, governance, and the process of development. In this process, we have to follow an alternative path in politics. It should be simple, doable, enjoyable, and easy to follow for everyone, as observed by them. They never appreciate any big things. Simple not only in politics, governance, and administration, but also in lifestyle, and is close to the poor, women, and nature. It is not for women alone; it is for human well-being. It has to cross gender boundaries. It is not power politics. It is the politics of empowerment and emancipation. In this age of divisive and hateful politics, we pursue a politics of love; we never hate. No negativity in our thoughts and actions.
We have to cross ideological boundaries, and human values are fundamental for all our actions. All the women's actions are not oriented to capture power. But to make the power work for people. When we mean the poor, weak, meek, and the marginalised, including women. It could be done through the inner foundations of women. It is being done by a mentor who is not a conventional leader but a pathfinder and a change maker. Her leadership is not a ruler ship but a guide ship, guiding the women as a mentor. In this respect, this organisation is building up a women's movement in Tamil Nadu, which gives hope to many that, though the transformative process of the society is slow, it will reach its destination in the near future through their continuous social action.
In the above annual day meeting, I was invited to speak as a guest speaker along with many writers and popular speakers. While speaking to them, I informed them that Tamil society has carved out ethical foundations to be in public service and politics, as mentioned in a Chola-period Uthiramerur inscription. To be a public servant, old Tamil society fixed a series of ethical values to be followed by individuals to make them eligible to contest for any public office. But today we find politics without values and self-respect. As you all are aware, we have women poets and scholars in the ancient period. Today, in our practice of Western democracy, all the ills we find in our society afflict politics, governance, and administration. Contemporary politics is indeed bereft of all ethical principles, and it has reached its lowest ebb. In this context, what can an ordinary woman do to change the course of politics? It can be done only by organising women, keeping them together, showing them the non-violent path advocated by our leaders, with the instruments given by the constitution, democracy, rights, and responsibilities. The task is not ordinary. It requires a higher level of energy and consciousness. Since you have a mentor for your organisation, learn and shape your stature as an inevitable person. Work consciously to increase your stature wherever you are, in your family, in your community, in your panchayat, in the wards in town, and in the organisation. Through your activities, build a just family, a democratic family, a just society, from which decent politics will emerge, where masculinity will be subsumed in femininity, and thereby you can work for transformation. It could be done immediately through cleansing the vote bank politics. Plan a campaign for clean politics without bribing voters.
Views expressed are personal. The writer is a former Professor and Rajiv Gandhi Chair for Panchayati Raj Studies, Gandhigram Rural Institute
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.