Where Muslim League lets Muslim women down

By K.P.M. Basheer

MALAPPURAM, JULY 5. The biggest political beneficiary of the one- third seat reservation for women in the panchayats and municipalities in Malappuram has been the Muslim League, the dominant party in the district.

Its women activists head 20 of the panchayats and two municipalities, apart from holding hundreds of positions on grama panchayats, municipal councils, block panchayats and the district panchayat. The League holds immense possibility for emancipating Muslim women, which is closely linked to their political participation.

But the same party, which made so much political capital out of the reservation in the Panchayati Raj institutions (facilitated by the 73rd and 74th Constitutional amendments), is opposed to the idea of one-third quota for women in the Lok Sabha and the State Assemblies. When the much-delayed Women's Bill came up in Parliament last time, the League, along with some other parties, opposed its introduction. The League masked its hostility to the Bill by demanding `reservation for minorities first.'

Women's hopes dashed

The League attracted flak when it failed to field women in the Assembly election in May last. The League, now the No. 2 in the UDF Government, had been allotted 23 seats as its share, but it refused to give ticket to a single woman. (The CPI(M) set an example by fielding three Muslim women in the election--that the three seats were ones they expected to lose is another matter).

In the 1996 Assembly poll, the League had created history by fielding a woman candidate. Ms. Qamarunnisa Anwar had resigned as chairperson of the Kerala State Welfare Board to stand in Kozhikode-II. Though she lost the election, the mere fact that the League had chosen to field a Muslim woman was a very positive sign. At the time it was expected that in the 2001 Assembly election the party would field more women.

But, the League leadership dashed the hopes. Even the president of the Vanitha League, the women's wing of the party, Ms. Qamarunnisa, was denied a seat. Many party functionaries had hoped that Ms. Qamarunnisa would be given a ticket and that in the case of a UDF victory would be made a Minister. That would have served as a great symbol of Muslim women's emancipation. (The winning of the first rank in the SSLC exam two years ago by a Muslim girl had created great excitement in the district.)

League sources revealed that the party bosses had taken a decision, prior to the election, that women should be fielded only if the Women's Bill came through and reservation in Assemblies made statutory. (Had the one-third reservation been applied to the Assemblies too, the League would have been compelled to field eight women.)

This decision was allegedly taken after a prominent Kozhikode- based Sunni leader, known for his anti-women viewpoints, had made a statement objecting to Muslim women's involvement in politics. The Vanitha League was upset by the decision.

Ironically, the Vanitha League was launched by the party to corner political advantage of the reservation. The first district unit of the women's wing was launched in Malappuram district in 1991 just in time to contest the District Council election held then.

The Vanitha League started units all over when reservation for women became statutory. Despite its reluctance to promote women, the League had no option but to field women in the local bodies elections.

However, the Vanitha League is a paper organisation that comes to life only during elections. Its affairs are decided by the male leaders of the parent party. It hardly has a political role; its activists do not take part in dharnas and processions organised by the party. Had there been no reservation for women in the panchayats, there would have been no Vanitha League.

Dress code for women

The Muslim League is the only party in the State to have insisted on a dress code for its elected women representatives in panchayats and municipalities. The women have been asked to don Islamic dress (which means sari, full-sleeve blouse and the headgear, `mafta'). They are restricted from attending meetings and public functions after sundown. They have been advised to pay extra attention to their households, husbands and children (so that family life is not affected by the public role.) The women have even been told to take care of their husbands' egos, lest the wives' positions trigger an inferiority complex or jealousy in them!

A League functionary justified the restrictions saying they were aimed to ward off possible public ridicule and the clerics' possible wrath.

However, despite the displeasure of a small but influential section of the clerics, the Muslim masses in the district have generally welcomed and encouraged their women's political participation. They are even proud that some of them have become panchayat presidents and municipal chairpersons.

To be fair to the League, this mass acceptance is due to its fielding of women in the elections. But for the League, the clerics would have resented women getting involved in politics.

And, but for the reservation, the League would not have fielded women in panchayats.

Perhaps, the Muslim women will have to wait until the Women's Reservation Bill is passed to find a toehold in Kerala Assembly.

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Section  : Southern States
Previous : Speaker's remark raises Oppn. hackles
Next     : Minister justifies supply of milk by private
           agencies