Women And Politics: Let Us Come Together For A Just Society

“Mankind will never see an end of trouble until lovers of wisdom come to hold political power, or the holders of power become lovers of wisdom.” -Plato

Plato said this many centuries ago but the words still hold the same relevance which it did then. Politics has always been a field of the mighty but not many are those who are worthy enough to be considered as the true voice of people. The current scenario of constant unrest is the best opportunity for everyone who feels that they can contribute to the betterment of this nation. But, alas there are not many who do that. Politics, over time, has earned such a bad name that hardly any good soul would want to tread on this path. Also, with time, it has been overshadowed by nepotism, where political parties only advocate and promote political families.

Also Read: Women And Young People In Politics Can Change India In 20 Years: Atishi Marlena

India, a country that has 4 crore pending court cases, 140th rank in press freedom index, 20 crore Indians sleep hungry every night, 54 percent class 5 students can't read Class 2  text. A country which is considered one of the youngest democracies with 50% of its population under 25 years and 65% of the population is below 35 years is still governed by the oldest cabinet consisting of people who are mostly above 60 years of age. And, women participation is extremely low, which is only 10.9%.

This is not some data to just fill up the government files. It is the harsh reality that has become the core of all issues in our country. At present, our nation is going through a huge upheaval and limited participation from youth and women is the biggest reason for the unrest around. I was born in the so-called ‘Modern World’. However, while growing up I could see that there is so much that is needed to be done to make this ever-captivating nation an equal and flourishing one. Our country is in dire need of reform. My passion was to do something for the country via visual & performing arts and I did make a name for myself in the of Fine Art and Film Making.

Since I come from an art background culture philosophy history has always been integral to me, I once read a quote by Plato, "One of the penalties for refusing to participate in politics is that you end up being governed by your inferiors," it was somewhere in my subconscious and I had an ever prevailing urge to do something for the nation and its people and what better time than now. A new dimension of women in politics emerged in recent years all over the world. Like the recent win of Kamala Harris. More and more women have now been entering into politics. Conventional politics reflected male concerns and hence women were notably absent in politics. The clear disparity can be seen in India also.

Also Read: Women Politicians Must Take A United Stand Against Sexism In Politics

The current unrest disturbs me, the more I look into it the more I couldn’t fathom what I see, the only thing around us is hate. The country which was known for its unity and diversity has suddenly adorned a rigid ideology. The increasing divide and narrowing of open spaces to express oneself freely felt like a jolt. Politics is not something I intended to pursue, but the lack of real people the lack of knowledge, the lack of people who are doing good for the nation but are not in politics is what has created a huge void.

I remember while growing up we witnessed the war of Kargil and I and many of my teenage friends felt passionately for our army men and the nation. The talks those days were filled with patriotic fervour. That was the time when the enemy attacked from outside the country but in these times, I can see that enemies are damaging the very essence of our nation. A person, today is being discriminated because of a particular religion, laws are being made based on religion! Today’s India is a total contrast of what I read in my books, what I was taught and what our leaders dreamt about. I believe and profess the ethos and ideology of Subhash Chandra Bose, Bhagat Singh and Swami Vivekananda. The society, today, however, is far from what they tried to instil.

Today, our overall economy is going downhill and the COVID-19 pandemic is not the real culprit. If one look at the data carefully, can see that we the economy shrunk around 24% even before the lockdown began. I could only imagine the plight of labourers who walked barefoot in scorching heat to reach their home, without food & water. Many died but the government took no heed. The riots in Delhi that jolted the entire country, just before the lockdown, was made a tool to just quench the political thirst of many parties.

Also Read: IAF pilot Sreevidya Rajan, who was in Kargil with Gunjan Saxena, questions film’s facts

I believe that with whatever I have earned in my professional space, has given me the opportunity and capacity to not only contribute in building a coherent society for everyone but also to speak up for the right.

Boishali Sinha is an art field scholarship holder from France and have been working in the Mumbai film industry for a decade, recently she has joined as a president of art and cultural wing AAP. The views expressed are the author's own.