Historic! Manual Scavenger Elected As Gaya's Deputy Mayor

Gaya, Bihar, makes history by electing a woman who has worked as a manual scavenger for the last 40 years. Chinta Devi, a manual scavenger in the past has been elected as the new Deputy mayor of Gaya, Bihar on December 31.

The civic body elections in Gaya, Bihar, made history by electing a woman who worked as a manual scavenger for the last 40 years. Chinta Devi has been elected as the deputy mayor of Gaya in the recent municipal election. She had worked as a manual scavenger for the past 40 years and has also worked as a sanitation worker and vegetable vendor.

Gaya's Deputy Mayor Chinta Devi

"Gaya is such a place where people seek enlightenment, and it is also the place from where a Musahar woman can go to the Lok Sabha. This time, the people here have set an example, probably for the entire world, by electing Chinta Devi, who used to carry human faeces on her head as a sanitation staff when there were few toilets here. This is historic," Gaya's Mayor-elect Ganesh Paswan said.

Former deputy mayor Mohan Srivastava lent his support to Devi and said that she had created history by winning the election. "The people of the city support the downtrodden, and work to take them forward in society," he added.

This is not the first time that Gaya has encouraged the representation of marginalised women in politics. Bhagawati Devi, who was a stone crusher by profession and hailed from a marginalised Musahar community, was elected to the Lok Sabha from the Gaya Constituency in 1996.

Women in Indian politics

According to the data presented by the Law and Justice minister Kiren Rijiju in the Lok Sabha on December 9, the representation of women in parliament and most state legislatures across the country is below 15%. There are fewer than 10% female representatives in 19 state legislatures. this is a proof that women having equal representation in politics is still a huge struggle.

The prevalence of gender stereotyping and discrimination against marginalised communities and the lack of access to education for women across the nation are reasons for the gender disparity in Indian politics. It is a struggle for women in politics to even survive, let alone get the same status as their male counterparts.

This is why women need to have access to education and financial independence. Only when women are raised to be self-sufficient will they be able to chase their dreams, pursue their interests, and work for the welfare of fellow women. A fairer reservation for women will pave the way for more women to participate in politics.

There is a compelling need for women in politics, not only because it is morally correct but also because we need representatives who will speak up for women's welfare and emphasise women's rights. In a country where half the population is female, it is critical that women have a fair chance to represent their tribe.

Suggested Reading: New Study Finds Disparity Between Men and Women In Politics In India Is Immense