http://www.expressbuzz.com/edition/story.aspx?Title=Casting+out+caste+fears+is+easy+here&artid=eT3CwcwVXZM=&SectionID=lifojHIWDUU=&MainSectionID=wIcBMLGbUJI=&SectionName=rSY%7C6QYp3kQ=&SEO=
Casting out caste fears is easy here G Babu Jayakumar First Published : 16 Mar 2010 04:18:00 AM IST Last Updated : 16 Mar 2010 07:57:56 AM IST CHENNAI: When political leaders like Lalu Prasad Yadav, Mulayam Singh Yadav and Sharad Yadav seek reservation for OBCs and Dalits within the 33 per cent of seats that is proposed to be reserved for women in Parliament and legislatures, why are the parties in Tamil Nadu that came from the Dravidian stock not exercised about it? The answer is simple: They do not need it. The fear expressed by the OBC and Dalit leaders from the north that elite women from the upper castes would grab all the seats is a nonissue in Tamil Nadu. For, as voters get polarised on caste lines, most political parties invariably look for candidates from the dominant caste grouping, such as Vanniyars, Nadars and Thevars, in each constituency to offer the poll ticket. After the women’s quota kicks in, all the parties will have to do is to look for women candidates instead of men from the dominant caste in each constituency. In other words, no change in the caste composition of the lawmakers. Besides, the parties in Tamil Nadu that swear by the Dravidian ideology cannot stall a Bill that aims at empowering women because the father of the Dravidian movement, Periyar E V Ramasamy, had involved women in a big way in his protests and marches. Though he had not mooted the specific idea of woman’s reservation in Parliament and legislatures — in fact he was against the Dravidar Kazhagam (DK) contesting elections — he advocated women taking an active role in all walks of life, including decision making. However, ever since the DMK, which broke away from the DK, started participating in electoral politics, not many women have been fielded in elections by it. Even the parties that broke away from the DMK do not have a record of ensuring increased women participation in the elections. Perhaps, the women’s reservation Bill will help them realise a dream of Periyar to bring in more women into politics. ------------------------------------ ---- INFORMATION OVERLOAD? Get all ZESTCaste mails sent out in a span of 24 hours in a single mail. Subscribe to the daily digest version by sending a blank mail to zestmedia-dig...@yahoogroups.com, OR, if you have a Yahoo! Id, change your settings at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ZESTMedia/join/ PARTICIPATE:- On this list you can share caste news, discuss caste issues and network with like-minded anti-caste people from across India and the world. Just write to zestcaste@yahoogroups.com TELL FRIENDS TO SIGN UP:- If you got this mail as a forward, subscribe to ZESTCaste by sending a blank mail to zestcaste-subscr...@yahoogroups.com OR, if you have a Yahoo! ID, by visiting http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ZESTCaste/join/ Also have a look at our sister list, ZESTMedia: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ZESTMedia/Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ZESTCaste/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ZESTCaste/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: zestcaste-dig...@yahoogroups.com zestcaste-fullfeatu...@yahoogroups.com <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: zestcaste-unsubscr...@yahoogroups.com <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/