Move beyond the quotas

As was expected media is given big space to the announcement to the promise by Congress and announced by its star campaigner Mrs Priyanka Gandhi. It appears that Indian leaders are highly obsessed with reservation and quotas and they have no other constructive and positive idea in their armour. UP has only 403 assembly seats. If 40% of total tickets or 141 tickets are given only to women to contest elections in forthcoming UP elections, will not make any difference in the condition of women in the country. This hoopla will also like TMC and BJD decisions of giving tickets to women candidates in the elections. However, everyone knows the condition and status of women in Bengal. Even after recently concluded elections women were the worst victim of violence after the elections in Bengal. Panchayats reserve one third or even 50% in some states for women. However, all their work and decisions are guided and controlled by their male family members. Even in some cases, their husbands sit in the meetings. Reservations and quotas are failed much-sucked stunts. Congress has almost no base in UP. Neither women nor Congress is going to gain anything with such type of gimmick. If Congress and Priyanka Gandhi are serious about the upliftment and empowerment of women, they should do something positive and constructive to help the working women. It can begin with, in the Congress-ruled states. They can bring the law not to transfer the women employees. Because a large number of women employees resign from the jobs if they are transferred far away from their families or children. In teaching, banks and government departments such rules can be implemented very easily. National Education Policy (NEP-21) has given this suggestion to the governments in its vision documents. Moreover, the government will be saving huge money if it does not transfer the women employees. Moreover, the transfer system has no positive aspect neither for the employees nor for the departments. Rather it has turned out to be the most corrupt industry. Similarly, women employees whose children are below the age of twelve years or have aged and sick parents and parent-in-laws dependent on them, should not be transferred. Such provisions will be of great support and empowerment to women. It is a well-known fact that in India, the priority of women is to look after their families. If working women are transferred away from the family it is not only big harassment to the women employee but transfer divide and breaks the families. It is also a big national loss if experienced and trained employees are forced to resign due to faulty government policy. Mrs Priyanka Gandhi can bring such laws in the states ruled by Congress such as the Punjab, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand. Apart from this, Congress and Priyanka Gandhi should also do something positive for the empowerment and upliftment of women of minority communities. Among Christians, Nuns are exploited by pastors and fathers in churches. Congress must break its silence on this oppression. Similarly, Congress and Priyanka Gandhi should work to empower Muslim women and regressive provisions like burqa, hijab, halala, mutha, polygamy etc should be banned. More representation should be given to Muslim women in Islamic Institutions. Still, the representation of women is almost nil in minority institutions. So at least 40% reservation should be given to women in minority institutions.Women empowerment should not be a political gimmick.