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Women Councillors demand their share of power

By Lalit K. Jha

NEW DELHI DEC. 10. With a number of women candidates winning in the recent Assembly elections in four States, women Councillors of the ruling Congress in the Municipal Corporation of Delhi are demanding their "share'' in the decision-making process of the civic body.

Arguing that they no longer want to be vested with decorative posts and serve as mere rubber stamp of their male counterparts, the Congress women Councillors have urged the party high command that they be given an opportunity to perform and show their mettle in the administrative arena.

At least three senior women Councillors have entered the race for the prestigious post of Chairmanship of the Standing Committee and the Leader of the House in the civic body that has fallen vacant following the election of the present incumbent, Ram Babu Sharma, to the Delhi Assembly. All three are second-timers and rue that so far they have not been entrusted with administrative responsibilities in the Corporation.

They include the former Delhi Mayor, Jaishree Panwar, the young Standing Committee member, Shalu Malik, and the controversial party Councillor from Prahladpur Bangar in Rohini Zone, Memwati Barwala. With a large number of women Councillors lobbying in their favour, the three are trying to emerge as top contendors for the post.

"At least one of the administrative posts should be given to women Councillors. We have never been entrusted with such a responsibility. We should also be given a chance to perform in the MCD,'' said a senior women Councillor.

While Ms. Panwar is banking on the administrative reforms unleashed during her tenure as the Delhi Mayor, Ms. Malik is lobbying for the post of Standing Committee Chairman arguing that she was the most experienced women member of this prestigious committee. Her supporters argue that Ms. Malik has also been the president of the Delhi University Students Union. "Such young students leaders should be groomed by the party,'' her supporters argue.

At the same time, her male counterparts and rivals in the party counter it by arguing that her performance in the MCD House and Standing Committee has been dismal. "She is rarely seen speaking either in the House or in the Standing Committee meetings or even taking up any public issue,'' alleged a senior party Councillor.

As for Ms. Barwala, while her supporters refer to the development works undertaken by her in her ward and in the Rohini Zone during her tenure as its Chairman, her opponents are quick to point out her controversial background when her name was involved during the gruesome murder of her senior colleague, Atma Ram Gupta, allegedly by Councillor, Sharda Jain. Initially expelled from the party, Ms. Barwala was later taken into the party fold.

While, the opponents of these aspirants contend that they do not have any administrative experience to run the show that too from the hot seat of Standing Committee Chairman, their supporters refer to the performance of the Delhi Chief Minister, Sheila Dikshit, that resulted in grand victory of the party in the Delhi Assembly elections. "She has proved beyond all doubts that we can perform much better than men,'' said one of the women contenders.

"If one-third of the post is reserved for women in the civic body, then why it is that we are being deprived of the Chairmanship of Standing Committee. We promise to deliver much better than others in the past. It is only that cosmetic posts like Mayor and Deputy Mayor has been reserved for us. This is not justified. Ever since MCD came into being, not a single woman has become Standing Committee Chairman,'' said another.

Of the 18 members Standing Committee, only four are women. Besides, Ms. Malik, the others include the former Delhi University Students Union president, Neetu Verma, Madhu Khurana and Kamaljeet.

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