The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Who's quarrelling now?

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Feb 27, 2007
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Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

Who's quarrelling now?

Alladi Jayasri

BANGALORE: The 12th Legislative Assembly has only six women members in a House of 224, and in the 12 months after H.D. Kumaraswamy became Chief Minister, they have been conspicuous by their absence and silence.

The 218 men have been busy doing what it takes to play the game of politics, whether resort-hopping to keep their flocks together, going for "divorces" (Janata Dal-Secular and Congress) to find new partners (Janata Dal-Secular and Bharatiya Janata Party), quarrelling on the floor of the House and rushing off to complain to the Governor about each other; making soothing noises all the while about delivering on governance.

All this time, the women members have waited in the hope that one of their tiny sorority will make it to the Cabinet. Alas, it's been a case of three times bridesmaid, never the bride.

And now comes the last straw. Suddenly, all the sniping, plotting and brinkmanship in this man's world is not so manly, after all.

The men were scolded for "fighting like village women" while in the House. (Remember Mr. Kumaraswamy's snappish reminder a few months ago that "he was working hard, not sitting around wearing bangles" when the battle was raging over the Bangalore-Mysore Infrastructure Corridor Project?)

So where did these busy men get this "gyan" about what women do, while conveniently forgetting about what women want? Besides, if they were so convinced about the "quarrel quotient" of womenfolk, how come it never occurred to deploy them while seeking a vote of confidence on the floor of the House a year ago?

The newly appointed Chairperson of the Karnataka State Commission for Women, Pramila Nesargi, did not mince words when she said with asperity, "Old habits die hard. Tell men this: `Don't talk about women. Just carry on quarrelling... like men'."

Shall we say Amen to that?

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