A woman and a Dalit for Speaker

NEW DELHI: A Dalit woman as Lok Sabha Speaker! Indian democracy will cross yet another milestone with the Congress leadership deciding to nominate Meira Kumar for the post. The surprise decision, which would mark the breaching of a glass ceiling besides boosting the empowerment message, came after Congress chief Sonia Gandhi pitched for Kumar to preside over the 15th Lok Sabha. She argued that the choice would facilitate the difficult task of enacting the women’s quota in the legislature besides making a statement on the partys commitment to social empowerment.

The decision, far removed from the rumours doing the rounds, came at a meeting of the Congress core committee on Saturday afternoon.

AICC spokesman Abhishek Singhvi said, Congress would be creating a historical milestone by opting for the first dalit woman Speaker. In the past also, Congress chose the first woman PM, youngest PM, first woman President.

The BJP can take credit for appointing the first Dalit Speaker, GMC Balayogi in 1998. Kumar will be the first Dalit woman Speaker. Her move to the Speaker’s chair will leave Bihar without representation in the Cabinet.

The decision is a twist for the water resources minister, who was picked for the Union cabinet in the first batch sworn in along with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on May 22. She was a cabinet member in the UPAs first tenure and held the social justice portfolio.

Sources revealed that Kumar was always first choice for Speakership but the leadership chose to defer the decision to deal with the trickier task of managing allies and ministry-formation.

While Congresss pick for Speakership took observers and political class aback a bit, largely because of the tough task of managing the House and Kumars own mild manner, there was strong support for the move owing to its empowerment message. It was said that managing the House should not be a problem as Kumar commands respect because of her dignified presence and being Babu Jagjivan Rams political legatee.

In fact, there is a view that Kumars being a dalit woman could be a big asset in House management as it could inhibit aggressive members who are not so used to female presence on the chair.

The choice of Kumar may also be a Congress masterstroke in view of the moves being made by BJP to project Sushma Swaraj as the likely deputy leader in Lok Sabha and possible successor to LK Advani as Leader of Opposition.

Congress, at the same time, seems to be leveraging its numerical clout in Lok Sabha to settle many equations, the first being arch rival Mayawatis emergence as a dalit icon and BSPs success in creating an alternative platform for the underprivileged. The AICC may be looking to counter BSP and wean away Jatavs in UP by projecting Kumar.

While Kumar has been no answer to Mayawati as a dalit leader, despite having defeated the BSP upstart 24 years ago in a byelection in Bijnore, her projection with the halo of constitutional office could work politically. More so, when the Rahul Gandhi-led campaign has managed to stunt BSPs national ambitions in the recent elections. The visibility of the LS Speaker would match that of the UP chief minister in the 24×7 TV era.

Kumar’s elite background as a career-diplomat and her soft touch apart, she is no stranger to the rough and tumble of politics. While she has successfully contested elections from three states starting with Bijnore in UP in 1985, Delhi and Bihar she was at the heart of the previous UPA regimes push for job reservations in the private sector. It marked a definitive shift from her known middle-of-the-road political approach.

Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India/A-woman-and-a-Dalit-for-Speaker/articleshow/4598188.cms

========================================

Meira Kumar, Indian Politician

Meira Kumar, an Indian politician, is the member of 14th Lok Sabha, who serves as the cabinet minister in Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment. This well educated eminent lawyer turned politician represents Sasaram constituency. Miera Kumar is a member of Indian National Congress Party. She did her M.A., LL.B, Advanced Diploma in Spanish Educated at Indraprastha College and Miranda House, University of Delhi (Delhi).

In 1973, she joined the Indian Foreign Service and served at embassies in Spain, United Kingdom and Mauritius. While serving for IFS, she also worked in Embassy of India, Madrid from 1976 to 77; she has been the High Commision of India, London from1977 to 79 and Ministry of External Affairs during 1980-85.

Meira Kumar was born on 31st March 1945 to parent Deputy Prime Minister and prominent dalit leader Late Shri Jagjivan Ram and freedom fighter Smt. Indrani Devi at Patna, Bihar. She is married to Manjul Kumar, who is a Supreme Court lawyer and the couple has one daughter and three sons.

In 1985 Meira Kumar`s induction to politics took place and she was elected from Bijnor in Uttar Pradesh. From Karol Bagh in Delhi, She became a member of the eleventh and twelfth Lok Sabha. From her father`s former constituency of Sasaram in Bihar, in 1999 she was re elected with a record majority. The political positions she held throughout her political career in brief are: Elected to 8th Lok Sabha( 1985) , Member, Consultative Committee, Ministry of External Affairs( 1986-1989 and 1996-1998) , General-Secretary, All India Congress Committee (A.I.C.C.)( 1990-1992 and 1996-1999) , Member, Congress Working Committee (C.W.C.)( 1990-2000 and 2002-2004) , Re-elected to 11th Lok Sabha (2nd term)( 1996) , Member, Public Accounts Committee Member, Committee on Home Affairs and its Sub-Committee on Personnel policy of Central Para- Military Forces (CPMFs)( 1996-98) , Member, Joint committee on the Empowerment of women and its Sub-Committee on Education and Health Programmes for women, Re-elected to 12th Lok Sabha (3rd term)( 1998) , Member, Committee on Food and Consumer Affairs( 1998-99) , Member, Committee on Environment and Forests, Re-elected to 14th Lok Sabha (3rd term)( 2004) , Union Cabinet Minister, Social Justice and Empowerment( May 2004 onwards).

Meira Kumar has been actively participating in movements, which are pertaining to social reforms, human rights and democracy. During the century`s worst drought in 1967, she as the Chairperson of National Drought Relief Committee of the Congress Party launched a `Family Adoption Scheme`. Under which affluent families adopted those drought-affected families. Meira Kumar is very much committed to human rights and abolition of caste system and for that she has visited every place where atrocities were committed against Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes during the last 20 years. She held several meetings and demonstrations and she filed Public Interest Litigation cases in Supreme Court to ensure justice to them. She has been the Member of (i) Court of Jawaharlal Nehru University from 1996 to 98; (ii) Court of University of Delhi since 1996; and (iii) Rajghat Samadhi Committee during1998-99.

Mrs Meira Kumar, Union Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment, caresses cheeks of a visually impaired student of the Institute of Blind, Sector 26, Chandigarh, at the national-level exhibition on aids, appliancesOther than politics Meira Kumar has served as, President, (i) All India Samta Movement (also its Founder)1990 ; (ii) RVAKV Society (Institute of Blind Girls)1992-98; (iii) Ravidas Smarak Society, Varanasi, 2000; (iv) Jagjivan Seva Ashram, Sasaram 2002; Chairperson, (i) Meera Kala Mandir, Udaipur, 2000; and (ii) Jagjivan Ram Sanatorium, Dehri-on-Sone,2002; Vice-Chairperson, Rajendra Bhawan Trust, Delhi, 1987; Managing Trustee, Jagjivan Ashram Trust, Delhi, 1985-2004; Member, (i) Senate, Bihar University, 1969-71; (ii)Supreme Court Bar Association, 1980; (iii) Senate, Panjab University, 1987-91; (iv) Governing Body, Indian Council of Cultural Relations (I.C.C.R.), 1987-92; (v) Advisory Council, Delhi Development Authority, 1998-99.

Meira Kumar is a keen sportswoman and she also holds medals for rifle shooting. She has also been a member of (i) India International Centre, New Delhi; (ii) India Habitat Center, New Delhi; and (iii) National Sports Club of India, New Delhi.

Meira Kumar supports Arjun Singh`s reservation policy for OBCs as a dalit leader. She also wants the govt. to offer a reward of Rs. 50,000 for inter-caste marriages.

Source: http://www.indianetzone.com/7/meira_kumar.htm