Women and Participation in Urban Local Govern...

Women and Participation in Urban Local Governance

Author Name : Bhim Singh Chandel

ABSTRACT The notion of justice in every walk of life is now reality. People want justice. They are realizing it and asserting for it. In the arena of Indian democracy, new categories are seeking the value of their voices. They are demanding their shares which were due to time immortals. The Other backward castes, the Scheduled castes, the Scheduled tribes and women are being vocal, visible and emancipated through the defining and re-defining of the provisions drawn from the Constitution of India. Let us limit myself to the question of women. As a nation state India can claim that her peoples have chosen women for the positions like the President, the Prime Minister, the Speakers of Lok Sabha and so many Chief Ministers of various states. Women are also entering high power echelons. In 17th Lok Sabha, 78women leaders have made their way to the Parliament. This is the highest number of Lok Sabha seats won by women and constitutes 14.38 per cent of the total 543 Parliamentary seats. At the other end of this narrative of political emancipation the inclusion of less visible groups is important. The Indian democratic system addresses it by decentralization of power which is a revolutionary step after the great notion of separation of the power of the state. The text of the Constitution of India imbibes the dreams and aspirations of its stake holders. As Granville Austin used to say that one test of a Constitution is whether it can provide a durable framework of government in the midst of great social and economic change. The harmony with changing social and economic conditions and dreams Indian people can be found enshrined in its preamble of the Constitution which promises social, economic and political justice and equality of status and of opportunity for all its citizens. The Constitution of India guarantees the right of election of people’s representatives and it also give the right of being elected to every citizen. But in this process some citizen get more centralized powers i.e. Member of Parliaments and Members of state legislative assemblies and councils.