From Savitribai Phule and Hansa Mehta to Medha Patkar and Ela Bhatt, discover the inspiring women crusaders who shaped rights, justice, and social reform in India
Satya Narayan Misra
While remembering crusaders for rights and justice, the Indian society is often blighted by its patriarchal overhang of highlighting seminal contribution of men. While Baba Saheb Ambedkar is fondly remembered for his pioneering contribution in scripting equality and reservation for the Scheduled Caste, very little discussion is in the public space for a reformist, social activist, educator and a crusader for women’s rights and duties, like Hansa Mehta. While we gloat over contribution of many male judges, very little is known about Justice Leila Seth’s seminal contribution on the rights for the gay and the crusade to criminalise marital rape. While Mohammad Yunus was awarded Nobel in Economics for galvanising microfinancing among women, the pioneer of micro finance movement, Ela Bhatt and her crusade to empower poor women remains a footnote in discussion. As this year’s Women’s Day is dedicated to the theme of Rights, Justice & Action, it would be in the fitness of things to remember the definitive contribution, many of these quiet women have ushered to promote a more just and society.
Savitri Bai & Leela Seth
A century separates these two enigmatic ladies, who could not have been from more diverse background. Savitri Bai was the first female teacher of India, who established the first girl’s school in 1848. She used to carry an extra saree on her way to school, as she used to face a barrage of cow dung from conservative Brahmins. She performed funeral pyre of her Jyotirao Phule , possibly one of the tallest social reformer that India has seen. Most importantly, the quality of education in her schools was considered far better than the government schools.
Justice Leela Seth started her career as a clerk, when her father died early. She topped the Bar examination in London, qualified for the IAS and was the first woman judge to the High Court. As part of the Varma Commission, she advocated for criminalising marital rape and was a vocal critic of criminalising homosexuality under S377 of IPC. While the Supreme Court has since upheld her stand on homo sexually, marital rape remains a troubled script with our warped sense of family value. Both Savitri and Leela are true embodiments of gender empowerment and justice.
The Remarkable Life of Hansa Mehta
She was one of only two women delegates working with Eleanor Roosevelt in the UN Human Rights Commission from1946-48 and ensured incorporating the words ‘all human beings’ instead of all ‘men’, as was customary in all texts. Beyond being a champion of women’s rights and an active member of the All Indi women’s Conference from its inception in 1927, she participated in civil disobedience campaigns. Mehta’s view of fundamental rights was informed by her own experience of arrests, imprisonment and censorship. The state in her lucid definition ‘was a collective power of individuals and must exercise power for the common good of citizens. ’She advocated setting up Legal Aid societies in every district to ‘help victims of the abuse of power’ and establish a Civil Liberties Union to educate people about their rights and to organise them in to action for their protection.
As a member of Sub Committee on Fundamental Rights, she argued fiercely for inclusion of rights that affected women, particularly those related to a common civil code. Her proposal for a Uniform Civil Code failed to pass in the Sub Committee by a single vote. As far as women’s rights and their implementation was concerned, she ascribed the failure to abolish purdah to the fact that men had dominated the Committee. In a real democratic state, Hansa stated ‘You cannot keep women behind the purdah if she is to play an effective role in the country’
Olga Tellis , Sheela Barse & Medha Patkar : The Common Thread
There is a common thread that runs through the crusade of these three activists, who have changed the contours and enriched the core of fundamental rights of vulnerable sections of the society. Sheela Barse , an intrepid journalist ,played a pivotal role by raising her voice against the inhumane condition prevalent in Indian jails and juvenile homes. In the landmark case Sheela Barse Vs State of Maharashtra (1986), the Supreme Court stated that’ life ‘under Article 21 includes the rights of prisoners, whether convicted or awaiting trial . In the same year, Olga Tellis , a journalist, took up the case of slum dwellers who were being evicted during the monsoon months by the BMC. The Supreme court concluded that the right to life includes the right to livelihood and stopped the eviction. While the South African Constitution guarantees right to reasonable shelter to its citizens , the Olga Tellis case sowed the seeds of right to shelter as part of right to live with dignity .Medha Patkar has mobilized massive protests against the construction of Sardar Sarovar Dam , which displaced thousands of tribal peoples and submerged vast stretches of forests and farmland. The Supreme Court unfortunately allowed construction of the dam to resume in 2000. Many activists call this as the largest court sanctioned displacement as concerns persist regarding inadequate rehabilitation and environmental damage.
Final Thoughts
Ela Bhatt remains the lodestar in empowerment of women through her SEWA organisation and m icro financing as powerful enabler for entrepreneurship. . She was also involved in The Elder’s initiative for equality for women and girls, including on the issue of child marriage. When the constitution was amended to introduce panchayat Raj , with women at the helm, there was an apprehension that the Panchyts will be run by proxy by the husbands. However, women sarapanchs in Rajasthan like Chahavi Rajawat and Neeru Yadav have shown how projects like rain harvesting , digital literacy and forming all girls sports teams can be executed with competence . It has busted cynicism regarding leadership capability of women sarapanchs and snide observation like sarapanch pati challenges . Bunker Roy who founded the Barefoot College in 1972, a transformative initiative in Tilonia , Rajastan , has empowered rural , largely illiterate women to become solar engineers, educators and artisans . Ela Bhat, Neeru Yadav and the women solar engineer of Tilonia hold the real candle to women rights, self-esteem and empowerment . Naveen Babu took a leaf out of Ela Bhatt’s experiment in SEWA and successfully midwifed the Mission Shakti program, empowering 70 lakh women via Self Help Group. Women can lead the light and be crusaders of ideas which can become true template of social equality and justice.
(Prof. Satya Narayan Misra teaches Constitutional Law. Views expressed are personal.)
