JULY, 2008
NEW WINE IN OLD BOTTLE OR VICE VERSA ?
I have not missed a single of the MIC Wanita National Conventions for a decade now and the recent was my 11th.
For obvious reasons I was hoping this year’s gathering would be different. Was I disappointed? Read on for the answer.
The day-long event took off with the ceremonial launches and this is where we get to hear the MIC President covertly reprimanding delegates while overtly showering accolades and praises for the favoured few. After the morning tea, the crowd broke into three sections. I have always looked forward to this session where we are able to meet the Wanita leaders at close proximity and share our thoughts on various topics. This session also gives one a good “perception vs reality” understanding.
The president opened the Wanita session with his two-sen worth of stories to drive some messages across but more importantly, he had wanted to hear for himself the voices from the ground. He told the Woman leader that the usual tabling of annual reports should be dealt with much later, much to my delight
He wanted to know the grouses from the women and what it was that they hoped for in MIC and I was all perked up to hear the voices that would bring about the much talked-about changes.
Marched the first lady to the rostrum to start the ball rolling for the day, with her first question, which turned out to be grumble. Her fatuous concern was not having been given ‘due recognition’ as a division woman leader as was made to sit in the back row. There was no tagging on the chairs and the ladies sat on first-in basis and that did not augur well with this division leader.
Well, some ladies sacrificed their morning tea to be able to take the front seats and I don’t think it would have been fair to uproot people who were already seated, and the organizing committee (if there was one ) let it be.
I thought respect and recognition are not reflected on where one sits but how eloquently one is able present her thoughts and ideas. And this is something, MIC needs to address urgently within party in the rejuvenating exercise; to do away with the form and focus on substance.
Also, why create fractions within the MIC wanita community. Someone asked me why were the women clad in so many different sarees defeating the purpose of uniformity. I remained silent when she asked if the intention was to segregate the ‘ elites’ from the commoners.
Time was limited and we were approaching lunch, I was edgy with frustration from the first question. The next lady raised a question about teenaged girls going astray and getting hitched from school by the young bikers. Now, we all know that this issue is not unique to the Indian community, but this was the topic that took centrestage with every other women deliberating on it. I am not undermining the severity of this problem but when the president agrees that it is an issue needing attention and concerted effort, the cue is to move on. There were more and more hands going up pleading for a chance to speak.
Subsequently, there was another lady who wanted some reprieve for a young local university graduate who had been jobless for some time now. The contention was she had applied to many organisations and her attempts had been futile. As the girl was present in the hall, the president asked her to speak.
She was not able to string a sentence in English and she was fumbling to make herself understood. There were uneasy whispers from the floor and I was happy I was not the only one who noticed her lack of the basics. A good lady seated behind me was correcting, every word the girl was pronouncing with gross inaccuracy. In an aside, we were asking how she could have graduated with a degree in business administration.. It was apparent that she was seeking high handed recommendation to land in a job but I thought if indeed she secured a job through such means, it would be any employer’s nightmare.
She is typically one who thinks MIC owes her a living. This is a perennial problem with most young graduates. They think they have got it all with a degree and would not want to enhance their skills. This girl could do with language and presentation skills to begin with.
There was also a long debate on how MIC could further help single mothers. Let me tell you that this subject has been hogging the convention for as long as I can recall. The Wanita leader would agree me that middle class wage earners are also a lot who need attention.
I know for a fact that lots have been done through the MICs Yayasan Strategik Sosial for single mothers and this is a bottomless pit where it will never be enough. Young professionals and graduates and middle income wage earners’ status must also be enhanced to achieve the 1.5 corporate equity for Indians, announced by MIC recently.
Coming to Resolutions, they are formulated, presented, discussed, amended and then adopted or voted and the resolutions will be the basis on which actions plans be determined for the coming year. I might ruffle some feather if I were to say that the resolutions churned out this year did not have the vigour and zeal that the MIC is talking about to rejuvenate itself.
It is time that the Wanita leaders are given KPIs as MIC is in a ‘ do or die’ situation and we need to make it happen together. The MIC Wanita leaders and members alike should have a holistic understanding of the national issues and be able to place them in Global perspective for out-of –box suggestions and solutions. For this to happen, a K-culture must be instilled.
By Bhavani Krishna Iyer
