UNDERLYING PATRIARCHAL CULTURE
Yet, the image of a fairer and more equitable Indian society is often challenged by shocking incidents reflecting the country’s deep-rooted patriarchy.
Various politicians across party lines have been accused of sexual assault.
In one incident last year, India’s female Olympic wrestlers accused the then-wrestling federation president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, a BJP Member of Parliament, of sexual assault. But their pleas for action have allegedly fallen on deaf ears.
Police detained the athletes during their attempt to march towards the new parliament building while Mr Modi was inaugurating it last May.
Observers said that in Indian elections, women issues seem to get less attention than religion, temple politics and minorities.
But Ms Vanathi Srinivasan, president of the BJP’s women’s wing, said Mr Modi has forced some change and turned the attention to Indian women.
“After BJP came to power in 2014, every political party is very keen on attracting the women voters,” she added.
“So now, slowly the political parties are moving towards the women electorate … who have not been given the proper attention. It is an ongoing process.”
Psephologist Yashwant Deshmukh, founder and director of polling agency Centre for Voting Opinion and Trends in Election Research, said that politicians are “going all out” to get the female vote by “announcing one scheme after the other”.
“Law and order, harassment, rape – all these are becoming huge issues now,” he added.
“Even though the issues which are directly related to the female vote are not being talked about much in the media, as far as politicians are concerned, I think they are very clear that this is the biggest vote bank they need to address.”
