"Parliamentarians must respect the trust and faith that is placed on them by the people"

Chitralekha Yadav, Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives in Nepal, struggled hard to reach where she is today. She is the first woman in the country to attain her present position.  Down to earth and outspoken, she talked about her hopes and aspirations in an interview with Sushma Amatya of The Independent. Excerpts:

Q: What were your aspirations before you became deputy speaker and what are you experiencing now?
A: I had many aspirations. Unfortunately, I have not found ways through which I can exercise my creative visions, as I had hoped to. The system is working as it has been working for the past so many years. There is no change.

Q: What did you hope to change?
A: I and my other women colleagues wanted to form a women’s caucus which would serve as a sounding board for their grievances. We hoped this would be the platform where all their problems would be shared and the solutions found. It would also have been an interactive common ground where women from various backgrounds could meet and share their thoughts. Had this materialised, surely we would have made some headway by now, quantitatively as well as qualitatively.

Despite all my efforts, this caucus could not materialise and that is a sore point for me. Surely, the people chose us so that we would make a positive difference to their lives. They have their hopes and aspirations. It is a shame when we cannot fulfil their hopes for whatever reasons.

Q: How couldn’t you form the caucus? Did someone oppose the move, was it in-house politics or did pressing the issue further threatened your position? Why were you not encouraged to create it as it is for the good of the women in our country?
A: It is not the question of my position. I will still be working for those issues even without the position, as was the case earlier. After all, we in the parliament have to and do work within the framework of rules and regulations. It is difficult for me to pinpoint the real reason. I can only say that in spite of my wanting to bring about these changes, I could not.

Q: Would it have helped if there were more women members in the parliament to support you?
A: Yes, it sure would have helped.  The chief speaker too has a role to play in pushing forward these matters. If he had wished so, he could have brought about the changes.

Q: Are you well accepted by your male colleagues?
A: Yes, I am. I do not see any reason why they should not. I work within the prescribed frame-work, I fulfill my duties and I always look at things from a positive angle.

Q: What are the targets you have set for yourself during your tenure in the parliament?
A: It is not an easy question to answer. It is a difficult situation that we encounter. When the parliamentary session is on, not much time is left for us to do anything else. We cannot interact with the ministers and sound out our ideas. The situation is such that not much can be achieved even though one wants to.

Q: Do you have any comments on the current political situation? What do you have to say about the rising disillusionment of the public regarding politics and the comic image the politicians are increasingly gaining today?
A: I would only like to say that we have to work keeping the interests of the public and the country in mind. It will not help us if we keep the situation as it is today. We have to have stability that can only be brought about by cooperation and mutual understanding. The leaders have to give the main priority to the people.

Q: How can the current atmosphere of insecurity in the country be eliminated?
A: All ways and means must be explored to find a solution to this problem. To restore peace in the country and the sense of security to the people are the pressing matters today and should be dealt with accordingly.

Q: Why are you so withdrawn in your comments?
A: To be honest, this time is such that anything anyone says can be twisted around. Simple statements can be grossly misinterpreted to suit each ones motives. I am wary of that.

Q:  To tread on safer grounds - what are the issues you like to work for?
A:  I believe the true sense of democracy can be realised only through active participation of all the sections of the society - the minorities, the women, the backward and so on. We in the parliament represent all those and other people. We have to respect the trust and the faith placed in each of us by those masses who sought to see some attention given to them and hoped to see some improvement in their lives. The essence of democracy is lost the moment a leader forgets that.

Q: How do you think the status of the women in our society be improved?
A: Men need to be sensitised first on this issue.  Unless and until the men broaden their outlook and accept that women and men are but two wheels of the same carriage, positive changes will not take place. To give birth to a healthy society, both men and women need to be treated equally and measured by the same yardstick. To invest only in men and to continue to discriminate women, is a sure way to encourage a sick society. All the men in each and every family must realise this and give equal opportunity to the females in their households.

All the families must educate their daughters. Education is a powerful tool, due to the lack of which many women are suffering in our society today. With education comes awareness - awareness about their rights, health, environment, democracy, human rights, the world etc. Education is the main source of light that can guide the discriminated forward and give them a voice of their own. Education is one thing we can not compromise on.

Q: What is your opinion on the role of the  parliamentarians?
A: I always maintain that one man can not serve two masters at one time. Our main priority as leaders is to work for the development of our people. We have to play the role of the representative of the people first. The parliament should not be used as a platform to carve a niche for our individual or party interests. We can talk about party consolidation during party meetings.

As a person we have many roles to play. We have to differentiate the roles and act accordingly. If we allow ourselves to overlap the roles and let vested interests to creep in, then the whole nation suffers.