Women in Assam Politics

Prof. (Dr.) Dharmakanta Kumbhakar

(drkdharmakanta1@gmail.com) 

Assam has a glorious history about women’s role in politics. Princesses Amritprabha and Rajyamati from ancient Assam exercised their influence in the administration and politics of their royal consorts. Queen Sadhani took an active part in politics and acted as an advisor to her husband in the Chutiya Kingdom of Sadiya. In the Ahom reign, women had a remarkable position in politics. The chief queen of the Ahom king Tao-Khamthi (1380-89), Chao-Ching, a very accomplished consort of the Ahom king Suklenmung (1539-52), and Nangbakla Gabharu, the wife of Tao-mung Bargohain, played important roles in politics. Bar-raja Phuleswari, the chief consort of the Ahom king Siva Singha (1714-44), was the first queen of Assam to govern the kingdom directly. Phuleswari’s successors, Ambika and Sarbeswari, governed the kingdom one after the other. Women like Mula Gabharu, Ramani Gabharu, Jaymati, Rangili and Padumi were politically conscious women and sacrificed their lives for the cause of the nation. Radha and Rukmini were in the first line of the Mayamariya rebellion against the then Ahom government.

During the British period, many prominent Assamese women leaders came forward. Queen Kamaleswari Devi, widow of King Gaurinath Singha (1780-95), met the Governor-General of India, Lord Wellesley, in 1806, arguing for military assistance to restore peace and good governance in Assam. Women leaders like Hemanta Kumari Devi Bardoloi, poet Nalinibala Devi, Bijut Phookan, Sumitra Bhattacharya, Kiranmayee Agarwalla, Snehalata Devi Baruah, Chandra Prabha Saikiani, Shrijuta Rajabala Das, Swarnalata Barua, Raj Kumari Mohini Gohain, Basantalata Hazarika, and others, along with other Assamese women, played remarkable roles in India’s struggle for freedom. Assamese women like Kanaklata Barua, Bhogeswari Phukanani, Khahuli Nath, Rabati Lahon, Abali Kochuni, Golapi Chutiyani, Kon Chutiyani, Thuniki Das and others sacrificed their lives during the Quit India Movement.

Despite having a glorious history, the participation of women in Assam politics today is very low. Women in this state lag behind the men in the political arena. Though as voters Assamese women showed remarkable progress, their participation in active politics is still negligible. Women constitute 48.82% of the entire population of the state (Census 2011), but their representation in Assam’s politics hardly reflects their percentage in the population. When representation and participation of women in Assam politics itself is a big issue, the issue of participation by Muslim women, tea garden women and tribal women is another dimension of the issue. The state with a considerable percentage of Muslim population (34.2%, Census 2011), tea garden population and tribal population has little women’s representation in active politics. Today, the 33% reservation at the Panchayat level has increased Assamese women’s representation in the local bodies, but the low political participation and representation of women in Assam in the last general elections reflect a low representation in both houses of Parliament and the State Assembly. Though the average percentage of women’s representation in Parliament, Assemblies and the Council of Ministers taken together has been around 15% in India, it is lesser in the case of Assamese women. In the present Lok Sabha, out of 14 MPs from Assam, there is only 1 female MP (7.1%); out of seven MPs from Assam in the Rajya Sabha, there are no female MPs, and out of 126 MLAs in the present State Assembly, there are only 6 female MLAs (4.7%). But as compared to its neighbouring states, Assam is still in a good position in terms of women’s representation in politics.

In the Lok Sabha elections, the numbers of women candidates were 1951 (02), 1957 (02), 1962 (03), 1967 (02), 1971 (03), 1977 (03), 1980 (02), 1985 (02), 1991 (08), 1996 (09), 1999 (09), 2004 (06), 2009 (11), 2014 (19), 2019 (15) and 2024 (12). The numbers of female MPs from Assam in the previous Lok Sabhas were 1951 (01), 1957 (02), 1962 (02), 1967 (01), 1971 (01), 1977 (02), 1980 (0), 1985 (0), 1991 (0), 1996 (0), 1999 (02), 2004 (0), 2009 (02), 2014 (02), 2019 (01) and 2024 (01). The participation of Assamese women in the Rajya Sabha elections is also very minimal. Since its first election, only 08 women have got the opportunity to represent in the Rajya Sabha.

Assam has 126 Assembly constituencies, but the participation of women in the State Assembly compared to their male counterparts is also very low. The late Usha Barthakur was the first woman MLA and woman minister of Assam, who won the Assembly election in 1952 from the Samaguri constituency. In 1980, Syeda Anwara Taimur created history by becoming the only female Chief Minister of the state from December 6, 1980, to June 30, 1981. The numbers of women candidates who fought in the previous State Assembly elections were 1952 (01), 1957 (06), 1962 (04), 1967 (07), 1972 (12), 1978 (22), 1983 (03), 1985 (29), 1991 (50), 1996 (45), 2001 (55), 2006 (98), 2011 (81), 2016 (89) and 2021 (76). The numbers of candidates who actually won the elections were 1952 (01), 1957 (05), 1962 (04), 1967 (05), 1972 (08), 1978 (01), 1983 (02), 1985 (05), 1991 (05), 1996 (07), 2001 (10), 2006 (13), 2011 (14), 2016 (07) and 2021 (06).

The lack of importance of the political parties, negative attitude of political leaders, lack of opportunity, low women population, low female literacy, low level of information, economic inequality, burden of domestic work, female insecurity, lack of confidence, lack of ability to communicate with the public, lack of empowerment among the women, and lack of proper training barred an Assamese woman from taking an active part in mainstream politics despite having an interest in it. Assamese women have been unable to occupy major positions in the political parties, except for one or two.  Most of the parties do not groom women towards power. The space has been limited to family connections rather than convictions and commitment. Women are allowed only if there is no alternative choice. Women are considered only if there is a mandatory provision like a reservation. The number of successful female politicians in the state also clearly reflects that common people are not in favour of bringing women into power. Student politics is an important feature in Assam politics. The major student’s organizations produce about 50% of the future political leaders. Even these bodies pay little attention to women’s participation in politics.

Scanty involvement of the Assamese women in the election process has kept them marginalized in power politics. They should be in a greater number in power politics so that they can address the issues concerning women. The Indian Constitution ensures the people’s right to participate in politics without any distinctions. It does not matter whatever the gender is. The channels to enter into Parliament or Assembly are the same for both men and women. The election is the instrument the people play in a democratic country through which they can participate in the decision-making process of its government. With active participation in the elections as competitors or voters, Assamese women can enter into power politics and can bring fair and equal treatment to all.