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A first look at FM Nirmala Sitharaman's Budget 2019-20 feels disappointing. Will a reading of fine print yield better benefits for women and children?
A first look at FM Nirmala Sitharaman’s Budget 2019-20 feels disappointing. Will a reading of fine print yield better benefits for women and children?
Annual budget for the year 2019-20 was announced this morning by India’s new Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in the Modi 2.0 government.
Being the first full time female Finance Minister a lot was expected from her, especially by women and agriculture sector. Have the expectations been fulfilled?
The Budget prioritizes transformation of ‘Gaon’, ‘Garib’ and ‘Kisan’. It also focuses on increasing digital transaction, connectivity through waterways and highways, infrastructure improvement in both rural and urban areas and also enhancing the overall quality of living.
The citizens had a lot of expectations from this budget by the new Modi government which has been voted back to power for a second term with a massive mandate but sadly it looks more like an extension of the interim budget announced on February 1, 2019.
The budget proposes a bank recapitisation fund of 70000 crores which may help in pumping more money in the market and thus help revive the economy. However, the FM chose not to specify a figure for fiscal deficit. Even though the govt claims to focus on rural sector yet there is hardly any substantial relief in the budget for the farmers and poor people. Also, there are no announcements for the crucial education and health sector.
The Finance Minister has promised a slew of new initiatives to mitigate the financial problems of the corporate sector, but there are no special proposals or benefits for women, senior citizens and children.
Nirmala Sitharaman, in her speech here, acknowledged that there was no segment where the contribution of women was not significant.
She also mentioned that women in India are traditionally considered to be Narayani, quoting Swami Vivekanand who wrote in a letter to Swami Ramkrishna that there is no chance for the welfare of the world unless the condition of women is improved, and that it’s not possible for a bird to fly on one wing.
She promised to focus on women empowerment, proposing to set up a high-level committee with govt and private stakeholders to evaluate and suggest more ways to increase women participation in workplaces, especially in the rural economy. But apart from this sentimental quote, the FM failed to give anything tangible for women in her maiden budget speech.
Even the lone provision of giving Mudra loan of 1 lakh is for only one women member in each self-help-group. It is a good initiative but with very limited impact.
Besides this, the increase in cess on petrol and diesel prices would have a cascading effect on the prices of daily commodities and fuel inflation. Hike in excise duty on gold is also a dampener for women who like to buy gold for weddings and festive occasions.
The budget is being touted as a budget for the next ten years and a foundation for reviving the sagging national economy, but the true impact of govt claims would be seen only after the fine print is read and realized.
Curious about anything and everything. Proud to be born a woman. Spiritual, not religious. Blogger, author, poet, educator, counselor. read more...
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People say that women are the greatest enemies of women. I vehemently disagree. It is the patriarchal mindset that makes women believe in the wrong ideology.
The entire world celebrates International Women’s Day on March 8, 2024. It should be a joyful day, but unfortunately, not all women are entitled to this privilege, as violence against women is at its peak. The experience of oppression pushes many women to choose freedom. As far as patriotism is concerned, feminism is not a cup of tea in this society.
What happens when a woman decides to stand up for herself? Does this world easily accept the decisions of women in this society? What inspires them to be free of the clutches of the oppression that women have faced for ages? Most of the time, women do not get the chance to decide for themselves. Their lives are always at the mercy of someone, which can be their parents, siblings, husband, or children.
In some cases, women do not feel the need to make any decisions. They are taught to obey the patriarchal system, which makes them believe that they are right. In my family, I was never taught to make decisions on my own. It was always my parents who bought dresses and all that I needed.
14 years after her last feature film Dhobi Ghat, storyteller extraordinaire comes up with her new film, Laapataa Ladies, a must watch.
*Some spoilers alert*
Every religion around the world dictates terms to women. The onus is always on women to be ‘modest’ and cover their faces and bodies so men can’t be “tempted”, rather than on men to keep their eyes where they belong and behave like civilized beings. So much so that even rape has been excused on the grounds of women eating chowmein or ‘men will be men’. I think the best Hindi movie retort to this unwanted advice on ‘akeli ladki khuli tijori ki tarah hoti hai’ (an alone woman is like an open jewellery box) came from Geet in Jab We Met – Kya aap gyan dene ke paise lete hain kyonki chillar nahin hain mere paas.
The premise of Laapataa Ladies is beautifully simple – two brides clad in the ghunghat that covers their identity get mixed up on a train. Within this Russian Doll, you get a comedy of errors, a story of getting lost, a commentary on patriarchy’s attitude towards women, a mystery, and a tale of finding oneself, all in one. Done with a mostly light touch that has you laughing and nodding along.
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