Just outside the BJP headquarters, wearing traditional Haryanvi attire, Deepa was sweeping the clutter from the celebrations and crackers. She had little clue that the jubiliation was because the party had won the elections in her home state. Whatever the outcome of election in Haryana, the 40-year-old was firm in her resolve not to return to the state.
"I will never return to Haryana, I am not even allowed to walk out of my house without a man escorting me, let alone earn for my family," she says.
Deepa's woes reflect the status of women in a state with a skewed sex ratio. Hopes are now pinned on the BJP, which has promised change and freedom from atrocities on women.
The state has a population of 2.5 crores, and the sex ratio in the state remained a dismal 879 per 1000 males in the 2011 census, lagging behind the national ratio of 940. With khap panchayat leaders decrying the use of mobiles, jeans and education by its women and blaming western culture and chowmein on a rising graph of rapes, the BJP's assurances on addressing the concerns of women in Haryana could be challenging task.
Aarti Mehra, former Mayor of Delhi, said that the party will work on creating a healthy atmosphere vis-a-vis gender in the state. "It is a challenge, because these are deep-rooted societal problems. But the youth have kept aside caste and creed to vote development to power. We will mobilise the youth to weed out these problems," she said.
"Women in Haryana have also pushed us to power, we will definitely work for them," she said in an apparent reference to the high percentage of women voting in the October 15 polling in the state.
Party spokesperson and Union minister of state Prakash Javadekar said that the party has had a stellar role in promoting women, and will do so in Haryana too. "Some of BJP's torch bearers were women, and women continue to do a lot in the party. We will work for real development, not just pay lip service," said Javadekar.
Another jubilant party worker from Haryana, Bhupesh, said that he is sure that the Modi-led government will address gender concerns in his state. "Casteism is the root of this, and I have grown up with rituals that keep women behind in the race. I am sure that the party will work on mending obsolete laws. The party has been holding training and workshops to change the system for many months, and will continue to do so," he said.
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