On Monday, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal announced ‘free money’ to all women in Punjab, irrespective of their financial status or requirement, should Aam Aadmi Party come to power in the state.
दुनिया में कोई सरकार नहीं है, जिसने माओं, बहनों और बेटियों के खाते में ₹1000 डाले हो।#KejriwalDiTeejiGuarantee पंजाब की महिलाओं की कैसे करेगी मदद?
— AAP (@AamAadmiParty) November 22, 2021
देखिए- pic.twitter.com/Byuz6dvqRM
He promised Rs 1,000 every month to every woman. “Imagine, 18-20 year old girls want to go to college but father does not have money. Now they will be able to go to college when they get Rs 1,000. Many girls wish to buy new clothes but hesitate in asking their father for money. What if father does not give. Now she wont need to go ask her father, she can go to market and buy it. Many housewives are not able to give anything to their children because husband does not give money. Now she won’t have to check her husband’s mood before getting things for her children,” he said.
“She wants to buy a new saree. It has been many years since her husband bought her a saree. Now she will be able to buy the saree with the money this brother will give her. There are old mothers save money by saving Rs 10, 20 to give them to their married daughter secretly when they visit home. Now these mothers will be able to give Rs 1,000 to their daughters saying my son has given the money,” he said.
Kejriwal then claimed that this particular scheme will empower women. “Rs 1,000 is not too much,” he said. He claimed that the money for it will come when he ends transport and other mafia.
Economics of the ‘free money’ scheme
Before we begin to discuss how problematic this scheme is, let me briefly touch upon the economics of this scheme and how absolutely unreal it is to make such promise. Approximate adult female population of Punjab as of 2021 stands at about 1 crore 10 lakh. Rs 1,000 per month, or about Rs 12,000 per year for 1 crore 10 lakh women would be Rs 13,200 crore. And this is just one year. Who pays for this free money? Tax payers, including women (who might also get Rs 12,000 back as free money?).
‘Free money’ is not empowerment
If you listen closely Kejriwal’s speech while announcing the free money, you can see how it is so deeply rooted in patriarchy, the very system women across India and world are fighting day in and day out. All his statements are how women are in complete control of men and it is men who dictate how women should live and how women need men to take care of their needs.
Kejriwal speaks about girls not being able to go to college because father will not give money for college fees and with the free money, the girls will then be able to go to college. So, if higher education is a criteria, why not give subsidy on education? Why not waive off fees for girls if their economic condition is the only reason they’re not able to study further? Also Rs 12,000 per year is not sending any girl to college when the family is already preventing her education. At best, considering the family situation being painted here (severe financial crisis+patriarchy), it will be snatched from her and added to family’s grocery expenses or worse, drugs and alcohol.
He speaks about how girls want to buy new clothes but father may not agree to buy new clothes, but with free money girls will be able to buy new clothes, without having to be dependent on father. Again, it is just accepted and given that women live their lives as per the wishes of the male figure in their lives. Who are these men who don’t let their daughters go to college? Or get them clothes? AAP voters?
Instead, why not promise employment opportunities, self help groups, skilled workforce, seed capital to start their own businesses? How is ‘free money’ better than opportunity to create wealth and further employment opportunities? If the girl earns her own money, she will not only buy the ‘suit’ she wants to but also save some and maybe buy her own house too.
Kejriwal then moves on to housewives who are again subservient to their husbands who never gives money for small expenses or does not buy her a saree. Firstly, let us question whether this is an abusive relationship? Does the husband not do this because he has no money or he does not do it because he’s abusive? If former, perhaps offer them both employment opportunities (always a better option than free money) and if latter, offer her security and safety and ways to get out of abusive relationship. ‘Here, take free money every month and get yourself a saree’ is not really a great idea.
And lastly he speaks about the quintessential filmy boodhi maa who has no money to give her married daughter visiting home.
Now, it begs the question whether this married daughter is in Punjab? If yes, isn’t she also getting free money from Kejriwal? If yes, why is she being such a leech and mooching off free money from Kejriwal from her boodhi maa?
Smashing the patriarchy
What is even worse about this ‘free money’ scheme is playing right into the patriarchal society women like you and I are trying to fight each and every day. Right from equal pay to right to equal job opportunities. You know how absolutely normalised it is for women to be asked ‘are you married?’ and ‘do you have children/plan to have children?’ during job interviews? Because those things are considered before hiring women. Men, on the other hand, don’t usually get this question. It is just assumed that even if he does get married, or have children, his efficiency wont get affected. Women, on the other hand, will prioritise children and home and hence are kept away from the top management.
Last evening Kejriwal went on an auto ride in Punjab and then went for dinner at the auto driver’s home. Though eventually it turned out that the said auto driver was an AAP worker. However, the fact that Kejriwal and his gang can be safe when the auto driver or anyone for that matter takes a detour and not get into absolute panic mode is male privilege.
Last weekend, I was walking on a main road near Jawaharlal Nehru University in Vasant Kunj area of New Delhi. A car coming from behind slowed down. My first thought was I was getting kidnapped. Considering the crime rate situation in Delhi, my fears were not misplaced. The car eventually sped off and I did not end up being a victim of any crime, but that’s the difference between being Kejriwal, a man, and me, a woman. A man can take a nap during long commute on metro, cab, bus but a woman wouldn’t. That’s male privilege. And that is what we are fighting every day.
Survival is a struggle. Surviving as a woman even more so. From home to society to work place to even social media – we have to fight prejudice and patriarchy at every step. The Rs 1000 every month free money only adds to the battle. The constant ‘taunts’ one would get to hear because, ‘well, why don’t you sit at home and take the free money instead of using your knees in office?’ The knee jibe is often given to tell women that they think from their knee because unka dimaag ghutno mein hai – I have personally heard this jibe from a qualified chartered accountant, no less.
So when we are already fighting multiple battles on various fronts, why add to our woes? Instead why not create an environment where women feel safe, secured and don’t have to live in a Talibaneque environment where they’ve do depend on the men of the house for their basic needs.
Charity, they say, begins from home. How about having a woman deputy chief minister? Or let a woman be the national convener for Aam Aadmi Party? To put things in perspective, the Delhi government cabinet, where Aam Aadmi Party has 62 out of 70 MLAs in the Delhi Assembly and not a single woman MLA is a minister in the Kejriwal cabinet. Why are women in his government not given more responsible work? Does Kejriwal think women are only interested in buying new suit and saree?
