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Ex-mayor Kamla Bua victim of prejudice?
The Sagar district court verdict, which set aside Mayor Kamla Bua’s election, has raised a host of ethical and political questions.
Social scientists and psychologists feel that Kamla Bua has been a victim of prejudice. Noted psychologist Ruma Bhattacharya feels that the Indian society still needs to accept the eunuchs.
“Since we are unable to accept them, they live a segregated existence. They are like other differently-abled people towards whom the others are not sensitive,” she added.
On the ethical level, rights activists wonder about the wisdom of questioning the caste credentials of a eunuch. Forced to mention her caste as Kori on the nomination form, she became a victim of the election procedure, experts felt.
The court, in its judgement, observed, “This was the fault of the returning officer who instead of rejecting the nomination papers, asked Kamla Bua to mention her caste. The returning officer should have used his discretionary powers.”
During trial, it came to light that Kamla Bua had clearly mentioned in the column of caste ‘without caste eunuch’. But later, going through the papers, the returning officer, then Additional Collector Rajesh Kaul, asked Kamla to write Kori for her caste.
Kamla was already registered on the voters’ lists as female. Since the post of Sagar Mayor was reserved for Scheduled Castes female, Kamla became eligible for contesting the election after mentioning Kori as her caste.
Speaking to The Pioneer, the counsel of defeated BJP candidate Suman Ahirwar, KVS Thakur, said that there was no deliberate error on part of Kamla Bua. It was just a matter of time before she accepted the words of the returning officer and mentioned her caste accordingly.
After the Election Commission of India amended its rules, a third option of ‘Others’ has been added on the voters’ list registration form, he added.
Advocate Singh informed that eunuchs can contest election on the seats which are unreserved, but on seats reserved on caste basis, they cannot fight as they do not have any caste.
Meanwhile, Sagar Mayor Kamla Bua said she would appeal against the verdict in the High Court. At present, the sessions court has stayed the verdict till December 15. “I am pained with the decision as 65,000 people had voted for me to become Mayor,” she added.
She stated that she had filled the nomination papers correctly the first time. “I had filled the form correctly, but later I was told to fill the caste column on the directives of returning officer. Even then, if the nomination was wrong, senior BJP leaders including parliamentarians and legislators should have objected then and there and my papers would have been rejected along with over a dozen other forms,” she said.
Leader argues for fresh polls
Sagar Mayor Kamla Bua, whose election has been declared null and void by a Sagar district court on Friday, has accused the Bharatiya Janata Party of conspiring against her.
After Kamla Bua joined the BJP in the year 2009, she felt that the application challenging her election on caste basis could have been withdrawn. Since the plaintiff, Suman Ahirwar, is the defeated BJP candidate, the party leaders would have asked her to withdraw the case.
It is not good that Suman Ahirwar, who got only 21,000 votes, would become Mayor of the city. “I feel bad for those who voted me to power. In the past two years, I have done a lot of work for the citizens. People love me a lot here that is why they voted for me. If the BJP was so powerful, they would have won the election earlier. Everybody knows how much I love Sagar,” she added.
Kamla Bua feels that instead of allowing the defeated candidate to be Mayor, a fresh election should be conducted for the seat. “After the verdict came, all my supporters were in tears, but I did not cry because I know that I am strong and will contest the next election, whether it is for the State Assembly or the Parliament,” she added.
The Sagar district court verdict, which set aside Mayor Kamla Bua’s election, has raised a host of ethical and political questions.
Social scientists and psychologists feel that Kamla Bua has been a victim of prejudice. Noted psychologist Ruma Bhattacharya feels that the Indian society still needs to accept the eunuchs.
“Since we are unable to accept them, they live a segregated existence. They are like other differently-abled people towards whom the others are not sensitive,” she added.
On the ethical level, rights activists wonder about the wisdom of questioning the caste credentials of a eunuch. Forced to mention her caste as Kori on the nomination form, she became a victim of the election procedure, experts felt.
The court, in its judgement, observed, “This was the fault of the returning officer who instead of rejecting the nomination papers, asked Kamla Bua to mention her caste. The returning officer should have used his discretionary powers.”
During trial, it came to light that Kamla Bua had clearly mentioned in the column of caste ‘without caste eunuch’. But later, going through the papers, the returning officer, then Additional Collector Rajesh Kaul, asked Kamla to write Kori for her caste.
Kamla was already registered on the voters’ lists as female. Since the post of Sagar Mayor was reserved for Scheduled Castes female, Kamla became eligible for contesting the election after mentioning Kori as her caste.
Speaking to The Pioneer, the counsel of defeated BJP candidate Suman Ahirwar, KVS Thakur, said that there was no deliberate error on part of Kamla Bua. It was just a matter of time before she accepted the words of the returning officer and mentioned her caste accordingly.
After the Election Commission of India amended its rules, a third option of ‘Others’ has been added on the voters’ list registration form, he added.
Advocate Singh informed that eunuchs can contest election on the seats which are unreserved, but on seats reserved on caste basis, they cannot fight as they do not have any caste.
Meanwhile, Sagar Mayor Kamla Bua said she would appeal against the verdict in the High Court. At present, the sessions court has stayed the verdict till December 15. “I am pained with the decision as 65,000 people had voted for me to become Mayor,” she added.
She stated that she had filled the nomination papers correctly the first time. “I had filled the form correctly, but later I was told to fill the caste column on the directives of returning officer. Even then, if the nomination was wrong, senior BJP leaders including parliamentarians and legislators should have objected then and there and my papers would have been rejected along with over a dozen other forms,” she said.
Leader argues for fresh polls
Sagar Mayor Kamla Bua, whose election has been declared null and void by a Sagar district court on Friday, has accused the Bharatiya Janata Party of conspiring against her.
After Kamla Bua joined the BJP in the year 2009, she felt that the application challenging her election on caste basis could have been withdrawn. Since the plaintiff, Suman Ahirwar, is the defeated BJP candidate, the party leaders would have asked her to withdraw the case.
It is not good that Suman Ahirwar, who got only 21,000 votes, would become Mayor of the city. “I feel bad for those who voted me to power. In the past two years, I have done a lot of work for the citizens. People love me a lot here that is why they voted for me. If the BJP was so powerful, they would have won the election earlier. Everybody knows how much I love Sagar,” she added.
Kamla Bua feels that instead of allowing the defeated candidate to be Mayor, a fresh election should be conducted for the seat. “After the verdict came, all my supporters were in tears, but I did not cry because I know that I am strong and will contest the next election, whether it is for the State Assembly or the Parliament,” she added.
