Lakshadweep's women voters demand attention to basic issues amidst political neglect

Agatti: Despite women constituting the majority of voters in Lakshadweep Lok Sabha seat, their basic issues such as absence of proper sanitary napkin disposal facilities and gynecologists in hospitals have not found a place in the discourse of political parties in the ongoing election campaign.

Parties pay scant attention to our demands, a group of women in Agatti Island told PTI.

"We do not even have a mechanism on the islands to collect and dispose of used sanitary napkins. Many either bury them in their compounds or burn them," lamented Salmath, leader of the disabled persons' wing of Dweepsree, a women's self-help group.

Plastic burning and dumping could pose serious environmental issues in the highly ecologically sensitive islands, she said.

These women, constituting 50 per cent of the total electorate, are making these demands amidst the male-controlled machinery of political parties that are projecting various other issues affecting the islands to garner votes.

This constituency spans across 10 inhabited islands of Lakshadweep Archipelago, with an electorate of 57,574 as per data shared by the Chief Election Officer of Lakshadweep. Of this, 28,442 are women voters.

No woman has ascended to leadership positions in any political party in Lakshadweep and there is also a lack of local governance system since the Panchayat administration system was dissolved some years ago.

Women voters want their concerns to be incorporated into the broader political discourse, and solutions should be devised accordingly.

"Nobody in politics speaks about the problems of women here. We have sent several petitions to get a replacement for the gynecologist who has left the island. They discussed it when we brought up the issue, but no solution has been found yet," said Shaharumma, another voter from the island and a Dweepsree community resource person.

The medical support system, in general, and for women in particular, is very poor in Lakshadweep Islands. Many pregnant women are now left with no medical support, they said.

"Even if we need to do an ultrasound scan, we need to get to Kavaratti. With notorious connectivity issues, we do not get water transport tickets," said Salmath, who is a resident of Agatti Island.

Girl children of the islands also face similar issues when they want to study further. Only one island offers a degree course, and if they want to pursue any other subject, they will have to depend on Kerala.

"Even if we are studying in Kavaratti or any other island, most of the time we may not get a ticket to travel to these islands. Only students with disabilities get priority in ticket allocation," said a girl student from Agatti.

As the campaign for the April 19 Lok Sabha polls reaches its peak in the Muslim-dominated Lakshadweep, parties are busy discussing weighty issues such as the contentious 'Pandaram' land ownership controversy, the dire need for improved inter-island connectivity and links with the mainland, and the introduction of perceived 'anti-people' regulations by the current administration.

Local MP and NCP (Sharad Pawar) leader Mohammed Faizal PP and Hamdullah Sayeed of the Congress are the main rivals in the elections. T P Yousuf of NCP (Ajith Pawar) is also contesting the polls.

The women of the islands gather at the beach around 11 pm after preparing food for their 'dinner', which they will have after 4 am, following Namaz during the holy month of Ramadan.

They have a freewheeling chat on the beach until the early morning hours, enjoying the fresh breeze after spending their afternoon in the kitchen preparing various dishes for breaking the fast and for dinner later.

The women who gathered there then convened a late night meeting of Dweepsree, discussing their routine matters in their native dialect 'Jeseri'.

Women of all ages attend these meetings, as this women's self-help group serves as their sole empowerment platform, enabling them to break free from the confines of domesticity and become entrepreneurs, thereby attaining financial stability.