Along with Sita, we need to worship Draupaudi: Veteran socialist Ram Kishan

Bharatpur (Rajasthan), Oct 7: In post-Mandal politics, Indian socialists became ‘power focused’ and that led to erosion of political influence of Socialists Democratic forces, a veteran socialist has said here and maintained that even real women empowerment lost its track in the country.

“Look, socialists and Ram Manohar Lohia used to say besides Sita, there is need to worship Draupadi. Women should not be taken as a mere symbol of sacrifice and adjustment, she also symbolises anguish and protest,” Pandit Ram Kishan, 92-year-old, one of the last surviving pioneers of socialist movement in the country, told TNN here.

“We lost the track once Lohiaji was gone....The idea of admiring the virtues of Draupaudi was never circulated well,” he said.

Mr Kishan, who was elected Bharatpur MP in 1977 and is now Rajasthan unit chief of Samajwadi Party, said: “After we lost Lohia, there was no towering personality among socialists to keep control at things. This was a big loss”.

“Some leaders came forward from JP movement. They were not original socialists like Lalu Prasad Yadav and hence they did not have ideological affinity. Mulayam Singh was among the original socialist leaders in UP,” he said – however adding, “once we tasted power and post-Mandal, the sole focus of (hamare log) our people were only being power hungry”.

Pandit Kishan said there is need to understand that Lohia pioneered a movement for women empowerment.

“This point of need to worship Draupaudi along with Sita and Savitri was actually linked to women empowerment, but we did not pursue it”.

Answering questions, the veteran socialist did not want to comment on recent Supreme Court order on adultery.

However, he said from “sociological point of view and also in Indian contest”, there is an attempt these days to “encourage” such acts.

“I am not making any comment on the judiciary. They go by their wisdom but as an individual in the society, I think our Indian society still needs a ‘parda (some restrictions)’ and thus we should not encourage adultery,” he said but hastened to add: “as far as women empowerment is concerned, all should back the idea”.

“I am also not looking the other side ......adultery has been there from time immemorial. It is there now also. But it need not be encouraged,” he said adding every social practice – good or bad – as in European or in an African society cannot be replicated in India.

“This ought to be understood socially and also politically,” he said.