4 - Gender and Performative Politics

Summary

Simhadanthe sididu banni

Huliyanthe négédu banni

Horaatada saagarakke, naariyaré nagutha banni

Veera naariyara madila, deera naariyaru neevu

Sanghadalli séra banni, sangharshava maada banni

Come swift like a Lion,

Spring forth like a tiger

To the ocean of struggle, women come forth laughing

In the lap of gallant women, you are spirited women

Come join the association, come and struggle on

—Poem by Dhaanappa Niyogal, published in a book titled Bevarina Haadugalu (Songs of Sweat) (Bangalore: Jan Sahyog, 2013)

Of protests and everyday politics

In a protest organised by street vendors of a market in Koramangala, south Bangalore, a crowd of about 70–80 men stood across a street strewn with produce and broken plastic ware, as police lined the area. In a raid the previous day, the municipal authorities had evicted the vendors using force, thus destroying many street carts and the fruit, vegetables and other wares they sold. An all-male crowd, gathered in the courtyard of the formal market (commonly referred to as BDA complex, as these markets are constructed by the BDA). They stood murmuring with anticipation waiting for the arrival of the local MLA, and on seeing his car turn into the street they raised their hands and began chanting, ‘Long live the MLA’. As he stepped outside his car, flanked by policemen and his body guards, the crowd surged towards him, pushing their leader ahead, who after a few minutes of exchange pointed out to a lone weeping limping frail girl who until then had blended into the background, standing on the sides, pointing to her plight as a physically challenged female vendor (see Figure 4.1). Soon she was pushed towards the MLA and after a few hushed exchanges, the crowd began shouting slogans again and the MLA walked back into his car. The press on the spot thrust a microphone into her hands and the attention immediately shifted from the receding car to the girl, who now wept in front of the camera, explaining her plight. As soon as the television crew left and the crowd dispersed quickly, in just a few minutes, there was no sign of what had taken place, except for a few lingering policemen, lazily starting their motorcycles.