Fair representation

Even as reporters, editors and political observers kept speculating about the much-awaited cabinet expansion/reshuffle, the list that finally came out on Wednesday surprised everyone without an exception. Not only was the scale of the exercise bigger than speculated but many of the names were also beyond anyone's radar. Of course, some of the projected 'probables' did figure in the list.

The new Council of Ministers has risen in strength from 53 to 77. Whether the complete secrecy of the exercise till the last moment or the depth and range of the choices, the expansion is sure to be dissected, deciphered and analysed for days to come.

What should be of special interest to political observers, however, is that the Union Council of Ministers (CoM) today looks like a true microcosm of Bharat. Social and regional aspirations can claim to find their reflection in the list. With his tact and in-depth understanding of our social aspirations, the PM has been able to pack the maximum that he could.

After the induction of at least three dozen faces, the total strength of the team stands at 77. Of these, 27 ministers come from the Other Backward Classes (OBCs). Two leaders who come from alliance partners of the BJP — Ramchandra Prasad Singh (JDU-Bihar) and Anupriya Patel (Apna Dal-UP) — are frontline leaders in their own respective parties but they also come from the OBC segment. Then there are established faces among OBCs such as Satya Pal Singh Baghel (UP), Darshana Vikram Jardosh (Gujarat) and Kapil Moreshwar Patil (Maharashtra). This, combined with the ministers who were already part of the team, makes the total strength of OBCs quite impressive.

The participation of Scheduled Castes (SCs) representatives is no less. We now have a dozen members in the CoM from this segment of society. Many of them have been working tirelessly for the people in their respective areas. Bhanu Pratap Verma (UP), Kaushal Kishore (UP) and Munjapara Mahendrabhai (Gujarat) are a few the Dalit ministers in the Union council. Likewise, members from the tribal communities now have a larger share too.

With eight ministers belonging to the Scheduled Tribes (STs), this number has attracted the attention of many people. Tribals have always found, at best, a token representation in the Union govt but their number now stands at eight, three of whom are cabinet ministers. This list can boast of established leaders and former chief ministers like Arjun Munda (Jharkhand) and Sarbananda Sonowal (Assam). It also includes dedicated, low-profile politicians like Bisheswar Tudu (Odisha) who has been working for the community without much fanfare. In percentage terms, the share of deprived and backward segments in the Union council is now 61 per cent of its total strength.

On the gender scale, the council now has the highest representation of women since Atal Bihari Vajpayee govt. demitted office in 2004. Nobody failed to notice that seven women took oath this time pushing up the total strength to 11. Another interesting feature is the diverse background of these inductees. If Darshana Jardosh is a dyed in the wool, full-time politician, Pratima Bhowmick who represents West Tripura is a quiet farmer belonging to one of India's most underrepresented regions. Meenakshi Lekhi, Anupriya Patel and Bharti Pawar bring the freshness and energy of young, aspirational Indian women who want their fair share under the sky.

The new team also merits mention for its sensitivity towards regional aspirations. PM Modi has been mindful to accommodate not just states but also the areas within states which were neglected. Take the case of Maharashtra here. Former CM Narayan Rane is a stalwart from Konkan while Bhagwat Karad represents Marathwada. Bharti Pawar, a tribal, comes from north Maharashtra. With senior leaders like Nitin Gadkari already there, no sub-region in Maharashtra can complain of being overlooked. Same goes for the North East.

Inclusion of a person from a certain community or segment of society means much more than just an appointment. Their presence in government signifies percolation and broad-basing of power sharing arrangements to segments and peoples historically deprived of the same. However, India's social justice movement has long been accused of falling short on this front. The reason is parties 'owned and dominated by a single caste or community have bred their own elite into the social justice structure. Predictably, the attempt to correct historical wrongs gets shortchanged here. It is this paradox that the PM has been working on.

Much has been made by political pundits of this expansion being about the forthcoming assembly polls. In a parliamentary democracy like ours, it would be naïve to deny the significance attached to elections. And states like Uttar Pradesh certainly carry their heft. But it would be myopic to read only state polls as the driving factor in this mega exercise. If state elections (whether UP or Gujarat or Manipur) were the only consideration, what explains the inclusion of L Murugan from Tamil Nadu? And what electoral benefit would accrue from Nishith Pramanik and John Barla from West Bengal at this point? Think about it!

Views expressed are personal