Hair-raising amendment
In recent months, before the announcement of elections, New Delhi saw frenzied debate over the Women's Representation Bill – proposals for 50 percent, 33 percent, 25 percent or 2 percent quotas; reservations for backward caste women, other backward caste women, scheduled caste women, and simply 'the other' women; rotating constituencies, revolving constituencies, flying constituencies, or 'fly-by-night' constituencies; and so on.
In all the debates and politicking, the question of hair was completely lost sight of. For women's hair – whether it should be long or short – emerged as the symbol of emancipation and as a criteria for judging who does or does not support this fight for representation.
During the parliamentary session at which this question was raised, it seemed that the then ruling United Front would support any woman with long lustrous tresses. Janata Party icons do not include any woman with 'bob-cuts'; that's reserved for the Congress Party and its offshoots; as these have had in the past rallied behind the short-haired Indira Gandhi.