Haryana Municipal Corporations Take a Stand Against 'Parshad Patis' in House Proceedings
In a significant move to uphold the integrity of democratic processes, municipal corporations across Haryana have initiated a crackdown on the long-standing practice of spouses of elected councillors speaking during official House proceedings. This action targets the phenomenon of 'parshad patis' or 'super councillors' – husbands who, despite having no legal standing, have traditionally intervened in discussions and decisions on behalf of their wives.
Ending a Deep-Rooted Patriarchal Tradition
The practice, widely acknowledged as problematic yet rarely challenged due to its entrenched nature in political culture, has been particularly prevalent in Haryana's municipal bodies. With women constituting at least 33% of councillor posts across all 11 municipal corporations in the state, and seven out of 11 corporations led by women mayors, the empowerment intended by reservation policies has often been reduced to a mere formality.
At the Municipal Corporation of Gurgaon (MCG), the rule barring non-members from speaking has been reinforced at all important meetings. During a recent House session, commissioner Pradeep Dahiya explicitly reminded Prashant Bhardwaj, husband of ward 33 councillor Sarika Bhardwaj, that only elected members have the right to speak. "House me bolne ka haq sirf House members ka hai," he stated, urging Sarika to ensure her husband refrains from intervening.
Institutional Pushback Gains Momentum
The enforcement gained traction after a controversy last April involving the appointment of the new mayor's husband as her advisor, which was later withdrawn amid nepotism allegations. In MCG's current House, 13 out of 36 councillors are women, highlighting the need for genuine representation.
Urban Local Bodies Minister Vipul Goel emphasized the government's stance, stating, "Our concept is clear that if women have to be empowered, they will have to be at the forefront." He clarified that while husbands can engage socially, official responsibilities must rest solely with the elected women councillors.
Women Mayors Lead the Charge for Change
Yamunanagar Mayor Suman Bahmani issued a written order ahead of the first House meeting after the March 2025 municipal elections, explicitly prohibiting 'parshad patis' from speaking. Reflecting on her academic insights, she noted, "If women councillors cannot speak in the House, how will they ever reach Lok Sabha?" She highlighted similar issues in zila parishads, where women's participation was often nominal.
Faridabad Mayor Parveen Joshi recounted an instance where husbands attended a meeting without their wives, prompting her to insist on the presence of the elected councillors. "As women mayors, we are determined to change this in Haryana so that the state can genuinely achieve 33% representation of women," she asserted.
Challenges and Gradual Shifts in Mindset
Despite these measures, the practice persists in some forms. During a sanitation review meeting on January 19 at MCG, several councillors' husbands, including the mayor's spouse, attempted to intervene, leading the commissioner to halt the proceedings and ask non-members to leave. A senior MCG official, speaking anonymously, stressed, "This is an elected body. Accountability has to be of the elected individual."
Councillors like Jyotsna Yadav from ward 2 have welcomed the change, arguing that dependence on husbands undermines the electoral mandate. "A councillor is the voice of a ward. She cannot be dependent on her husband to put forward proposals of people who have elected her and not the husband," she said. However, societal perceptions remain slow to evolve, as evidenced by people addressing her as "councillor sahab" instead of "sahiba."
The Road Ahead for Women's Political Empowerment
While younger women councillors are increasingly asserting themselves, on-ground work continues to be influenced by male relatives, and some women still list their husbands' names in official communications. Ward 11 councillor Kuldeep Yadav described the move as long overdue, advocating for its enforcement across all meetings. "Support from husbands still has its place, but it must be behind the scenes," he remarked.
The statutory framework under the Haryana Municipal Corporation Act, 1994, reserves at least one-third of wards for women across all categories, including general, scheduled castes, and backward classes. This institutional pushback aims to transform these reservations from symbolic gestures into platforms for authentic governance, ensuring that women councillors not only hold positions but also exercise their voices effectively in shaping urban policy and development.
