VZCZCXRO1020
OO RUEHAST RUEHBI RUEHCI RUEHDBU RUEHLH RUEHNEH RUEHPW
DE RUEHNE #1486/01 2001339
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 191339Z JUL 09
FM AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 7427
INFO RUCNCLS/ALL SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIA COLLECTIVE
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 7847
RUEHMO/AMEMBASSY MOSCOW 3582
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 6636
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 1834
RUEHRL/AMEMBASSY BERLIN 1419
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
RUEIDN/DNI WASHINGTON DC
RHHMUNA/HQ USPACOM HONOLULU HI
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 8305
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 8479
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC
RUMICEA/USCENTCOM INTEL CEN MACDILL AFB FL

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 NEW DELHI 001486 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL PINR KDEM IN
SUBJECT: MEIRA KUMAR: INDIA'S FIRST FEMALE PARLIAMENT 
SPEAKER 
 
REF: A. NEW DELHI 1319 
     ¶B. NEW DELHI 1163 
     ¶C. NEW DELHI 995 
     ¶D. NEW DELHI 988 
     ¶E. NEW DELHI 960 
     ¶F. 2008 NEW DELHI 1345 
 
¶1.  (U) SUMMARY: The 15th Lok Sabha (lower house of 
parliament) elected Meira Kumar the first female Parliament 
Speaker on June 3, 2009.  The former Minister for Social 
Justice and Empowerment is largely viewed as a safe, 
consensus choice.  As a woman and a Dalit (former 
untouchable), Kumar's selection symbolizes the UPA's 
commitment to gender and lower class empowerment and is the 
down payment on the promises of gender equality contained in 
Women's Reservation Bill, which languished in the last 
Parliament (Ref A). Kumar's rise as Parliament Speaker serves 
immediate political ends as well, as the Congress party 
competes with rival parties for Muslim, lower caste and 
women's votes in the upcoming assembly elections in Haryana, 
Jharkhand and Maharashtra. END SUMMARY. 
 
Role of Lok Sabha Speaker 
 
---- 
¶2. (U) The Lok Sabha elects the Speaker for a five-year term 
immediately following general elections.  Meira Kumar's 
responsibilities as the newly elected Speaker include 
moderating sessions in the House, setting the agenda, and 
authorizing motions and resolutions.  The Speaker serves as 
an impartial representative of the lower house in discussions 
with the rest of the government.  Prime Minister Singh 
initially appointed Kumar the Minister for Water Resources 
following the 2009 general elections, but she resigned in 
order to assume her position as Speaker. 
 
¶3. (U) Due to the expectation of impartiality, traditionally 
the Speaker resigns from his/her party.  Former Speaker 
Somnath Chatterjee publicly invoked the tradition repeatedly, 
but Kumar decided to retain her Congress party affiliation, 
stirring some controversy in the media.  She told the Indian 
press that "there is no convention that the Speaker should 
resign from the primary membership of his or her party" and 
vowed to "function with the same impartiality towards the 
Congress and the other parties in the Lok Sabha." 
 
Kumar's Inheritance: Babu Jagjivan Ram's Legacy 
---- 
 
¶4. (U) Kumar won her fifth Lok Sabha election representing 
the Sasaram constituency in Bihar in May 2009.  Her election 
from Bihar is notable; hers was one of only two seats won by 
the Congress Party in the 40-seat-strong state.   The legacy 
of her father, former Deputy Prime Minister and Congress 
veteran, Babu Jagjivan Ram, helped her win in Bihar. 
 
¶5. (U)  Babu Jagjivan Ram, a famous Dalit leader, won a 
reputation as a freedom fighter, social reformer and champion 
of human rights.  Born on April 5, 1908, Jagjivan Ram remains 
the longest serving parliamentarian in Indian history 
(1936-1986).  He crusaded for the rights of lower caste 
groups in Bihar and nationwide.  Kumar took over her father's 
mantle as a spokesperson for depressed classes upon joining 
politics in 1986.  Over the trajectory of her political 
career, Kumar has been vocal about human rights and ending 
the caste system, which explains her popularity in Bihar even 
as Congress support there has waned.  Kumar's rise also helps 
the Congress party attract rural voters. 
 
Countering Ms. Mayawati 
---- 
 
¶6.  (U) In the 2009 elections, the Bahujan Samaj projected 
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister, Kumari Mayawati, as the tribune 
of India's historically deprived groups, but Kumar can hold 
 
NEW DELHI 00001486  002 OF 002 
 
 
her own with Mayawati: she defeated her and lower caste 
favorite Ram Vilas Paswan in a mid-eighties parliamentary 
contest (Ref C).  The Congress party hopes to position Kumar, 
with her reputation for honesty and consensus, as an 
alternative voice for lower caste empowerment to counter 
Mayawati, whom they paint as corrupt (Ref D). 
 
Kumar: Hope for Passage of Women's Reservation Bill? 
---- 
 
¶7. (U) In a country where dowry deaths, female feticide and 
domestic violence are not uncommon, Kumar's elevation to 
Speaker is meant to symbolize women's empowerment.  Congress 
has declared its commitment to pass the Women's Reservation 
Bill (Ref B) despite the fact that the Bill faces formidable 
opposition, evidenced by the fact that it has lingered longer 
than any other piece of legislation in the Parliament's 
history.  This bill will reserve one third of the total seats 
in Parliament and state assemblies for women, as well as 
reserve 50 percent of all seats in local government bodies in 
both rural and urban governing bodies for women.  Kumar 
highlighted her historic election, telling press "that a 
woman has been elected as Speaker is an indication that the 
Women's Bill could be passed in the 15th Lok Sabha."  Women's 
empowerment groups hope that Kumar's constructive politics, 
enduring popularity and diplomatic experience will enable her 
to build the much-needed consensus to finally pass the bill. 
 
¶8.  (U) Renuka Chowdhury, former Minister of Women and Child 
Development was less optimistic about the passage of the bill 
despite Meira Kumar's election as speaker.  During a 
conversation with Poloff, she divulged, "there is so much 
vested interest against the reservation bill...even at the 
cabinet level." In her view, the role of the speaker is 
essentially without party affiliation, lacking the power to 
push forward any legislation.  Kumar's credentials will not 
change this fact. 
 
Comment :  Symbol Over Substance? 
---- 
 
¶9. (SBU)  Meira Kumar's election as Lok Sabha Speaker is 
largely symbolic, but in many ways, Kumar's ascension to 
Speaker largely serves the political objectives of UPA 
leadership, who are hoping to attract urban women and Dalits 
prior to upcoming assembly elections in Maharashtra, 
Jharkhand and Haryana.  END COMMENT. 
Personal Biography 
---- 
 
¶10. (U) Kumar entered politics as a Lok Sabha Minister of 
Parliament from Bijnore in Uttar Pradesh in 1986, after 
serving in the Indian Foreign Service from 1973-1985.  She 
served in Spain, Mauritius and the United Kingdom.  Kumar 
served two terms as MP from Delhi's Karol Bagh constituency, 
but lost her seat in the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) wave of 
¶1999.  She left the Congress party in 2000, reportedly 
because of the lack of support extended to her after her 
defeat.  She returned to the party in 2002.  She was 
re-elected to the Lok Sabha in 2004 with a majority vote from 
Sasaram in Bihar, and served as Cabinet minister with the 
portfolio of Social Justice and Empowerment in the Manmohan 
Singh government.  She has held prominent positions, 
including two tenures as the General-Secretary, India 
Congress Committee (1990-1992 and 1996-1999). 
 
¶11. (U) Born on March 31, 1945 in Patna, Kumar graduated with 
a degree in law and holds a Master's degree in English 
literature, as well as an advanced diploma in Spanish.  Kumar 
became a member of the Supreme Court Bar Association in 1980. 
She is married to senior Supreme Court lawyer, Manjul Kumar; 
The couple has one son and two daughters.  Kumar speaks 
English, Hindi and Spanish. 
ROEMER