Nirmala Sitharaman Calls Patriarchy A ‘Leftist Jargon’: 'Who Stopped Indira Gandhi From Becoming PM' — WATCH

Bengaluru News: Finance Minister Sitharaman dismissed patriarchy as being a barrier to women's success, citing examples of women like Indira Gandhi, Aruna Asaf Ali, and Sarojini Naidu.

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman addressed students at CMS Business School in Bengaluru on Saturday.

Source : X/@nsitharamanoffc

Bengaluru News: Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday challenged the concept of patriarchy, questioning how Indira Gandhi, one of India's most prominent female leaders, was able to become prime minister if patriarchy was a barrier to women's success. Addressing students at CMS Business School in Bengaluru, Sitharaman spoke on various initiatives by the Centre aimed at fostering innovation and supporting youth, including the government's scheme offering one crore internships to the "unemployable youth" aged 21 to 24 years.

When asked about women empowerment, Sitharaman said, "Don’t get carried away by fantastic jargons. If you stand up for yourself and speak logically, patriarchy will not stop you from achieving your dreams."

"If patriarchy is a guise we want to give ourselves and say my inefficiency, my not being ready, we want to cover it up and say 'patriarchy is stopping me, no way! Who stopped Mrs Indira Gandhi from becoming the Prime Minister of this country? Who stopped her? Before that freedom fighters like Aruna Asaf Ali, Sarojini Naidu and others who stopped any of these people?" Nirmala remarked.

"I want to appeal to young minds to not get carried away by fantastic jargons such as 'patriarchy is stopping us else we women would have gone to Mars yesterday'. No, women are sending such wonderful satellites, rockets, and space ships and most of those women are like you and me, wearing saris, clumsy hair but they are doing fantastic work in ISRO," she added.

If you're able to stand up for yourself and speak logically, patriarchy cannot stop women, certainly not in a country like India. Patriarchy couldn't stop freedom fighters like Aruna Asaf Ali, Sarojini Naidu and others.

When Hon'ble Prime Minister Shri @narendramodi talks about… pic.twitter.com/mQX1OnILnV

— Nirmala Sitharaman Office (@nsitharamanoffc) November 9, 2024

She acknowledged, however, that women are not always adequately facilitated and emphasised the need for more support also pointing to Modi government's emphasis on women-led policies.

The Union Finance Minister further emphasised the comfort, security, and support provided by families in India, "Let there be an equal argument over matriarchy and patriarchy. You'll find women have played their roles."

She remarked, "Only in India, many of the leftist jargons hold currency because we don't stand up. Sometimes, intellectual engagement is equally important because narratives will have to be countered  with substantial answers."

Finance Minister Nirmala Sithraman Highlights Modi Govt's Policies For MSMEs, Digital Banking Transformation

On the subject of innovation, the Finance Minister highlighted the Modi government's efforts to create an environment conducive to new ideas. "We do not just support innovation by bringing out policies," she said, adding that the government is working to ensure that innovations also find markets, news agency PTI reported. She cited the example of the MSME (Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises) sector, which is given priority in government procurements. According to Sitharaman, 40 per cent of all government procurements now come from MSMEs, contributing to the rise of over 2 lakh startups in India, with more than 130 achieving unicorn status.

Sitharaman also spoke about the government's digital banking transformation, noting that initiatives like Jan Dhan Yojana have made digital banking accessible even to micro-level users without incurring additional charges. "India’s approach to spreading digital networks was funded by the government, while many other countries went through private players, resulting in some nominal charges somewhere," she explained. "Because of this, even micro-level users can access digital banking without having to pay for it."

Looking ahead, she stressed the need for continuous technological updates to ensure that India does not become redundant in the evolving digital space. She also discussed the 'Fund of Funds' initiative, which involves a Rs 10,000 crore infusion by the central government to support small businesses and innovative ideas. "Private equity funds are also backing this because we have given them concessions," she added.

Finally, Sitharaman urged students to play an active role in connecting the target audience to the government’s internship platform, enabling more youth to gain the skills needed for better employment opportunities.