Can 2014 bring Aam Aurat on par with Aam Aadmi?

The year just past belonged definitely to the aam aadmi. The newly-anointed chief minister of Delhi Arvind Kejriwal shunned the trappings of office for aam stuff, to the newly enthroned Pope Francis I who swapped the Vatican palace and protocol for an aamtwo-bedroom flat and plain talking, to Edward Snowden who put private government papers in the aam domain, to the newly-born future British monarch Prince George who rode home in an aam car driven by his royal father in aam shirtsleeves.

Of course, this nomenclature rather left out the Aam Aurat (or Mahila, if alliteration is forsaken for politeness) barring a Pussy Riot or two. So, 2014 should aim to correct that anomaly.

With that goal in mind, hopefully 2014 will be the year aam Saudi women will finally succeed in their moving cruiseade for a basic modern entitlement: the right to drive. But Britain appears to be first off the blocks as its New Year Honours list has more women awardees than men for the first time ever. It is unlikely, however, that India’s list of Padma awards — announced on Republic Day every year — will come anywhere close to matching that. And the percentage of women candidates in political party lists is bound to disappoint.

But what if the general elections propel an aam aurat into Race Course Road instead of an aam aadmi this May?