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| Women reservation bill | | | | The women's reservation bill, now pending for last 12 years to be introduced for adoption in the parliament, was finally introduced in the Rajya Sabha only on last day of its budget session, on May 6, but unfortunately again amidst high voltage acrimony, with Congress and SP members coming to blows. The bill could not be introduced in Lok Sabha, which adjourned sine die a day earlier due to sharp differences among the members belonging to different parties. Although all the political parties and their leaders pay sympathy to the move for 33 percent reservations for women in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies, but obstructions and hassle created by certain parties on flimsy pretext is blocking the introduction of the bill not to speak of its adoption. While the Congress, the BJP and the left parties favour the introduction of the bill in the present form providing 33% reservation to the females in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies. The parties in the ruling alliance like RJD and LJSP of Ram Vilas Paswan as well as SP and some allies of the NDA, as JD (U) oppose the introduction of the bill in its present form and insist that a comprehensive bill providing for reservations for the scheduled castes, scheduled tribes and other backward classes should be provided within the reservation quota for women. Many efforts in the last to built consensus among the parties on the issue have failed to materialize, with some parties insisting that unless reservations for some classes, who are entitled to reservations otherwise is also provided in the reserve category for women, they will oppose even the introduction of the bill. These obstructionist methods on the part of these parties, is only an alibi to delay the providing of reservations to women. In fact many political leaders fear that providing of 33 percent reservation to women will adversely affect their personal prospects since the total number of seats in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies in the general category will be reduced by 33 percent. There has been also insistence on the part of some parties and individual leaders even in the parties who otherwise support the reservation for women that the number of seats in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies should be enhanced by 33 percent of the present strength, so that the male members are not harmed. Since the parties and the political leaders can not oppose the move for reservation for women as such, fearing backlash against the same by the fair sex in general and in that case the female votes going against them, they are bringing in some extraneous matters into the exercise, so that the adoption of the bill is obstructed and they are not also blamed for being opposed to the empowerment of women. In the meanwhile it is heartening that some parties are thinking in terms of allotting party tickets to 33 percent women on their own. The BJP has taken the lead in the matter by providing adequate reservations to women party workers in various party posts and bodies. It is to be seen if this initiatives is carried by the saffron party to its logical end by giving party tickets to 33 percent women for the Lok Sabha and state assemblies elections. |
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