BJP stirs Women's Reservation issue

Issue based on Women’s Reservation is back in the political galleries and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) restated its earlier commitment to provide 33 percent reservation in Parliament and state assemblies on Thursday at a women’s rally organised by BJP’s Mahila Morcha.

The BJP asked United Progressive Alliance at the centre to fulfill its promise to bring the same, L.

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K. Advani while addressing the crowd said, “Ideally there should be 50 per cent reservation for women in Parliament and the State Assemblies, but we will be happy to back the government at the Centre if they are serious about bringing in 33 per cent reservation. Reservation is the only item on the Common Minimum Programme of the UPA government for women; sadly they haven’t been able to deliver even on that one promise.”

The party leaders demanded more participation by women by the next election hence asked the UPA to speed up the procedure to table the bill in the upcoming Budget session of Parliament. The leader also accused the UPA government of betraying the sentiments of women as well as of common men.

The leader present there to thrust the quota bill included Rajnath Singh, M. Venkaiah Naidu, Sushma Swaraj, Najma Heptullah, Kiran Maheshwari, Sumitra Mahajan and Smriti Irani, among others.

But the number game to pass the bill in Lok Sabha has created the obstacle and the issue which was mooted 12 years back has still failed to pass the exam.

Women’s Reservation bill was first envisioned during Rajeev Gandhi’s term as the Prime Minister of India when the Panchayat Raj Act, 1992 (73rd and 74th Constitutional Amendment) came into effect with 33% reservation to women in the local bodies.

But it was during H.D. Deve Gowda, the former PM of India reservation for women in Parliament and in state was promised, while ex-PM I.K. Gujral anticipated the present form and shape of the Bill during his term.

If the bill will be passed giving 33 percent reservation to women, 181 seats will have only women members out of 545 sets in the Lok Sabha, and thus men will have to sacrifice their seats and is in no way easy.

The other provision is the rotation of seats that is no women member can represent the same constituency for more then two consecutive terms, thus taking the very right of the leader to form a link with the voters.

But the parties which are not able to support the bill like Rashtriya Janta Dal (RJD) and Janta Dal (United), have different stand and are asking for quota within quota that is reservation for SC, ST and OBC in that 33 percent as they feel that the quota will be monopolized by some advantage group in the society.

The small step like reservation in local bodies by reserving few seats for women have helped in many ways, it has given confident to the women folk who fight for local election as their right. The women who represent the other half population of the world still need to be elevated because of the age old discrimination against them.

With discrepancies among the party to accept the bill in present form Women’s Reservation Bill seems like a faraway dream where the ball is already in the court.