People's Democracy

Women’s Reservation Bill: Show Political Will

AIDWA Response To HM’s Proposal

The All India Democratic Women’s Association issued the following statement on February 22. 

THE union home minister Shivraj Patil’s proposal to increase the number of parliamentary seats by one third as an alternative to the Women’s Reservation Bill is at variance with the categorical assurance given in the Common Minimum Programme for the passage of the bill. If the home minister was serious about breaking the current impasse on the bill, surely the first step should have been to have discussion and ensure agreement within the UPA itself and its supporting parties before re-floating this proposal which had no takers when it was suggested earlier.

The proposal itself though seemingly unexceptionable is problematic and impractical. Parliament has adopted the 84th Constitutional Amendment which received presidential assent in 2002. This amendment freezes the number of parliamentary seats till the year 2026. Presumably this was necessitated because of the many conflicting demands on different grounds for increase in the number of seats. The home minister’s proposal to de-freeze the number of seats to accommodate one third women, would require a different level of consensus among political parties which may not be forthcoming.

Apart from the financial implications of his proposal, which will be huge, if the intention is to circumvent the opposition of some political parties to the bill, the attempt is bound to fail because the demand for reservation within reservation based on caste and community is not addressed by this proposal. Further if one-third seats are to be added, that is 180 seats on the basis of the present strength of the house then the percentage will come down by around 5 per cent.

Whatever the intentions of the home minister, the net result of his public stance is a diversion from the main issue, which is to list the Women’s Reservation Bill for introduction, discussion and voting in the forthcoming session of parliament. If there are alternative proposals to the bill let it be discussed in parliament according to the set procedure and rules.

The AIDWA therefore demands that the UPA government should show the necessary political will to implement its commitment for the passage of the Women’s Reservation bill. (INN)