People's Democracy

WOMEN’S BILL

AIDWA Asks: How Long Would Betrayal Continue?

THROUGH a statement issued from New Delhi on June 24, the All India Democratic Women’s Association (AIDWA) has expressed deep disappointment that the UPA-2 has once again failed to ensure introduction of the Women’s Reservation Bill in the forthcoming session of the Lok Sabha. It is now a year and three months since the bill was placed and passed in Rajya Sabha on March 9, 2010. According to the AIDWA, the Lok Sabha speaker’s half-hearted initiative of calling for an all-party meeting, without taking any firm position to move the agenda forward, obviously did nothing to break the existing impasse. The BJP too has reiterated the need for a consensus, despite being aware that such a consensus does not exist, and that there are many bills that get passed nevertheless.

The AIDWA has termed as anti-democratic the lack of political displayed by the UPA-2 government on the issue. The latest round of assembly elections, in which less than 10 per cent women were elected to the state legislatures, proves that the bill is essential for women to have adequate representation in the topmost decision making bodies. 

The organisation has stressed that it is high time these repeated charades are stopped. It has demanded that the UPA-2 regime must fulfil its promise made to the women of this country, and introduce the bill in the Lok Sabha as it is, to facilitate its passage. Members of the house who disagree may surely be given a chance to put their views across, be allowed to press for amendments, or be allowed to even walk out, if they wish. This would be the proper, democratic course of action, the AIDWA said.