THE LANDMARK BILL

Sonia Gandhi’s desire to pass the much debated & awaited controversial women’s quota bill on women’s day was left incomplete thanks to the ‘weak’ strategy of the UPA government. The day saw huge uproar by a handful of MPs in the Rajya Sabha when the bill was tabled. RJD & Samajwadi party MPs threw away the mike and stationary from the Vice President, Hamid Ansari’s table to make the day even more shameful. This was an absolute mockery of the largest democracy in the world. As one of my journalist friend pointed out that this shameful act performed by the MPs reinforces the fact that the Indian Parliament needs more women MPs to bring in some kind of Discipline.

Finally after years of debate, the bill has been accepted by the three main political parties- Congress, BJP & the Left. Despite having a comfortable 2/3rd majority (which is the requirement to amend the constitution) the government still failed to pass the bill on the first day. After a lot of hue and cry the bill got passed on tuesday in the Rajya Sabha.The Samajwadi & RJD’s demand is to include quota within a quota for the women belonging to the backward class. Their contention is that this bill will equip the Brahmins to hegemonize the parliament & that will lead to further inequality. Their argument has some merit and should be factored, given that out of the total women parliamentarians only 20% belong to the backward class while over 50% are from the upper class. Ironically, the leader of the ruling UPA and leader of the main opposition BJP are women.

But at this stage the introduction of this bill is a landmark achievement considering that women are very poorly represented in the parliament. History is a testimony that reservation for women in the past has seen a huge transformation in their daily lives. For instance from 1993, when one-third seats for all local body structures were reserved for women sparked a change in the lives of thousand of women residing in the villages. The cruel reality still remains that women in India continue to suffer and are victims of sexual assault, molestation, violence etc.

Politically the three parties that will benefit the most from this bill are Congress, BJP & the Left. All these parties have active women wings and this latest move will give them maximum political mileage. But the larger picture still remains that this is the right step forward that will empower the women of this country. Quota within a quota is something which the government will have to introduce sooner or later to make this bill effective & fair which is the primary objective.

India can never emerge as the super-power of this century unless the other half of this country is empowered and is on the same level. This bill might not change the lives of Indian women drastically but atleast it will reduce the agony & suffering which they have endured for centuries.