Still no consensus on women’s bill
DH News Service New Delhi:
With RJD, SP and BSP pitching for quota for SC, ST and OBC women, consensus
continued to elude the women’s reservation bill.
Consensus eluded the women’s reservation bill yet again as the Rashtriya Janata
Dal (RJD) and the Samajwadi Party(SP) stuck to their demand for quota for
minority and backward classes within the stipulated 33 per cent seats reserved
for women.
The meeting, chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Monday, was attended by
representatives from the Left parties, SP, BSP, RJD and other UPA partners.
Briefing reporters on his opposition to the bill in its present form, SP leader
and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav said already 22 per cent
seats were reserved for members of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes and
if 33 per cent reservation was implemented, 55 per cent of the total seats would
be in reserved category, which would be “unfair”.
“At the most, 10 per cent seats could be reserved for women and that too would
be on the basis of party tickets. Any political party, which would not reserve
10 per cent of its tickets for women, should be derecognised by the Election
Commission,” he said.
He also spoke out against the concept of rotation of constituencies as in that
case the leader elected from a particular constituency would not work for the
people as he or she might not contest from that constituency in the next
election.
“Have we become wiser than Ambedkar, Nehru and Patel so that we are trying to
tamper with the Constitution by bringing about such amendments?” he asked.
He also said his party would vote against the bill if it was placed before
Parliament for voting.
Laloo’s formula
Arguing in favour of reserving seats for Muslim and backward class women, RJD
supremo Laloo Prasad Yadav said in case it was not possible, then only 10-15 per
cent seats should be reserved for women.
BSP leader Mayawati also expressed similar opinion of quota within the
stipulated 33 per cent.
Extending support for the Bill, CPM Politburo member Brinda Karat said the Left
parties were in favour of placing the bill before Parliament at the earliest.
“We will prefer that the bill be placed before Parliament in its original form,
but in case the government wants to put forward the second draft, we will not
stand in the way,” she said, adding that the bill should not be delayed further.
While admitting that the issue of Muslim and backward class women was important,
Ms Karat said it should not be linked to the women’s reservation bill.
The Centre’s new formula for the bill included a 33 per cent increase in the
total capacity of Parliament. This would mean that the existing 545 seats in the
Lok Sabha would increase to 900.
However, most of the political parties present at Monday’s meeting rejected the
suggestion for increasing the number of seats saying that it would be too
expensive and involve a cumbersome process.
Expressing his support for the bill, Mr Ram Vilas Paswan of Lok Janashakti Party
(LJP) said: “If seats can be reserved for Muslim and backward class women, it is
well and good. But in case that is not possible under the present circumstances,
we would still support it.”
Congress leader Ambika Soni said the meeting was a part of the ongoing exercise
to evolve a consensus and added that discussions were held “freely and frankly.”
[Deccan Herald, Tuesday, August 23, 2005]
http://www.deccanherald.com/deccanherald/aug232005/national1422212005822.asp