Despite the deadlock in the Lok Sabha over the passage of the Women's
Reservation Bill, President Pratibha Devisingh Patil has said that she
is hopeful about its passage.
Speaking to reporters enroute to Beijing on Wednesday, Patil said: "I
wish that the Women's Reservation Bill is passed in the Lok Sabha."
Now, it is to be seen how the UPA Government, which has still four
years in power, manages the requisite support for the passage of the
Bill," she added.
The Bill was passed in the Rajya Sabha with help of marshals who
prevented some members of the opposition from disturbing the process.
Parliamentarians of the ruling party and the opposition, however,
have said that they are against its forceful passage.
It has been more than a decade since the Bill was first introduce in
Parliament (1996-97).
Last month, Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee presided over an
all-party meeting to discuss the Bill, but failed to reach or arrive at
a consensus on it.
Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad and Samajwadi Party chief
Mulayam Singh Yadav proved to be the main opponents of the Bill in its
present form.
Lalu Prasad has demanded a quota for Muslim and Dalit women, and
women of other backward castes.
At that time Lalu said he was grateful to the government for calling
an all-party meeting on the issue, but reiterated his commitment to have
Muslim, backward and Dalit women included in the ambit of the Bill
"Our stand has not changed," Lalu said then
After the meetiing, Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee said the Bill
would look after the interests of the minorities.
Janata Dal (United) President Sharad Yadav also demanded a quota
within a quota.
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has supported the bill.
Congress president Sonia Gandhi is demanding that the Bill be passed
in its present form.
The Rajya Sabha had last month passed a Constitution Amendment Bill
that provides for 33 per cent reservation of women in Parliament and
state assemblies.
President Patil is visiting China from May 26-31 and will hold
discussions with the Chinese leadership.
Commenting on her visit, which coincides with the 60th anniversary of
the establishment of diplomatic relations between India and China,
President Patil said her visit is part of the process of high-level
contacts between the two countries.
President Patil said that Chinese President Hu Jintao's state visit
to India in 2006 had generated a great deal of goodwill between the two
countries, and added, that during the visit of Prime Minister Manmohan
Singh to China in 2008, the two countries concluded a "Shared Vision for
the 21st Century" which forms the basis for bilateral cooperation on
global issues.
She also said that India and China are two large and populous
countries and both of them are focussed on enhancing economic growth and
social progress, so there are many areas in which the two countries can
exchange views and learn from each other's experiences. By Praful Kumar
Singh (ANI)