Difficult to evolve consensus on Women’s Bill: Somnath
Staff Reporter
BHUBANESWAR: Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee said here on Sunday that it was difficult to evolve consensus among political parties on the Women’s Reservation Bill.
Mr. Chatterjee was speaking to journalists after delivering the Loknath Choudhury Memorial Lecture.
He supported the Bill saying women were not asking for any charity and political parties must shed their confrontationist approach on this important issue.
Speaking on “India at 60 – An agenda for inclusive development,” Mr. Chatterjee said that “even after six decades of freedom, women’s representation in our higher representative bodies is woefully inadequate … Any plan for the development of the country cannot be a success if we do not make women equal partners in the task of nation building.”
He said: “I hope the revived interest in the proposed legislative initiative will be pursued to its logical conclusion and an effective legal remedy will be in place soon to ensure the due representation of women in our higher representative bodies.
“A large section of our population is looking forward to it with interest today and it is my hope that during my tenure as the Speaker of Lok Sabha, the law will be enacted.”
Courtesy: http://www.hindu.com/2008/06/09/stories/2008060956330100.htm
Jun 09, 2008