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Unsettling politics
For a long time, any legislation which claimed to be pro-women, no matter how stupid and harmful in substance, sailed through Parliament because any legislative initiative claiming to help women enjoyed a moral aura.
The Women’s Reservation Bill is the first piece of legislation witnessing strong opposition within Parliament because this legislation will affect the fortunes of every single politician. If a secret voting is allowed on this important bill, Mrs Gandhi and BJP party bosses who have issued a whip will discover how deeply resentful their own party members are over this bill.
The Women’s Reservation Bill, in its present form, has serious, indeed fatal, flaws. If enacted, this measure will send our already tottering political system into a devastating tailspin. The one-third of the total parliamentary seats to be reserved for women is to be selected through a lottery system. This implies that at random, at least 180 male legislators will be uprooted from their constituencies every election. In their place, 180 women will be assigned those constituencies before every election. Then, at the time of the next election, when the new list of 180 reserved constituencies is declared in the same manner, these 180 women will not be able to contest from the seats they are holding at that point of time because the same constituency cannot be reserved twice in succession under the bill’s rotation system.
Thus two-thirds of our legislators will be uprooted at every election. This takes away the incentive for women representatives to nurture and be accountable to their constituencies since after each election they will be expected to either withdraw from the contest or move to a different constituency since no constituency can be reserved in succession.
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Reader's Comments(6) | Post a comment
Despite the flaws in our polity listed above, we still have a tiny presence of women in the Lok Sabha and the assemblies. At least this bill ensures a large presence. It would create millions of women activists across in a few years. The shortcomings can be taken care of at a later point of time. We should not repeat the blunder of 1950s when the provisions to empower women through the Hindu Code Bill was stalled in the parliament. I hope there is no need to tell people like Madhu Ji that what harm that opposition did to the women of India.
I, unfortunately, do not agree with your interpretation of the law. Reservation of one third of the constituencies does not mean women can't contest from the remaining constituencies. The law will merely stipulate that on the reserved constituencies no male individual will be able to contest. Therefore, if a particular woman candidate wins from a specific constituency (being a reserved constituency), it does not mean that she will necessarily have the relinquish the constituency in the next election. She will be eligible to contest from the same constituency the second time also (though the constituency in that election will not be a reserved constituency). If she has performed, there is every chance that she will be able to win the next election the second time as well. Why do we assume that women can win only if they contest from a reserved constituency? Reservation gives women a chance to proove themselves in the first instance. If they are good, they will win subsequently as well.
Ms.Kishwar has rightly pointed out the inherent problems in the Bill.Will she please tell us what is the solution?In every country there haave been very few occassions when women have spoken out regarding women related issues,whether there is reservation available or not.Maybe this is something inherent in womens nature.We request you to enlighten us.
Ms.Kishwar has rightly identified the forseeable problems which will aris with this bill.Will she please tell us what is the solution?In every country there have bee very few occassions when women have have spoken on issues related to women,whether there is reservation is available or not.Perhaps this is somethin g to do with womens onherent nature/psychology.Will she please enlighten us?
The constitutional amendments aimed at passing the WRB are nothing short of mutilation of the constitution. Even in the US, where the womens movement is far advanced, did they contemplate such a atrocity against the constitution. This is politics in the gutters. There are many ways women could be empowered in the politics. Why didnt any major political party ever field a minimum of hundred candidates in the LS elections? All citizens who value the integrity of our constitution must oppose this heinous amendment.