The Bill, which seeks to provide 33% reservation to women in Lok Sabha and state assemblies, has been hanging fire for last over a decade due to lack of political consensus.
The controversial Women’s Reservation Bill will come up again for parliament’s approval in the current session.
The cabinet approved the amended version of the bill which seeks to reserve 33% seats in state legislatures and parliament for women. The issue of providing reservation to women has been a contentious issue right from the time it was brought before parliament in 1996.
While all major political parties — Congress, BJP and CPI(M) — are in favour of the bill, its passage has been held up because of stiff resistance from parties like SP, RJD and JD(U). Those opposed to the bill have, on several occasions, even physically tried to stop it from being introduced in parliament.
In 1999 and in 2008, former law ministers Ram Jethmalani and Hansraj Bhardwaj, were physically stopped by those opposed to the bill from introducing it in parliament.
The opponents accused the government of trying to divert people’s attention from the price rise issue. Informal consultations between the SP, RJD and JD(U) are on to thwart the passage of the bill.
Contending that the reservation would benefit only upper caste women, they have demanded a separate quota for OBC women.
The proposal is simply not viable constitutionally and is seen by some as a politically convenient ruse to scuttle the bill. Though both BJP and Congress support the bill, several of their MPs privately feel the reservations could mean loss of their current constituencies.
The parliamentary standing committee on law and justice, in its December 2009 report, had recommended passage of the bill in its present form. It suggested that further amendments or changes should not be left to the discretion of parliament. The bill could not be cleared during the tenure of UPA-1.
Two bills for a constitutional amendment to provide 50% reservation for women in panchayats and urban local bodies have also been introduced in parliament and are expected to be passed during the current session.
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