Women’s Reservation Bill: Pros and Cons & Politics

Business News Network (BNN, India) Services

On Women’s Day (March 8), India witnessed the high voltage drama over much talked Women’ Reservation Bill in the Parliament. The Women’s Reservation Bill is the most essential bill to empower women in Indian politics. According to the bill, women will enjoy 33 per cent of the reservations in the Lower House of the Parliament and Assemblies.

Rajya Sabha, the Upper House of the Parliament has passed the Women’s Reservation Bill on 9 March 2010, this day in India can be termed as one of the historic days in Indian politics. Major political parties were in favor of the bill. The debate in the Upper House was interesting amidst the chaos and drama of the opposing Member of Parliaments.

Stand of Political Parties:

Thanks to Sonia Gandhi the Chairperson of Congress Party for the introduction of the bill on the eve of Women’s Day. And the support from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was accolade by the supporter of the bill. The stand of the BJP over the bill is clear and the former Prime Minister of India, Atal Bihari Vajpayee was in favor of the bill. The other parties were in against of the Bill and the supporters of UPA government have threatened to withdraw their support. While talking to NDTV the soon after the bill was passed in Parliament, the Congress Chairperson, Sonia Gandhi was more confident about the bill. She also urged the need of the bill in India politics.

Why the Women’s Reservation Bill?

The need of the hour is women empowerment. The fact can’t be denied that still after 50 years of getting independence and self governance of Indian democracy, there is need to protect the interest of women in India. The bill will give 33 per cent of compulsory presence of women representing various parties in the Upper House of the Parliament and Assemblies. There is fear of losing elections if the women candidates are allowed to contest from various constituencies, may the right think according various political parties. But the advantage is that, more and more active women leaders from village, Panchayat and Zila Panchyat( District Panchayat) will get the platform to enter into the national level politics.

Hardly we do remember those women MPs are from backward constituencies, to whom the people have elected to represent them. There need to give importance to national level politics, which is the ultimate for the development of individual constituencies.

What will be the Impact of Women’s Reservation Bill on Indian Politics?

The empowerment of women is the key mantra for development. Women power can bring the change in the Indian politics. The era of Indira Gandhi will ever be remembers despite the right and wrong reasons. The political parties of India will give change to women represent their party in Parliament and Assembly. More and more women will enter into the politics, which will make the democracy stronger and even stronger. But the biggest disadvantage can’t be overlooked that, after all the downtrodden and poor women of this country have nothing to get benefit from this bill. Only women leaders those are well known or well established will get the change to contest elections and poor and downtrodden will be suppressed to not to contest elections. As election contest is a matter of campaigns with huge expenditure, which they can’t afford.

Last but not least, there will be always debate of the women empowerment in this country; any positive step toward the development should be supported. There is also need for women empowerment along with the poverty eradication, so that the whole society can be cherished and Indian women will come forward to contribute to uplift the downtrodden and needy.

“I salute Mother Teresa for her service to mankind and hope day will come when I can salute another woman belongs to Indian Politics” - Neel.