Kamal Haasan Hails Women’s Reservation Bill as Historic

Kamal Haasan urges swift passage of the Bill, emphasizes inclusion of Rajya Sabha and State Legislative Councils. Calls for avoiding delays due to census and delimitation.

Chennai: ‘A landmark day in the history of our Republic’, said actor and Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) chief Kamal Haasan applauding the new Women’s Reservation Bill tabled in Parliament on Tuesday.

“A landmark day in the history of our Republic, as the seat of our democracy moved into its new home. I’m delighted that the first Bill tabled in this new Parliament corrects a longstanding injustice perpetrated against the largest minority in our nation, the women of India. I wholeheartedly applaud the Women’s Reservation Bill tabled yesterday. Nations that ensure gender equality will always prosper,” Kamal Haasan said in a post on X.

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He further called upon all parties to ensure the Bill does not get delayed due to census and delimitation exercise and added that it must be extended to Rajya Sabha and State Legislative Councils.

The actor-politician said, “During the Parliamentary discussion on the Bill, I call upon all parties to address the following concerns – the Bill comes into effect only after the next census and delimitation exercise, both of which have been delayed in the past. This delayed implementation timeline risks making this momentous decision into mere lip service towards the subject and must be done away with, the Bill only applies to Lok Sabha and State Assemblies and must be extended to Rajya Sabha and State Legislative Councils.”

“I look forward to the day when women will have proportional representation in legislative bodies without the aid of any affirmative action,” he added.

Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal introduced the bill in the first sitting of Lok Sabha in the new Parliament building on Tuesday.

Arjun Ram Meghwal said that once the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam is passed, the number of seats for women in Lok Sabha will increase to 181.

“This historic day of 19th September 2023 is going to be immortal in the history of India,” the Prime Minister underlined. Observing the growing contributions of women in every sector, the Prime Minister emphasized the need for the inclusion of more women in policy-making so that their contributions to the nation increase further,” PM Modi said.

Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said that this day which marks the first day of session in the new Parliament building has been immortalised owing to the introduction of the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam or the Women’s Reservation Bill heralding a ‘new chapter’ in India’s parliamentary democracy.

However, reacting to certain provisions of the bill, Congress called the introduction of the bill an “election jumla” and “a huge betrayal of hopes of women”.

Congress General Secretary in charge of Communications Jairam Ramesh said that if Prime Minister Narendra Modi had any real intention to prioritise women’s empowerment, the Women’s Reservation Bill would have been implemented immediately.

“If the PM had any real intention to prioritise women’s empowerment, the Women’s Reservation Bill would have been implemented immediately without the ifs and buts and all other conditions. For him and the BJP, this is only an election jumla that delivers nothing concrete,” Jairam Ramesh posted on X (Formerly Twitter).

While calling the Women’s Reservation Bill ‘good’, Congress General Secretary KC Venugopal said that the party is not criticising the introduction of ‘Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam’ adding that the party just wants to seek some clarification from the government.

Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader Brinda Karat slammed the BJP-led Centre over the Women Reservation Bill and said that certain clauses in the Bill ensure that women are going to be deprived of the 33 per cent reservation in the Parliament till the next census survey.

Discussion for passing of the Bill in the House will be taken up on Wednesday, September 20. The Bill will be taken up in Rajya Sabha on September 21, government sources said.