Women’s quota bill can make special Parliament session truly historic

New Delhi: The issue of reserving seats for women in the country’s Parliament and state legislatures has been a contentious topic in Indian politics for several decades. This issue is significant because nearly half of the country’s population, which is involved in leadership roles ranging from panchayats to Parliament, can influence elections and even remove governments from power.

The special session of Parliament called by the Centre to commemorate the ‘Amrit Kaal’ has once again raised the hopes of supporters of women’s reservation.

The statement by Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar has also lent strength to these speculations that during the special session starting from September 18, the crucial Women’s Reservation Bill, connected with nearly half of the country’s population, could be presented in Parliament.

In his statement, Vice President Dhankhar had said that the day is not far when women will get their rightful representation in Parliament and state legislatures through an amendment in the Constitution.

He went on to say that if this reservation is achieved soon, India will become a global power before 2047.

In 1996, the Congress-backed H.D. Deve Gowda government accepted the demand for 33 per cent reservation for women in Parliament and state legislatures, but his government fell after former Congress President Sitaram Kesari withdrew support.

During the tenure of the BJP-led NDA government, former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee introduced the Women’s Reservation Bill in Parliament in 1998, 1999, 2002, and 2003, but the government could not succeed in passing the bill by creating political consensus.

In 2004, the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government came to power, and Manmohan Singh became the Prime Minister of the country. During Manmohan Singh’s government, the bill related to women’s reservation was introduced in the Rajya Sabha in 2008.

In 2010, with the support of the BJP, Left, and other parties, the UPA government passed this bill in the Rajya Sabha with a heavy majority,  but it could not take the form of law as it was not passed in the Lok Sabha.

In this regard, it is believed that if the Modi government decides to give reservations to women, it will make a fresh effort to bring this bill to both houses of Parliament.

Although the government has not officially announced the agenda for the special session of Parliament scheduled to be held from September 18 to 22, sources suggest that during the special session called for Amrit Kaal, the parliamentary proceedings will begin on the second day, September 19, coinciding with Ganesh Chaturthi, in the new building.

Therefore, the government may take a significant step to make this session historic and memorable.

While answering questions about whether the government is preparing to bring the Women’s Reservation Bill in this special session, a senior minister in the government said that the BJP has always supported women’s reservation from the beginning.

In 2010, this bill was also passed in the Rajya Sabha with a heavy majority with the support of the BJP. T

he commitment of the BJP to women’s reservation can be gauged from the fact that even during the Atal era, the BJP made several attempts to pass this bill in the Lok Sabha, and since 2008, the BJP has been giving reservations to women in its organisation.

However, while addressing questions about bringing the bill, he also said that the government will provide information about the agenda of the special session at the appropriate time as per the rules and procedures.

Along with this, while targeting opposition parties, he also said that those parties questioning the BJP’s stance on this issue should ask their allies like RJD and SP about their stand on women’s reservation.

If the government brings the Women’s Reservation Bill in Parliament, will the opposition parties in the arrogant coalition in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha support the bill?