ASSEMBLY POLL '98
COMMENTARY
SPECIALS
INTERVIEWS
CAPITAL BUZZ
REDIFF POLL
DEAR REDIFF
THE STATES
YEH HAI INDIA!
ELECTIONS '98
ARCHIVES

Bill paves the way for 140 male MPs losing their job

Amberish K Diwanji in New Delhi

In what is the first major success of the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government after the Bharatiya Janata Party's debacle in the assembly election, it has managed to introduce the Women's Reservation Bill, seeking to reserve one-third of the Lok Sabha's 544 seats for women, in the Lok Sabha.

This was the BJP-led government's second attempt to introduce the bill, which has been vociferously opposed by the Samajwadi Party, the Bahujan Samaj Party, the Janata Dal and a few others. However, the bill has the support of the Congress and the Communist parties, and this virtually guarantees its passage. Even J Jayalalitha of the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam has given her backing to the bill.

Those opposed to the bill had demanded that within the one-third constituencies reserved for women, a certain percentage should be kept aside for women belonging to the backward classes and the minorities. Scheduled caste and tribe women will be represented via the reserved constituencies. Those opposing the bill had described it as an "upper caste plot" to curb the representation of other backward class men in Parliament.

The BJP had sought to introduce the bill during the last session of Parliament. However, the vociferous opposition to the bill by the SP, BSP and Janata Dal forced the government to backtrack then.

Even this time, when the bill was introduced last Friday, there was bedlam in the Lok Sabha with Mamata Banerjee of the Trinamul Congress (a BJP ally) and Daroga Prasad Saroj getting into fisticuffs. The Lok Sabha was adjourned, and the bill reintroduced today, when the Samajwadi Party and the Rashtriya Janata Dal, constituents of the Rashtriya Loktantrik Morcha, continued to oppose the bill, accusing the government of ''bulldozer'' introduction. As a result, the Lok Sabha had to adjourned several times.

However, the Samajwadi Party, sensing that most other parties were keen to pass the bill, has toned down its demand. Its president, Mulayam Singh Yadav, had earlier said that women's reservation should be pegged at 10 per cent rather than 33.33 per cent. His suggestion was not accepted and the bill introduced. It now remains to be seen what amendments the SP and its allies would introduce, and whether these would be accepted before the bill becomes law.

The bill seeks to reserve one-third of the Lok Sabha's 542 (two are reserved for Anglo-Indian nominations) and an equal number of seats in the state legislatures for women, on a rotational basis.

It is the fear of most male backbenchers -- that they might be axed to make way for the women candidates -- that has seen widespread opposition to the bill even from parties that seek to support the bill.

The present Lok Sabha has 542 MPs, of whom only 42 are women. If the bill becomes law, 180 seats will be reserved, which means that around 140 more seats will be needed. It also means that 140 male MPs would be denied a ticket in the next general election, a fact that has united the men from all the political parties, fearing for their future.

"We are prepared to hear any suggestions regarding the Women's Reservation Bill," a BJP official told Rediff On The NeT, "but let us first introduce the bill. The bill, being a constitutional amendment, would need the consent of some states."

Syeda Hameed Sayideen, a member of the National Commission for Women, was pleased to hear the news. "Now that the bill has been introduced, there will be a televised debate in Parliament. Thus the whole country can see who is for the bill and who is against, and what their reasons are." The NCW has been in the vanguard to have the bill introduced.

Syeda Hameed too said any suggestion would be welcome, but was opposed to the idea of setting aside a portion of the reserved seats for OBCs and minority women. "It is up to the parties to give the tickets to women from any section of society. So if certain parties are worried about the representation of OBC and minority women, let them give the nominations to such women who will then fill up the numbers in Parliament."

The Congress backs the bill in its present form. "We are willing to consider changes to help pass the bill," said a Congress leader.

He agreed with Syeda Hameed, saying the parties must ensure fair representation to all sections of women. "The Congress did well in the recent election because we gave representation to minorities and OBCs. We will similarly give representation to such women," he added.

One major complaint against the bill is that since it will be rotated among the various constituencies, its representatives will not be sufficiently interested in looking after the constituency once elected. But as the BJP official pointed out, "The recent election has clearly shown that often it is the newcomers to a constituency who win and those who seek re-election from the same constituency who lose."

The BJP government is keen to pass the bill. If passed, it would be the first constitutional amendment bill of the BJP government, and support to the bill would be a great victory on the floor of the House, which can only be a boost in today's troubled times.

Also, the BJP is slated to introduce the Insurance Regulatory Authority bill after this, which is equally if not more contentious. The IRA bill has pitted the BJP against its parent organisation, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and the many powerful trade unions. But Vajpayee has declared that the bill would be introduced, come what may.

While the passage of the women's bill will have a lasting impact on Indian polity and society, the IRA bill is expected to help put the nation's economy on the road to speedy recovery.

Tell us what you think of this report