September 21, 2023
It has been 25 years since the Women's Reservation Bill was first introduced in Parliament, but the bill has yet to be passed. In 2014, Prime Minister Narendra Modi promised to implement women's reservation as his first program, but that promise has not been fulfilled.
Now, it is being said that the census will be done first, followed by a re-determination of constituencies, and only then will the reservation for women be implemented. This means that it is not clear whether the bill will be passed in 2029 or even 2034.
CPI-M General Secretary Sitaram Yechury has criticized the government's delay in implementing the Women's Reservation Bill. He said, "The government is making excuses to delay the bill. They are saying that the census needs to be done first, but the census has been delayed for years. The government is simply not committed to empowering women."
The Women's Reservation Bill would reserve one-third of all seats in the Lok Sabha and state legislative assemblies for women. This would be a significant step towards increasing women's representation in government and promoting gender equality.
However, there is opposition to the bill from some quarters. Some people argue that the bill is discriminatory and that it would violate the rights of men. Others argue that the bill would lead to the election of unqualified women candidates.
Despite these objections, the Women's Reservation Bill is supported by a majority of Indians. A recent survey found that 75% of Indians support the bill.
It is time for the government to stop making excuses and pass the Women's Reservation Bill. It is the right thing to do for women in India.
