WOMEN RESERVATION BILL IN INDIA

WOMEN RESERVATION BILL IN INDIA - a move in the right direction.
-------------------------------------------By: TAHA MUGHAL, SMVDU

Welcome! --- The society of only 'bhayas', 'papas', 'tayas' and 'jijas'. Is there any women reading it out? Does any girl have the right to read, feel and oppose openly all the pains her fellow women endure? If there is; how much does she practically achieve her goal? I cannot deceive my own self to articulate that there are my fellow female counterparts breathing in the airs of the rights, I have been gifted with.  India may look urbanized in Gurgaon, over-crowded in Delhi, economically competent in Mumbai, beautiful and serene in Kashmir, but let’s bear in mind the mirror reflects only what you want it to. If you want to blind yourself and spot only the lustrous imposing part, then no one can really stop you. However, if you are unwavering enough to witness all the places where we lack and stand tough against our shortcomings, then I am vain for having the readers like you. It’s better to see the positives of others and question yourself for the otherwise. India is still a male dominant society, where women continue to be compressed, abused; where brides still are blazed even after all the transactions between the two kingdoms; where female dolls continue to die a cot death, in the dark safest world, as should be...

YES! if we look ahead to a revolution, it’s only for the women and the youth to achieve it! Women need reservation in parliament and state legislatures. Unless, this quota is given, there will never be enough able women to trespass the estates of the male counterparts. There will never be enough of them on the throne of decision-making.
The proposed legislation to reserve 33.3 percent seats in parliament and state legislatures for women was drafted first by the H D Deve Gowda-led United Front government. September12, 1996 marked its introduction in the Lok Sabha.

I am highly taken aback to buy the statement that the bill is a wrong move in itself! To my mind, it is a right move in the right direction of empowerment, equality, development... (you can really add on!). What have I been updated about is that as per the study of an International labor organization, women represent 50% of the world’s adult population, a third of official labor force, they work nearly 2-3rd of all the working hours, collect a tenth of the world’s total income, and own less than 1% of the world’s property. Supplemented that; since 63 years of independence, the percentage of women in Lok Sabha was hovered between 7-11% only. In assemblies too, the percentage of women is low. Do they deserve it? Why do the statistics make an ‘OOH? FACTOR’ release? Aren’t they capable enough? Can we deny how history has witnessed the women folk taking part in the N.G.O’s, and other organizations that work day in and day out for the noble causes? Ever seen them releasing a tear before feeding a hungry? By this, I don’t intend to say that males don’t have feelings, but what I intend to present is that India has provided a platform to the males much bigger than needed! They have turned more materialistic than their counterparts.  Thus, the reservation of women is not a bounty but just a sincere gratitude of their contribution to overall development. Now, if I fear women turning the same in the future (drunken with the toddy of selfishness), then I am just the person to see the half-empty portion of the half-filled glass of water!

If truth be told; in all the political parties, when the time comes for candidates to be chosen, women are declared losers. For, 62 long years this is what we have faced! This bill thus is a right move so as to make the position of women secure in the parliament and the state legislatures. It helps them escape the barbed clutches of the male leaders.

I talked to some of the female students and was astonished to find them opposing the bill on the grounds that they didn’t need a charity! Charity? That was a big word, wasn’t that? I lament! How has the reservation of women affiliated itself to the stamp of charity? One can okay itself with the progress of the women race; but, can we overhear the unheard wails... the compulsion that still stops the women from demanding the justice... Visit Shopian (KASHMIR) and have a talk with the dead bodies of two rape victims... The students encountered me with the fact that if I spoke of achieving gender equality, then why the seats should be reserved? Today women walk with men hand-in-hand. Let the merit decide. Here, what I see is the unjustified attitude of, ‘I DON’T NEED A SYMPATHY!’ Accepted! But, who is sympathizing? There is a lot of difference between sympathy and empathy. The bill is aimed to empathize and facilitate. Let’s be calm enough to accept the bitter fact that our society that speaks volumes of having achieved the gender equality; is basically still divided! The bill is just a way-out of filling up that gap. How can a candle be expected to enlighten the society without the aid of that single spark? Bestow them education, mind, money and everything----------but these are just the tools for making up the cart. The road itself-the stage has to be provided. Folk! Am I right? Yes/No? By this reservation, they even won’t have to encounter the criminals and the muscle-power of men like you and me.

33% reservation for women politically empowers almost 50% of our population, serving democracy and ensuring political and gender equality as well. It would even check the muddy politics that the men folk have brought about. Rotation of seats might be a good point for opposing the bill. True that a person won’t be reserved for two consecutive terms in a single constituency and overall development of the place would be difficult to achieve. But, this is where the compatibility factor has to be sown in. What does the essence of any political party remain without the mutual understanding? Without this understanding, it turns purely a formality to be tied in a single knot wherein threads sustain their constant individualism. Mutual understanding within a party can really work wonders, and once worked out, much needed political reformation can be achieved leading to an unpolluted India with anew (immortal) independence.

My narrow mind might echo that reserving seats for women won’t serve the cause as they would just be the actors acting as per the directions of the male left leaders. This is debatable, not in the least bit as per me. It is quite clear that here not the bill but the inner conscience is what has wronged us. Would it be not polluted, women could really be empowered. If the leaders vow not to act as dictators and the to-be-leaders vow of being honest and truthful to their own will, things can resolved in fact.

It is even feared that scores of the male leaders would not get a chance to fight elections. At that, Article 82 provides for the allocation of seats after the completion of each census. So, let’s increase the strength of Lok Sabha. Now, what about the extra costs at this increase? Readers! Come on! Take a pew and calculate the amount that is misused by us either individually or as the party on the whole. Better leash the reins of our own wrong being and use the money judiciously. Each one of us is required to cement a brick in this process, if the aim is sought.

The last opposition against the bill in my vision is that only elite women will get a chance of acquiring the reserved seats. Elite women?  Let’s question ourselves that how many 'Ramus' and 'Nathu lals' of Chandni chowk have occupied the seats in Lok Sabha? Elite thing stands for the elite class and not for the women only. We require eradicating the evil of ‘APNA BANDA SYNDROME’ (favoritism) alone, without having it related to this bill.

When a child is asked to walk across the room towards the opposite wall for the first time, its legs shake; turn him around deviating him from his line. However, as we clap and applaud him for having done a great job; he retaliates on his course, moves and finally let itself fall on the opposite wall (his goal). In the similar coin, the bill is aimed for a very noble cause let alone its shortcomings. It can be amended and improved, but cannot be casted away on the whole. Who is perfect and what doesn’t need improvement? I recall Helen Killer who was blind and was once asked, “What is worse than being blind?” And, she said, “Having eyesight with no vision is worst!” We are wronged and will have to regain that eternal pious inner self for upgrading the bill to be a movement of renaissance. It’s like a bow and an arrow provided in the direction of the oak tree under attack. It’s we to have the falcon’s vision, aim and then shot with confidence. We ought to call for the improvement-- in attitude, insight, and approach; or in the sense of duty. We can’t accuse the bow neither the bill for missing the shot. It’s me! It’s you!





Taha Mughal
Shri Mata Vaishno Devi University