Stiff opposition to Women's Bill

From Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI DEC. 15. Opposition to the Women's Reservation Bill refuses to die down. The mere announcement of the Government's intention to bring it up for discussion in the Lok Sabha next week got some members agitated.

Led by Mr. Mulayam Singh Yadav, members of the Samajwadi Party, the Rashtriya Janta Dal, and two of the BJP - allies the Samata party and the Janata Dal (U) - said that they would go to any length to prevent the Bill from being taken up. No sooner did the Parliamentary Affairs Minister, Mr. Pramod Mahajan, mention that it would a part of next week's business, Mr. Mulayam Singh Yadav protested `` We will not allow the Bill to be introduced till it is amended and has provisions for a sub quota for the backwards, SC, ST and minorities''.

Accusing the Government of trying to forcibly get the Bill passed, Mr. Yadav warned that his party would ``physically prevent the discussion if the Government tried to force its passage''. Encouraged by his show of defiance other MPs from the also joined issue. There were some embarrassed faces in the treasury benches when Mr. Raghunath Jha and Mr. Devendra Prasad Yadav of the JD (U) and Mr. Prabhunath Singh of the Samata Party supported Mr. Yadav. `` We will go to any extent to stop this Bill'', said Mr. Jha.

The differences in perception on the issue within the NDA alliance also manifested themselves with members belonging to the Telugu Desam Party and Trinamool Congress arguing in favour of allowing the Bill to come up for consideration. Mr. Sudip Bandhopadhya of the Trinamool Congress appealed to his colleagues to allow the Bill to be passed `` This will never happen '' shot back Mr. Jha.

Attempts by Mr. Yerram Naidu to get his allies to see reason proved futile. `` Changes can be made later but let it be passed, '' pleaded Mr. Naidu, but his allies would have none of it.`` Unless sub quotas are included the Bill will never see the light of the day'', said Mr. Devendra Yadav.

The Government perception, suggested outside the House later, was that if any party wanted to bring an amendment to the Bill it could be considered by the House at that time. ``We will bring the Bill as it was introduced,'' Mr. Pramod Mahajan commented, and he refused to be drawn into any argument on the merits of a quota for backward women, or for reducing the reservation for women from 33 per cent to 15 or 20 per cent, or the problems of rotation of seats suggested in the Bill to which MPs cutting across the gender barrier are opposed.

The Government view seems to be that since it is blamed for having delayed the Bill, it will take it up and it will be for the House to accept it or reject it. It will also show the divisions in all parties on the Bill which MPs find personally threatening since their seat could fall into the reserved category.

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