The Hindu : Immediate decision on women's quota bill needed: Gill

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Thursday, Mar 06, 2003

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Immediate decision on women's quota bill needed: Gill

By Our Staff Correspondent

NEW DELHI MARCH 5. The Women's Reservation Bill, being debated for more than five years, must be passed in this session of Parliament itself, feels M.S.Gill, former Chief Election Commissioner. "Unfortunately, no progress has been made on this vital issue and in each session it is talked out for the next time. An immediate decision is necessary," he said.

"While we need more Indira Gandhis, Sonia Gandhis, Sushma Swarajs, Jayalalithaas and Mayawatis, we cannot afford to choose the path of reservation for this purpose once again,'' Mr. Gill told The Hindu.

Mr. Gill, who was at the helm of affairs when the Bill was introduced in the Lok Sabha. He feels that a small amendment in the Representation of Peoples Act, 1920, making it mandatory for all recognised political parties to reserve a percentage of seats for women in all States, would give women their due representation. ''The percentage of reservation can be agreed upon mutually in Parliament by all political parties and any attempt to violate this, should result in derecognition of the party,'' says Mr. Gill who had come up with this proposal about four years ago and most political parties, even those opposed to reservation, had found it acceptable.

Having studied Indian politics during his stint as the Chief Election Commissioner, Mr. Gill feels that India had a history of reservation, which was not applied anywhere in the world. "I have been of the clear view that reservation is not the best solution to having adequate women representation. About 200 seats in a Parliament of 542 are already reserved for SCs/STs while an equal number would be reserved for women if the Bill is through, that would leave a small number for the rest, upsetting the vibrant character of Parliament," he said.

Admitting that the number of women representatives in State Assemblies and Parliament was woefully inadequate, Mr. Gill says while more women must be given a chance to fight elections for Assemblies and Parliament, they must be fully involved and active in politics.

"The present problem is the result of a failure of the political parties to give women their due, its solution should not be looked for in yet one more Constitutional change,'' he points out. Reservation will result in unequal competition among the women legislators and Parliamentarians. "It is the political parties who are not giving adequate space to women in the political arena,'' he says. In the past 50 years, we have amended the Constitution 90 times and America about 20 in 200 years. At this rate we will have to re-write the Constitution in 100 years, he explains.

Concerned over the vibrancy and working health of Parliament and democracy, Mr. Gill believes if his proposal is accepted, women would get a massive ticket representation in the coming elections in several States and it would be the party bigwigs who would go looking for good and effective women candidates instead of the other way round. ''It should be the political parties giving more space to women. We cannot straitjacket issues and destroy a firm democratic structure in the process because demand for reservations, at the present pace, will have no end."

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