The Hindu : Consensus eludes women's bill again

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Jun 17, 2003

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Consensus eludes women's bill again

By Our Staff Correspondent

NEW DELHI JUNE 16. Even as an all-party meeting convened by the Lok Sabha Speaker, Manohar Joshi, once again failed to arrive at a consensus today on giving reservation for women in the State Assemblies and Parliament, Mr. Joshi claimed that the political parties had come closer on the issue though total unanimity had yet not been achieved.

"The minds of most political parties on the issue are open and it may be possible to achieve a consensus," he told reporters after the meeting that lasted more than three hours. Though most parties stuck to their known stands, they did show signs of a willingness to consider alternatives. The opposition to reservation again came from the Samajwadi Party and the Rashtriya Lok Dal which rejected the women's reservation bill in its present form.

Mr. Joshi said he had received four alternative suggestions which would be studied and discussed with the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition, to reach an agreement on tabling the Bill — in the present or amended or in a new form — in the monsoon session of Parliament.

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