Date:28/05/2004 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2004/05/28/stories/2004052807011100.htm

National

`One step forward, still a long way to go'

By Aarti Dhar

NEW DELHI, MAY 27. The inclusion of the Women's Reservation Bill in the Common Minimum Programme of the United Progressive Alliance has brought a lot of hope but little cheer to the women's groups. Hope in abundance because the Bill has virtually been revived from the "death bed" and cheer in lesser degree since some of the political parties continue to resist the prospect of parting with 33 per cent seats for women in the Legislative Assemblies and Parliament.

"We appreciate the concern shown by the UPA by including the Bill in the CMP but we are not very sure of its outcome in Parliament because the Rashtriya Janata Dal, and some other political parties within the alliance are still not supporting it,'' said Ranjana Kumari of the Centre for Social Research. Women hope that the UPA, too, does not insist on arriving at a "consensus" on the Bill.

"Our insistence would be on seeing something concrete on the issue within the next 100 days because the bill has been debated enough for the past nine years and three elections have been fought by making women's reservation a poll issue,'' Ms. Kumari said. The National Democratic Alliance will have no problem pushing it through because it was their legislation, the Congress and the Left parties are in favour of it and Mulayam Singh Yadav's Samajwadi Party — one of the most vocal opponents — is not part of the alliance. The problem now is of the RJD and some smaller allies which, though few in numbers, are an important part of the UPA.

Sources said the RJD and some allies still had reservations over the Bill and had not agreed to support it in Parliament though they did allow it to be included in the CMP.

Ironically, only 44 women of the 355 women who contested have been elected in the Lok Sabha elections with the highest number — seven — MPs coming from Uttar Pradesh alone. The highest number of women contestants, 62, were also from Uttar Pradesh from where the Bill is facing resistance from the ruling Samajwadi Party. The two main political parties claiming to be champions for women's reservation — the Congress and the BJP gave the party ticket to 45 and 30 women respectively. There were as many as 117 women candidates who did not contest under any political banner. The remaining tickets were given by the smaller political parties.

Describing the inclusion of the Reservation Bill in the CMP as an important step forward, Brinda Karat of the All-India Democratic Women's Association said the next step would be to ensure that the Bill was re-introduced in the Lok Sabha and put to vote as a priority. "We will meet the Lok Sabha Speaker in this connection as soon as Parliament is convened and discuss the matter with him,'' she said.

The women's movement was happy about the development since not many parties in the UPA could go back on their commitment, said Mohini Giri of the Guild of Service.