In an apparent attempt to project Congress as a party fair to the fairer sex, party national president Rahul Gandhi has shot of a communiqué to all the Congress or its ally ruled States in the country to pass a resolution for one-third reservation of women in the Lok Sabha and Legislative Assemblies.
Just about four days before the Vidhan Sabha Session in Punjab perhaps the last before parliamentary polls next year, Rahul’s intentions is to give credence to the Congress party’s demand to pass the Women's Reservation Bill, by first passing a resolution in the States represented by the party or its allies.
NDA Government at the Centre has been acting in all fairness to the fair sex by giving enough representation to the female MPs in the Union Cabinet and also at other occasions. PM Narendra Modi has included women MPs on key posts in the Cabinet — Sushma Swaraj (External Affairs), Nirmala Sitharaman (Defence), Uma Bharati (Drinking Water and Sanitation), Maneka Sanjay Gandhi (Women and Child Development), Harsimrat Kaur Badal (Food Processing Industries), and Smriti Zubin Irani (Textiles and Information and Broadcasting).
Apparently to hijack the same, Rahul Gandhi has asked Punjab CM Capt Amarinder Singh, and other Congress-ruled States to pass “a resolution calling for the reservation of one-third of the seats in the Lok Sabha and legislative Assemblies, in the next session”.
“In order to affirm our support to the passage of the (Women's Reservation) Bill, it would be expedient for the State Assembly to pass a resolution calling for the reservation of one-third of the seats in the Lok Sabha and legislative Assemblies for women, in the next session,” said Rahul in his letter.
The letter read, “While Indian women have made rapid strides in all spheres, they continue to be severely underrepresented in our Parliament and State Assemblies. True empowerment entails that an adequate number of women are represented in our legislative bodies.”
“India ranks 148th out of 193 countries in terms of the percentage of women in our Parliament. The situation is even worse in our State Assemblies. The lack of adequate representation of women in our polity undermines our democracy and perpetuates existing systemic injustices,” Rahul added in the letter.
The Congress-led Punjab Government had already passed Bills increasing reservation for women to 50 per cent from the existing 33 in all civic bodies, including Panchayat Raj Institutions, urban local bodies, municipal councils, corporations within three months of coming to power in the State.
In June 2017, the Punjab Vidhan Sabha enhanced reservation of women in civic bodies giving them increased chances of being directly elected as members of gram panchayats, zila parishads, and other similar bodies.
As per the amendment, women reservation has been increased in direct elections for members of gram panchayats, panchayat samitis, and zila parishads, besides municipal corporations, municipal councils and nagar panchayats. As many as 50 wards from municipal corporations, nagar panchayats, and municipal councils will also be reserved for women.
Notably, the Rajya Sabha had passed the Constitution 108th Amendment Bill in 2010, but the same lapsed after the dissolution of the 15th Lok Sabha in 2014. The Legislative Assemblies of Odisha and Andhra Pradesh have already taken a lead and passed a resolution calling on the Central Government to enact the Women's Reservation.
Mahila Congress president Sushmita Dev had also written to all Congress-led State Governments, regarding the Bill through her letter on November 23.
Rahul said that the Congress and several parties have called on the Prime Minister to ensure the passage of the Women's Reservation Bill and pledged their support. “While the opponents of the Bill have cast doubts on the ability of women to effect change, the leadership role taken on by women after the 73rd and 74th constitutional amendments have proved the detractors wrong,” he wrote in the letter.
He added, “Women in institutions of local self-governance have not only been effective leaders but also challenged traditional gender roles that curtailed their participation in public life. In my interactions with women around the country, have witnessed their remarkable resilience and commitment to public service.”
On July 16, 2018, the Congress president had sent a similar letter to the Prime Minister Narendra Modi asking him to ensure the passage of the Women's Reservation Bill in the monsoon session of the Parliament. “Prime Minister, in many of your public rallies, you have spoken about your passion for empowering women and involving them more meaningfully in public life. What better way to demonstrate your commitment to the cause of women, than by offering your unconditional support to the passage of the Women's Reservation Bill,” Rahul had stated in the letter.