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Uncertainty continues over Women’s Reservation Bill

	November 27, 2006

The Government sprang a surprise on Wednesday, Nov. 22 when it declared that the Women’s Reservation Bill, in its original form, will be introduced in Parliament during its current session. The Government’s volte face came just a day after it sent out the signal that the Women’s Reservation Bill was not on the Congress-led UPA Government’s agenda for the current session. The breakthrough announcement was made after a dinner meeting of the UPA constituents and the Left parties at Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s residence.



But the Government’s move ran into difficulties just a day later when the Railways Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav’s Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and the Samajwadi Party, expressed their opposition to the Women’s Reservation Bill.



Parliamentary Affairs Minister Priya Ranjan Dasmunshi had claimed on Nov. 22 that RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav had initiated the Bill’s proposal at the dinner hosted by the Prime Minister. The proposal was that the Bill would be referred to the Standing Committee of Parliament after its introduction since it was a Constitution amendment Bill. Dasmunshi was evasive on the timeframe for passing the Bill.



Earlier, speaking at a meeting on “State of the Panchayats, 2006 : Midterm Review and Appraisal”, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had said that the success of women’s reservation at the grassroots should encourage Parliament to follow suit. He said the share of women in Panchayats substantially exceeded the reserve quota with around 50,000 women elected from general, unreserved seats. He said this was a remarkable success in bringing lakhs of women into the mainstream of governance.



But on Nov. 23, Railways Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav delivered the first blow to the Bill by leading his party MPs to the leader of the Lok Sabha, Pranab Mukherjee’s house to demand a sub-quota for the other backward classes and minorities. His MPs wanted an all party meeting for a consensus on the Bill before it was introduced. Observers say that the demand could easily scuttle the Bill given the opposition to it.



The Samajwadi Party said that it is ‘committed’ to oppose the Women’s Reservation Bill. Party general secretary Amar Singh said, the SP favours the Election Commission formula that political parties give one-third tickets to women. The Forum of OBC MPs with 140 MPs is demanding a sub-quota for OBCs.



Even the BJP-led NDA appears to be divided over the Women’s Reservation Bill. The Shiv Sena openly opposes the Bill. The Janata Dal (United) is also against the Bill in its present form.



On the other hand, women activists took to the streets in New Delhi on Friday, Nov. 24, to protest against the delay in the introduction of the Women’s Reservation Bill in Parliament. The All India Democratic Women’s Association has demanded the adoption of the Bill in the current session of Parliament.





Parliament functioning affected



In a rare gesture, both Houses of Parliament adjourned on Wednesday, Nov. 22, the opening day of the Winter Session after paying tributes to Bahujan Samaj Party founder Kanshi Ram, who died on October 9. According to norms, Parliament is adjourned only to mourn the death of a sitting member. But the Government wrote to Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee and the Rajya Sabha Chairman to request that an exception be made in Kanshi Ram’s case, who was a former member of the Lok Sabha.



Describing Kanshi Ram as one of the prominent figures of the dalit movement, Speaker Somnath Chatterjee said he had worked ceaselessly for the welfare of the oppressed and depressed sections. Rajya Sabha Chairman Bhairon Singh Shekhawat said in the demise of the champion of dalits, the country lost a noted politician and dedicated social worker.



Observers say that the gesture in adjourning both Houses after paying tributes to Kanshi Ram and others was meant as a message to the scheduled castes who were once Congress supporters, but have now shifted loyalty to the Bahujan Samaj Party.



The functioning of Parliament was affected on Thursday, Nov. 23, with the BJP raising the issue of delay in the execution of Parliament attack convict Mohd. Afzal and the Samajwadi Party the detention of its MP from Maharashtra Abu Asim Azmi in connection with a rally. Both Houses were adjourned for the day without transacting much business.





The Left parties on their part have said that they will raise the continuing distress in the agriculture sector, the price rise and the demand for reduction in petrol and diesel prices during the current Parliament session. On Monday, Nov. 20, the Left oriented All India Kisan Sabha, held a rally at the Ramlila Grounds in New Delhi to draw the attention of the Centre towards the agrarian crisis in the country. Among those who attended the rally were CPI(M) general secretary Prakash Karat. A large number of farmers and their leaders from all over the country asked the Government to urgently look into the issues affecting farmers.





Stalemate over Pension ‘reforms’



There is no end to the differences between the UPA Government and the Left parties supporting it from outside on Pension ‘reforms.’ In a fresh bid to bring around the Left parties on Pension reforms, External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee and Finance Minister P. Chidambaram had a meeting with Left leaders on Friday, Nov. 24. The Government offered to insert an option in the new pension scheme to allow employees to choose whether contributions would remain with the Government-backed fund manager or be also utilised by private funds. The Left leaders were insistent that the employees be guaranteed fifty percent of the last drawn salary as pension. The Government is however, reluctant to commit itself to making good any loss that fund managers may incur.



In another move, which may further invite the Left ire, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs on Thursday Nov. 23, permitted three State-owned undertakings in the power sector to go in for initial public offers (IPOs). The three undertakings are Power Grid Corporation, the Rural Electrification Corporation and the Power Finance Corporation.



Meanwhile, CPI(M) general secretary Prakash Karat has denied that Chinese President Hu Jintao gave any advice to the Left leaders to be pragmatic about economic policies at their meeting in New Delhi last week. Karat said on Nov. 23 that no such discussion took place. The Left leaders who met President Hu included Karat and Sitaram Yechury of the CPI(M), A.B. Bardhan and S. Sudhakar Reddy of the CPI and Debabrata Biswas and G. Devarajan of Forward Bloc. Some newspapers had carried reports earlier that President Hu had asked the Left leaders to adopt a more pragmatic approach in an era of globalization.