March 9, 2010 will remain a historic day for our parliamentary democracy. The Rajya Sabha has convincingly voted for the Women's Reservation Bill providing 33 per cent reservation to women in Parliament and the State Legislative Assemblies. That the task could be accomplished only 14 years after the Bill was first tabled reflects the feudal mindset pervasive in society.
As the Prime Minister recalled, Geeta Mukherjee's contribution to the cause was stupendous. Progressive movements deserve praise for keeping the issue alive.
S.V. Venugopalan,
Chennai
It is indeed a historic occasion. Despite many hurdles and disruptions in the Rajya Sabha, the Bill was ultimately passed. Equal credit goes to the BJP and the Left parties. Without their support and cooperation, the Congress could not have passed the Bill.
A. Srikantaiah,
Bangalore
The passage of the Women's Bill in the Rajya Sabha, despite the hurdles it faced on Monday and Tuesday, is indeed laudable. The progressive bill is inching towards enactment. The country waits with bated breath to see if it can get past the lower house too.
Sindhu Sekar,
Chennai
At last, the UPA government displayed the resolve to push the Women's Bill through. Hats off to the Prime Minister and Congress president Sonia Gandhi!
The occasion calls for whole-hearted congratulations. However, we must note that the job is only half done as the Bill still needs to clear the Lok Sabha.
R. Ramamurthy,
Chennai
Keywords: Women's Reservation Bill, Parliament, State Legislative Assemblies, Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha