The Hindu : Forum condemns move to 'dilute' women's bill

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Thursday, Jul 17, 2003

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Forum condemns move to 'dilute' women's bill

By Our Staff Correspondent

NEW DELHI JULY 16. The National Federation of Indian Women (NFIW) has strongly condemned the move by the Government to ``delay and dilute'' the Women's Reservation Bill in the Lok Sabha.

In a statement issued here today, the general secretary of the NFIW, Sehba Farooqui, accused the major political parties — including the Bharatiya Janata Party — of attempting to dilute the bill in the name of building a consensus, resulting in several new proposals being mooted.

Rejecting the new proposals, the NFIW said that the kind of confusion that the National Democratic Alliance Government had tried to create following consultations with political parties today made it clear that the Government was no longer interested in bringing the bill in its present form.

All major political parties have repeatedly stated that they were committed to the passage of the bill in its present form but disruption of parliamentary proceedings whenever it was introduced or was scheduled to be introduced in the Lok Sabha has become a pretext for not introducing it, the statement said while calling upon all parties to stand by women's rights by ensuring that the bill was passed in its present form without further delay.

To pressurise the BJP-led NDA Government to table the long-pending bill in the coming session of Parliament, the All India Mahila Congress is organising a march to Parliament on July 21, the opening day of the session.

Several women's organisations will participate in the march as a mark of solidarity.

The new double-member constituencies' formula being presented now has been described as `an eyewash' and an attempt by the NDA to befool women through the so-called consensus by the All India Progressive Women's Association (AIPWA).

A statement issued by AIPWA president, Srilata Swaminathan, and the general secretary, Kumudini Pati, here said the new provision was against the very spirit of women's rightful representation in Parliament and Assemblies.

"Women are being treated as appendages of males and `extras' in the highest institution of democracy. We are already fighting patriarchy in the panchayat elections, where the husband or the male head of the family usurps all rights of the elected woman representative,'' Ms. Swaminathan said.

Similar sentiments were expressed at the national executive meeting of the Rashtriya Samajik Mahila Sangathan here today which described yesterday's developments as mere "pre-election ploy'' to woo women voters.

Meanwhile, women's groups are all set for the July 25 rally in the capital to garner support for their cause. The day will be observed as `National Protest Day' and a memorandum will also be submitted to the President, A.P.J. Abdul Kalam.

Women's wing to meet PM

Meanwhile, the Bharatiya Janata Party's women's wing, the Mahila Morcha, today strongly rejected the proposal of the Election Commission relating to increasing women's representation in Parliament and State Assemblies. A delegation of the Morcha plans to meet the Prime Minister, Atal Behari Vajpayee, here tomorrow to place its views before him.

The president of the Morcha, Kanta Nalawade, said: "Women do not want the right to simply contest elections, they want the right to win elections.'' She pointed out that the Election Commission's suggestion of mandatory selection by political parties of at least one-third women candidates would not necessarily increase women's representation in Parliament and the State Assemblies.

"We will tell the Prime Minister, if for any reason the present bill on women's reservation cannot be passed, that we do not want a quota for women candidates at the party level. That will give us the right to contest, not the right to win.'' A bill giving political reservations would go a long way in giving women self-respect, she said.

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