Referring to the impasse over passing the law to ensure 33 % reservation for women in legislative bodies, Rajya Sabha MP and DMK women’s wing secretary M.K. Kanimozhi alleged that the BJP-led government was showing scant interest in enacting the law in parliament.
Speaking at the birth centenary celebrations of veteran communist leader, freedom fighter and women’s rights activist K.P. Janakiammal here on Tuesday, she said the bill was not passed even though every political party claimed to be in its favour.
“While the ruling party at the Centre is keen on going to any extent to pass bills like the Goods and Services Tax, which is opposed by many parties, there is no such effort to pass women’s reservation bill,” she said.
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Stating that ensuring women’s rights was fundamental to protecting the rights of other underprivileged sections like the Dalits and religious minorities, she said, “However, it is the same people who questioned women for going out late in the night instead of protecting their safety are ruling us in the Centre. Naturally, now in their rule, Dalits and minorities are getting oppressed.”
Arguing that many legislations, like the ones dealing with child marriage and rape, had several fundamental flaws, she said that such laws would remain insensitive to the needs of women until they had a strong say in formulating them.
U. Vasuki, national vice-president of All India Democratic Women’s Association (AIDWA), alleged that steps towards empowering women could not be expected from the BJP-led government since the BJP and its parent organisation RSS were fundamentally against women empowerment.
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“Today, a party that contributed nothing to the country’s freedom struggle, is ruling India while those who fought and died for the country’s Independence are left to fight for their rights on the streets,” she said, adding that this situation had to be inverted, if the country had to be put on progressive path.
Recollecting the contributions of Ms. Janakiammal, fondly called as Comrade KPJ by those in the communist parties, Ms. Vasuki said she was the one who could really be called ‘Puratchi Thalaivi’.
Pointing out that Ms. Janakiammal was the first president of AIDWA in Tamil Nadu, she said that her contributions to the women’s rights and Marxist tradition in the State were significant.
Highlighting the crucial role played by Ms. Janakiammal towards redistribution of land to the poor, economist Venkatesh B. Athreya, who also spoke at the function, said that the implementation of Land Ceiling Act and redistribution of land to the landless were yet to be achieved in the country.
“Taking the struggle for this forward would be the true homage we can pay to Ms. Janakiammal,” he said.