Mumbai, April 6: Senior advocate Abha Singh expressed her support for the Women’s Reservation Bill during an interview with a news agency. She noted that the issue of women’s reservation has been ongoing since 2010. The bill has lapsed three times, but she believes the time has finally come for its passage. This is a moment of joy for women across the country.
Singh emphasized that this bill will allow women to participate more actively in politics. She feels that women in India are pleased to have the opportunity to legislate on issues that matter to them. If enacted, the number of seats in the Lok Sabha will increase from 543 to 813. Given the current political climate, she anticipates that more women from the BJP will be elected to Parliament.
Addressing concerns from opposition parties, Singh pointed out that they claim the bill only addresses reservations for SC/ST communities, lacking provisions for OBCs. She believes that opposition parties may use this issue to gain votes. Singh argued that women belong to marginalized communities, and attempting to further divide these groups is not appropriate. She insists that there should be no additional quotas within the women’s reservation framework.
She also highlighted that the states currently facing elections are educated regions. Kerala and Tamil Nadu have effectively controlled their populations. Should this bill pass, it could alleviate population pressures, potentially resulting in more seats for women in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, while states that have managed population control might face disadvantages. Nonetheless, Singh urges political parties to unite in empowering women.
Fauzia Khan, a leader from the NCP (SP) and former MP, reiterated her support for the Women’s Reservation Bill, recalling the collective effort to pass it in Parliament. She emphasized the long struggle for this cause.
Khan raised a critical question: how much time is allocated for women to voice their concerns in Parliament?
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