CPI Leader Criticizes Governments Link Between Womens Reservation and Delimitation Process

New Delhi, November 13 (Daily Kiran) : Annie Raja, a leader of the Communist Party of India (CPI), has raised concerns about the central government’s intentions regarding the women’s reservation law and the delimitation bill during a special session of Parliament. She opposes the government’s move to tie the women’s reservation law to the delimitation process, arguing that this undermines genuine political empowerment for women.

Raja criticized the government for frequently calling special sessions while showing little interest in discussions during regular sessions, such as the monsoon, winter, and budget sessions. She pointed out that the special session is being linked to the women’s reservation law, but emphasized the importance of understanding the underlying process. The government recently passed the Nari Shakti Vandan Act, which pertains to women’s reservation, but linked it with delimitation legislation. As a result, she warned that the reservation for women will not take effect until the delimitation process is completed. Raja described this situation as both an insult and a betrayal of women, stating that merely having a law on paper does not equate to real political representation.

The CPI leader demanded that the women’s reservation law be separated from the delimitation requirement and implemented as an independent law. She asserted that women should not have to wait for the completion of the delimitation process to gain representation in Parliament and state assemblies. Raja emphasized that there is a significant difference between having something written on paper and actually benefiting from it. If women cannot take advantage of the reservation in Parliament and assemblies, the law fails to achieve its purpose.

Raja urged the government to reserve one-third of the 543 seats in the current Lok Sabha for women if it is genuinely committed to empowering them. She expressed concerns over the proposed delimitation processes in Jammu and Kashmir and Assam, suggesting they may violate constitutional principles. She perceives a risk that such delimitation could undermine the secular framework of the country and be influenced by religious considerations. Raja argued that determining constituency boundaries is a separate issue and should not be directly linked to women’s reservation, cautioning against using these two matters to delay the implementation of the reservation.

She called on the central government to take immediate action to advance women’s political rights, insisting that announcements alone are insufficient. The government must ensure real political representation for women by implementing the reservation for one-third of the seats in the current Parliament.