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 Congress strives for
consensus on women's bill:
The Samajwadi Party (SP) and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD)
said Sunday they will convey their strong opposition to the women's
reservation bill at Monday's all-party meeting called by Finance
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How Logical Is Women Reservation in India!
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New Delhi:
Consensus eluded the all-party meeting held here on Monday to break
the logjam over the Women's Reservation Bill with the Yadav trio
sticking to their demand for quota within quota and UPA ally
Trinamool Congress joining chorus with them.
After two hours of intense deliberations, it was decided that more
discussions would be held on the issue, triggering questions whether
the bill could be introduced in Lok Sabha in the second half of the
Budget Session beginning on April 15.
The bill, a constitutional amendment legislation requiring two-third
majority support, has already been passed by the Rajya Sabha.
Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee discussions with leaders of
Samajwadi Party, RJD, JD(U), the parties which have been staunchly
opposing the bill that provides for 33 per cent reservation to women
in Lok Sabha and Assemblies.
Leaders of BJP, CPI(M), CPI, TDP, which are supporting the proposed
legislation, also attended the meeting along with UPA allies
Trinamool Congress and DMK. On the government's side, Mukherjee was
joined by Parliamentary Affairs Minister P K Bansal, Home Minister P
Chidambaram, Defence Minister A K Antony and Law Minister Veerappa
Moily.
A brief statement issued by the Parliamentary Affairs Ministry said,
"further discussions will continue". Emerging from the meeting, RJD
chief Lalu Prasad said any kind of reservation for women should
include muslims, backward classes and dalits.
"There is no question of going back on our position," he told
reporters. At the meeting, Trinamool chief Mamata Banerjee echoed
the argument of RJD, SP and JD(U) as she emphasised that Muslim
interest should not be ignored.
BSP also pressed for quota within quota, failing which it would
oppose the bill. The views expressed at today's meeting would be
conveyed to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh after which a decision
would be taken on timing for further consultations.
With regard to demands for quota within quota, CPI(M leader Basudeb
Acharia said the government should come forward with a proposal on
how this could be done "as under the Constitutional set up there is
no provision of reservation in election either for OBC or Muslim
minorities. To a question, he replied that his party was not opposed
to it and "If a proposal comes then it can be considered".
At the same time, he said his party favoured passing of the bill in
its present form as it has already been cleared in Rajya Sabha.
Asked whether the bill would be delayed because of continued
opposition to it,Acharia said his party was ready for deferment if
it leads to consensus.
However, "if deferment leads to abandoning the bill, we are against
it," said Acharia, whose party is in favour of the proposed
legislation. Gurudas Dasgupta of CPI said his party "does not mind
if the government takes time to arrive at a consensus but it will
not support any kind of deferment if the intention is to dump the
bill".
On the issue of quota within quota, he said, "we have not raised
it." Leader of Opposition Sushma Swaraj, while pitching for
consensus on the issue, said BJP was "totally against quota within
quota". She, however, said her party would give support to any
proposal for reservation as per the formula prescribed by M S Gill
as Chief Election Commissioner which would make it binding on
political parties to give quota to women in ticket distribution.
Dasgupta said it was good that government has called for a consensus
as it is a sensitive and controversial issue, adding that his party
believed in giving equal opportunity to women as it is a male
dominated society.
BSP leader Dara Singh Chauhan said, "we reiterated our demand to
give quota within quota to women of SC, ST communities and Muslims.
Otherwise, we will not be in a position to support the bill."
To put forth the party's demand, BSP will hold a state-wide dharna
on Ambedkar Jayanti, April 14, he said. He said that the BSP was not
opposed to reservation to women but believed in the principle of "jiski
jitni hissedari uski utni bhagidari (reservation should be in
proportion to population)".
The only point of agreement at the meeting was that no force should
be used during passage of the important legislation in the Lok Sabha
as was done in the Rajya Sabha where seven opposing members were
forcibly evicted by marshals.
The bill could not be introduced in the Lok Sabha because of stiff
opposition by SP, RJD and JD(U). The government subsequently said it
would not "bulldoze" the legislation and nominated Mukherjee to hold
consultations with all concerned to evolve a consensus.
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Govt. committed to quota
for 'backward Muslims'
2011 population census
begins April 1
Zakia Jaffri satisfied at
Modi's questioning
Sibal promises all help
to promote Urdu
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