Two of India’s main political parties pulled out from the ruling Congress-led coalition on Monday to show their disapproval to a controversial bill reserving one third parliament seats for women.
The move is expected to abate the government’s facility to pass laws.
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Socialist Samajwadi Party (SP) and regional Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) have been supporting the ruling United Progressive Alliance from outside, and are not directly a part of the coalition. They represent 26 seats in the 545-membered lower house of parliament.
The withdrawal happened after lawmakers from the two parties, bitterly opposed to the bill, rushed to the centre of the house and tore copies of the bill.
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“We will withdraw our support to the government and continue our protests against the bill,” Lalu Prasad Yadav, the RJD leader, told reporters.
The house was thereafter repeatedly adjourned for the day.
The parties have repeatedly accused the government of crushing on the interests of women belonging to minorities and backward class, and helping those already in privilege class.
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Incidentally, the scenes at the parliament happened on a day when both the houses had assembled to call to rejoice and honor them in the decision making process to mark International Women’s Day.
According to sources, the bill would now be taken up for voting on Tuesday, as Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has called for an all-party meeting to reach a consensus over the deadlock.
The controversial bill, which was first introduced in 1996, even has the support from main opposition Hindu-nationalist National Democratic Alliance, as well as the Communist parties.
The bill will provide 33 percent reservation of women in Parliament and the State Assemblies. It is aimed at elevating women’s stature in a country where women lag behind in social and health indicator. It is intended to speed up women’s empowerment in a country where women lag far behind on many social and health indicators.
A majority of women in India receive very little or no education as compared to men and are weighed down by illetracy, poverty and many social evils like child marriages, dowry deaths and female infanticide.
The UPA has also promised to give women 50 percent seats in local government institutions like the village council.
“We have a majority of 200 and we could have passed the bill. But a bill of this nature, which will have a historical importance and have important implications and seeks constitution amendment cannot be bulldozed,” federal Law Minister Veerappa Moilly told reporters.
A recently-released UN report says the Asia-Pacific region ranks near the bottom on many women development issues such as political representation, impacting the growth prospects of developing nations.
The report also said over 96 million women in Asia have “disappeared”
The bill will provide 33 percent reservation of women in Parliament and the State Assemblies. It is aimed at elevating women’s stature in a country where women lag behind in social and health indicator. It is intended to speed up women’s empowerment in a country where women lag far behind on many social and health indicators.
A majority of women in India receive very little or no education as compared to men and are weighed down by illetracy, poverty and many social evils like child marriages, dowry deaths and female infanticide.
