All right to sustain this blog at least a post has to be published per month, that much discipline one must have!! So I was searching the topic for the Month of March –Oscars, IPL, Greek Crisis, Inflation and the best of all WOMEN’S RESERVATION BILL (WRB)!!
So what’s my view- simple –Reservation has to be there in country like India. So what’s the deal with WRB?
It could have been interesting coincidence if it would have passed on the Women’s Day!! But 24 hours delay was more of relief than any other feeling….for almost one and half decade the debate is going on but amidst the chaos the Bill passed its first hurdle.
But the ruckus created in RS was simply “shameless”; it is suppose to be higher and experienced house but what happened there was totally disgusting! (Reminds me of what happened with MNS in Maharashtra assembly and subsequent pandemonium across the country.) So what’s the problem in giving deserved participation to the 50% of population? I don’t have an answer but may be SP will give clarifications as to why did they field candidate from their own family –that too a female - to fight LS seat and How didn’t they find a candidate from most populous State of the country from OBC/SC/ST and Muslim communities.
Earlier same faction were opposing the Bill in its entirety but the moment they realised they don’t have a majority or rather any voice at all…they simply pulled up a card which they didn’t even own-who gave them mandate to fight for OBC/SC/ST and Muslims? May be in politics of opportunism it’s not required at all!!
So is the worry of SP, RJD & Co justified? I don’t think so, it’s completely baseless…and it’s completely ironical….So it’s completely OK to field your illiterate wife as CM candidate!! Everyone knew back then, who ran the show in Bihar. While they are asking for voluntarily fielding of 33% female candidates in all the constituencies- a simple question-when WRB ultimately passes are they going to give priority to backward community and Muslims or going to field powerful, influential and rich candidates? It’s totally justified to promote film stars and not people from backward communities-they should first look into their own houses.
Also I am not sure these people understand our democratic system of elections. How can you assume that rich, famous and influential people will get into Parliament and State assemblies? Last I knew, we have democracy and not some sort of oppressive system of elections…People do have voice and they do know how and whom to elect. This stand is clearly an insult to the citizens of India and our entire election system…
I am not discounting all their worries and apprehensions. In short term, may be some constituencies might have candidates who are rich, powerful and influential. But who awards them tickets to contest? The very political parties only…and about the independent candidates they rarely are going to get “benefit” of it. But in all this debate we all are simply assuming that the people of our country don’t know how to elect their own candidate…..We are simply questioning their intelligence….aren’t we?
Now the important question….whether there should be quota within the reservation-the answer is no…this reservation is for upliftment of women, let’s not bring issues of caste into this… Reservation for minority religion? Isn’t that against the spirit of the Constitution? But the main point we must realize that reservation is not the only tool and there are other tools also which our Politicians seldom realize. ..Education and awareness should be created first to counter arguments which belong to 18th Century…
The need of the hour is to share our resources without gender bias and in last 63 years of independence we have not achieved that. The first step towards it is to pass this Bill and to realize that this is just the beginning of many landmarks we are yet to achieve. We have cleared the first hurdle at RS; let’s hope second will not to be too high!!
-N.D.K. Nikhil
Earlier same faction were opposing the Bill in its entirety but the moment they realised they don’t have a majority or rather any voice at all…they simply pulled up a card which they didn’t even own-who gave them mandate to fight for OBC/SC/ST and Muslims? May be in politics of opportunism it’s not required at all!!
So is the worry of SP, RJD & Co justified? I don’t think so, it’s completely baseless…and it’s completely ironical….So it’s completely OK to field your illiterate wife as CM candidate!! Everyone knew back then, who ran the show in Bihar. While they are asking for voluntarily fielding of 33% female candidates in all the constituencies- a simple question-when WRB ultimately passes are they going to give priority to backward community and Muslims or going to field powerful, influential and rich candidates? It’s totally justified to promote film stars and not people from backward communities-they should first look into their own houses.
Also I am not sure these people understand our democratic system of elections. How can you assume that rich, famous and influential people will get into Parliament and State assemblies? Last I knew, we have democracy and not some sort of oppressive system of elections…People do have voice and they do know how and whom to elect. This stand is clearly an insult to the citizens of India and our entire election system…
I am not discounting all their worries and apprehensions. In short term, may be some constituencies might have candidates who are rich, powerful and influential. But who awards them tickets to contest? The very political parties only…and about the independent candidates they rarely are going to get “benefit” of it. But in all this debate we all are simply assuming that the people of our country don’t know how to elect their own candidate…..We are simply questioning their intelligence….aren’t we?
Now the important question….whether there should be quota within the reservation-the answer is no…this reservation is for upliftment of women, let’s not bring issues of caste into this… Reservation for minority religion? Isn’t that against the spirit of the Constitution? But the main point we must realize that reservation is not the only tool and there are other tools also which our Politicians seldom realize. ..Education and awareness should be created first to counter arguments which belong to 18th Century…
The need of the hour is to share our resources without gender bias and in last 63 years of independence we have not achieved that. The first step towards it is to pass this Bill and to realize that this is just the beginning of many landmarks we are yet to achieve. We have cleared the first hurdle at RS; let’s hope second will not to be too high!!
-N.D.K. Nikhil
