Ankita Mukherjee, Pune
Besides calling for the immediate implementation of the Women Reservation Bill, Sonia Gandhi, the former president of the Congress and head of the Indian National Congress, has also pushed for the inclusion of quotas for women from the SC, ST, and OBC within the reserved seats. She spoke in the Lok Sabha, India’s lower parliament, to support the measure on behalf of her party.
Gandhi emphasized that the Bill’s passage would fulfill the vision of her late husband, Rajiv Gandhi, who had previously introduced a constitutional amendment to increase women’s representation in local body elections. However, that amendment was initially defeated in the Rajya Sabha (the upper house of Parliament). Still, it was later passed under the leadership of Prime Minister PV Narasimha Rao, resulting in the election of 15 lakh (1.5 million) women leaders across the country in local bodies.
Sonia Gandhi’s key points and demands during her speech included:
- Immediate Implementation: Gandhi stressed the urgency of implementing the Women’s Reservation Bill without delay. She expressed concern about the prolonged wait of Indian women for political representation.
- Women from Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and Other Backward Classes (OBC) should be included in the proposed reservation quota, Gandhi demanded. These women come from underprivileged populations like SC, ST, and other backward classes.
- Caste Census: She advocated for conducting a caste census to gather data on caste demographics, which could inform policies and allocations related to reservations.
- Women’s Patience and Contribution: Gandhi praised the patience and dedication of Indian women, likening them to the ocean and emphasizing their contributions to the betterment of society.
- Rajiv Gandhi’s Vision: She credited her late husband, Rajiv Gandhi, for initiating the constitutional amendment to increase women’s representation in local elections and stated that his dream would be fully realized with the passage of the Women Reservation Bill.
- The Bill’s Name: Sonia Gandhi referred to the bill as the “Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam 2023” and declared the Indian National Congress’s support for it.
- Potential Delays: Gandhi warned that any delay in implementing the Women’s Reservation Bill would be an injustice to Indian women.
The Bill in question, the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam 2023, proposes a 33% reservation for women in the Lok Sabha (the lower house of India’s Parliament) and state legislative assemblies. However, it is noted that the Bill’s implementation is contingent upon completing the delimitation exercise (expected after 2026) and the decadal census due in 2021. Sonia Gandhi’s speech highlighted the importance of expediting the Bill’s passage and ensuring equitable representation for marginalized women.