Thirteen political parties and civil society organisations discussed the way forward for the Women’s Reservation Bill at a round table organised in New Delhi by a cultural organisation headed by Bharat Rashtra Samithi leader K Kavitha on Wednesday. “Twelve political parties and several civil society organisations joined the round table discussion and reiterated the demand to pass the Bill in Parliament,’’ Kavitha said, talking about the parties other than the BRS. Kavitha, an MLC in Telangana, called for greater participation of MPs in Parliament to ensure that the BJP government makes way for tabling the Bill. Building pressure for the long-pending Bill is the need of the hour, said the BRS leader, who held a protest over the issue at Jantar Mantar on March 10. The event organised by Bharat Jagruthi was attended by MPs from the BRS, JMM, DMK, RJD, Samajwadi Party, CPI, Shiv Sena, AAP, RLD, RSP, CPM, VCK and Chandra Shekhar Aazad’s Azad Samaj Party as well as farmer union leaders, women’s organisation representatives and students. Shiv Sena MP Priyanka Chaturvedi said, “When the makers of the Indian Constitution could ensure that women were given an equal right to vote..why cannot the government in power table the Women’s Reservation Bill to ensure greater participation of women in legislative affairs?” RJD MP Manoj Jha, however, also talked about having "reservation within reservation”. “We stand in solidarity with the Bill..we must look for reservation within reservation. We must have a strategy whereby issues are raised in Parliament as well as outside and a mass movement on the road brings Parliament to its knees.” While extending support for the Bill, Samajwadi Party MP S T Hassan said that a country could not be a superpower if its women were not given their due share and respect and “most importantly adequate representation”. Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi MP Thol Tirumavalan said, “The Women’s Reservation Bill is the need of the hour and the delay is grave injustice towards the people of this nation.” DMK MP Thamizhachi Thangapandian assured Kavitha that her party would “use all the interventions to make Women’s Reservation Bill a reality”. “Women are needed in strategic decision-making,” she said. Senior CPI leader Binoy Viswam said, “Patriarchal tendencies have come in the way of the Women’s Reservation Bill. The rights of the women, at this stage in the 21st century, are denied even on matters of giving birth, and even with respect to Parliament. We view this initiative by K Kavitha as a movement.” RLD women’s wing chief Pratibha Singh and leader Bhupinder Chaudhary said that rural women were unaware even of the discussions taking place around the Bill. Mahua Maji, a Rajya Sabha member from the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha, said, “On one hand we are celebrating Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav and on the other, the representation of women in Parliament is abysmally low.” AAP MP Raghav Chaddha extended support to Kavitha’s initiative and said, “The government has a clear majority. It must be put to use to ensure reforms and Bills of greater good are taken care of by the government.” The discussion was also attended by farmer leaders Gurnam Singh Chaduni and Balbir Singh Rajewal, who said that women’s participation had played a key role in the farmer protest. Though passed by the Rajya Sabha in 2010, the Bill was never put to vote in the Lok Sabha. The discussion was also attended by farmer leaders Gurnam Singh Chaduni and Balbir Singh Rajewal, who said that women’s participation had played a key role in the farmer protest. Though passed by the Rajya Sabha in 2010, the Bill was never put to vote in the Lok Sabha.
