DMK MP Kanimozhi on Wednesday called out the government over the “veil of secrecy (that) shrouded” the drafting and tabling of the women’s reservation bill. The defiant Tamil leader also demanded the government (and society) stop “saluting… worshipping” women and allow them to “walk as equals”. “.. don’t want to be called mother, sister or wife… want to be respected as equal”.
Ms Kanimozhi began by asking if the Bharatiya Janata Party had, in fact, consulted stakeholders – as she had been told earlier – before tabling a bill that has languished for 27 years, and which the opposition has alleged has been rushed to Parliament months before the 2024 general election.
“I myself raised this issue (the women’s bill) many times in Parliament… the government’s reply was very consistent. They said, ‘We have to involve all stakeholders, political parties… and then build a consensus before bringing the bill,” she said as Parliament began its debate on the bill.
READ | NDTV Explainer: What Is Women’s Reservation Bill
“I would like to know what consensus was built… what discussions were held. This bill was brought shrouded in secrecy… we did not know why this (special) session was called for. At the all-party leaders’ meeting there was no mention of this bill… I don’t know if any of the political leaders were called for deliberations. Suddenly the bill popped up on our computers… like a jack-in-the-box.”
“Is this going to be the way this government will function?” she asked with a sarcastic dig at new uniforms – covered with lotus symbols – for Parliament officials, “Like we are suddenly seeing lotuses blooming from the uniforms of secretariat staff. Is everything going to be a surprise like this?”
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As she began her speech Ms Kanimozhi – who frequently responds to jibes in Hindi with retorts in Tamil, told hecklers, “I don’t understand what you (her hecklers) are saying… Why do you speak when I can’t understand?” – and quoted social reformer EV Ramasamy ‘Periyar’, to say, “… the pretence of men – that they respect women and strive for their freedom – is a ruse to deceive them.”
In her speech Ms Kanimozhi also laid out a brief history of the various iterations of the women’s bill, noting her party’s support on each instance, and underlined her Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam’s support for the Congress in claiming what Sonia Gandhi called “apna (our)” bill.
As others have, she also slammed the BJP for presenting a bill that cannot come into effect before the 2029 general election because it requires a delimitation, or redrawing of parliamentary constituencies, exercise that, in turn, relies on a national census scheduled for 2027.
#WATCH | Women’s Reservation Bill | DMK MP Kanimozhi says, “I myself have raised this issue of bringing the Reservation Bill many times in Parliament. To many of my starred and unstarred questions, the Govt’s reply was very consistent. They said that they have to involve all… pic.twitter.com/8gAJzAbopa
— ANI (@ANI) September 20, 2023
“… like the crores and crores of my sister, who are waiting for this bill to be passed, my heart also sank (when it became clear it could not be passed before the next election) when we were told we had to wait… and we don’t know when actually the bill is going to be implemented.”
“This bill is called the ‘Nari Shakti Vandan Bill’ (but) stop saluting us! We do not want to be saluted… put on a pedestal… to be worshipped… to be called mothers, your sister or wife. We want to be respected as equals. Let us get down from the pedestal and walk as equals,” she said.
“We have the right to this country. This country belongs to us. This Parliament belongs to us…”
READ | Women’s Reservation Bill Does Not Need Ratification By States
She also pointed out the bill introduced by the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government in 2010 had no conditions and that it was to “take effect immediately after the passage…”
In 2010 the bill passed the Rajya Sabha but faltered in the Lok Sabha after the Samajwadi Party and the Rashtriya Janata Dal – both now part of the INDIA bloc with the DMK and Congress – withdrew support. They wanted a quota for women from backward classes within the proposed 33 per cent.
The day’s debate began with Sonia Gandhi making a similar demand and calling for immediate implementation. The BJP’s Nishikant Dubey then accused the Congress of making claims “for political angles” and pointed out such a demand had not been part of the Congress’ bill.
READ | Sonia Gandhi vs BJP In Lok Sabha On Women’s Reservation Bill
Pointing out the bill already has a provision for reservation for women from SC and ST communities, Mr Dubey said the Congress and the opposition had not tabled the bill (when the UPA was in power) and were now upset as Prime Minister Narendra Modi had showed the courage to do so.
The proposed law promises 33 per cent quota for women in parliament and state legislatures, but this may not come into force until 2029, NDTV has learned. The quota can only be implemented after the first delimitation after the bill becomes law, which is likely to happen in 2027 since constituency redrawing only occurs after the next census.
With input from agencies
