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Women's quota bill introduced against all odds

Against great odds, the Women's Reservation Bill was introduced in the Lok Sabha today, ending more than two years of uncertainty.

The bill, providing for 33 per cent reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies, went through a harrowing time, with several governments failing to push it past stiff opposition, both overt and covert, from male members belonging to all parties.

Amidst uproarious scenes, Law Minister M Thambi Durai introduced the bill, much to the delight of the women members who thumped their desks hysterically.

The reaction from Rashtriya Loktantrik Morcha members who had spearheaded the movement for inclusion of backward, dalit, and minority sub-quotas in the bill, was equally vociferous. They raised slogans for immediate withdrawal of the bill, forcing Speaker Ganti Mohana Chandra Balayogi to adjourn the House for 30 minutes. Bahujan Samaj Party members also joined in the protest.

The motion to introduce the bill was put to vote by the Speaker and the House adopted it by a voice vote with the Congress and Left parties joining the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party-led coalition in supporting it.

But thereafter, the agitated RLM and BSP members forced adjournment of the House twice before it was finally adjourned for the day at 1645 hours IST as it became virtually impossible for the chair to carry on the proceedings.

When the House assembled at 1630 hours after the fourth adjournment, the RLM members, supported by the BSP's Arif Mohammed Khan and G M Banatwala of the Muslim League, challenged the legality of the introduction of the bill under Rule 78, but Telugu Desam Party's Yerram Naidu, who was in the chair, disallowed their point of order, saying the Speaker's ruling could not be challenged.

Buta Singh (independent) and Raghuvansh Prasad Singh (RJD) argued that the chair had the inherent power to negate any mistake that had been committed.

The RLM members continued to shout slogans that this "rules-flouting government will not last". But Naidu reiterated his position and adjourned the House for the day.

If the bill -- its official name is the Constitution (84th Amendment) Bill, 1998 -- is passed, the Lower House of Parliament will have as many as 181 women members out of its total strength of 544.

The bill was first introduced on September 12, 1996, and referred to a joint committee of the two houses.

The committee chaired by Geeta Mukherjee of the Communist Party of India submitted its report to the previous Lok Sabha on December 9, 1996. The bill, however, lapsed with the dissolution of the eleventh Lok Sabha.

The BJP-led coalition attempted to introduce a fresh bill during the Budget session of the current Lok Sabha, but the attempt was foiled when two RLM members snatched the copies of the bill from the Speaker and the law minister and tore them up.

The bill was again sought to be taken up last Friday, which led to unpleasant scenes in the House when Trinamul Congress chief Mamata Banerjee blocked an RLM member Daroga Prasad Saroj from reaching the Speaker's podium by holding him by his collar. The House had to be adjourned for the day.

When the House assembled today, the scene was the same. Angry RLM members blocked the proceedings demanding withdrawal of the bill and sought action against Banerjee.

The House had to be adjourned twice in the pre-lunch session.

There was tension in the air even before the House reassembled after lunch. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Madan Lal Khurana was seen giving last-minute instructions to ruling party members -- presumably a strategy to ensure that RLM members do not snatch the copies of the bill.

Thambi Durai was seated in the second row of the ministerial benches, guarded by several ministers.

Samajwadi Party leader Mulayam Singh Yadav, who is also the RLM president, arrived minutes before the House began its business. Anxious RLM members surrounded him for a brief strategy session.

The Speaker, after giving his ruling on Friday's incidents, asked the law minister to introduce the bill, sparking off a fresh round of protest from the RLM members who had by then trooped into the well of the House again.

BSP member Akbar 'Dumpy' Ahmed was seen raising slogans against the bill.

Amidst the din, the minister introduced the bill, the Speaker put it to vote, and it was adopted.

The bill will now be placed for debate for its adoption.

UNI

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