As the Women’s Reservation Bill was introduced in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday, the Opposition found two salient points to assail the government. The political factions lamented that the Bill represented a “massive betrayal” of women’s aspirations, primarily due to its vague implementation timeline. Simultaneously, they chastised the government for neglecting the allocation of reserved seats for marginalized communities.
Back in 2010, the Congress party encountered insurmountable obstacles attempting to push this legislation through the Lok Sabha. The Samajwadi Party (SP) and the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) staunchly opposed it, demanding a quota within a quota for Other Backward Classes (OBCs) and minority groups. On this recent Tuesday, as parties affiliated with the INDIA alliance breathed a collective sigh of relief upon discovering reasons to critique the Bill, the Congress strategically shifted its stance to advocate for OBC reservations. This move aligns with the broader Opposition’s push for a comprehensive caste-based census. The discourse surrounding social justice may emerge as a potent weapon in the Opposition’s arsenal for the 2024 elections.
While most political entities, including the Congress, are unlikely to outright oppose the Bill, the Opposition is poised to advocate for OBC reservations during parliamentary discussions. In a significant development, Congress president and Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge, set the stage during his speech on Tuesday. He emphasized that it’s crucial to provide one-third reservation to OBCs through a Constitutional amendment; otherwise, women from these communities will be deprived of its benefits, resulting in a grave injustice.
Subsequently, senior Congress leader K C Venugopal expressed appreciation for the government’s introduction of the Bill but urged further action, particularly concerning OBC reservations. The official Congress stance labeled the Bill as a “jumla,” a term implying empty promises and political posturing. Jairam Ramesh, Congress’s communications chief, characterized it as a significant betrayal of the aspirations of countless Indian women and girls. He criticized the Bill’s conditional implementation, contingent on the completion of the next census and subsequent delimitation exercises, and questioned whether these steps would be completed before the 2024 elections.
Additionally, various Opposition parties signaled their intent to propose amendments advocating for OBC reservations. The CPI(M) and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) criticized the government’s approach, while the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), Samajwadi Party (SP), and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) reiterated their demand for a quota within a quota for OBCs and minorities. Brinda Karat, a senior CPI(M) leader, asserted that the Bill would lead to continued deprivation of women until the next Census and delimitation exercise. She lamented the potential absence of one-third representation for women in Parliament and many state Assemblies in the 2024 elections.
Delhi minister and AAP leader Atishi characterized a closer examination of the Bill’s provisions as a scheme to deceive women. She highlighted the inclusion of delimitation and Census-related clauses, suggesting that women’s reservations might not be implemented before the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Consequently, she demanded the removal of these provisions and the immediate implementation of women’s reservations for the 2024 elections.
Senior RJD leader Manoj K Jha derided the government’s commitment as a mere post-dated promise, lacking credibility. BSP chief Mayawati emphasized that her party would only support the Bill if it included women from SC, ST, and OBC communities. She proposed allocating 50% reservation for women based on their population and ensuring separate reservations for women belonging to these categories. Mayawati stressed that these additional reservations should not dilute the existing SC and ST reservations.
SP president Akhilesh Yadav called for clarity on the allocation of reserved seats, specifically targeting backward, Dalit, minority, and tribal women. He insisted that women’s reservations should strike a balance between gender and social justice.
In this intricate political landscape, the Women’s Reservation Bill has sparked a contentious debate, with various factions seeking to advance their agendas and champion the cause of marginalized communities. The outcome of these deliberations remains uncertain, but the discourse on social justice and gender equity promises to be a defining theme in the lead-up to the 2024 elections.
