One of the leading proponents of a law ensuring a more equitable representation of women in law-making bodies, Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) MLC K Kavitha, hailed the passage of the women’s reservation bill in the Lok Sabha as a significant step toward ensuring stronger and more significant participation of women in the political process.
However, while hailing the passage of the women’s quota Bill, she added that the exclusion of an “OBC sub-quota” from the draft legislation was “painful”.
The daughter of Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao wrote to the supremos of 47 political parties, including West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, earlier, calling on them to set aside political differences and prioritise the passage of the women’s reservation Bill in the ongoing Special Session of Parliament, which began on Monday.
Earlier, in March, the BRS MLC sat on a hunger strike, demanding the tabling and passage of the bill.
“I congratulate all fellow citizens, especially women, on the passage of this Bill,” Kavitha remarked after the Bill was passed by an overwhelming majority in the Lower House. This represents a significant advancement in the goal of increasing women’s political participation. The democratic underpinnings of the nation will undoubtedly be strengthened by this law. Since we are the largest democracy in the world, the level of discussion in our legislature would improve if more women participated.
On the non-provision of an OBC sub-quota in the draft legislation, she said, “There are a couple of ommissions that catch one’s eye. Not providing a sub-quota for OBC women is painful. They should have added a sub-quota in the Bill as it would ensured a similar representation of women from backward classes in the legislative process,” she said.