TMC’s challenge – get 56-inch chest PM to pass Women-Reservation-Bill: Even if one-third of the women MPs come, will the party line be able to cross?

The demand for passage of the Women’s Reservation Bill, which has been hanging in the balance for a long time, has once again gained momentum. Regarding the bill, Trinamool Congress (TMC) has demanded from the Modi government that one-third seats in Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha be reserved for women by introducing the Women’s Reservation Bill before the end of the budget session.

TMC MP Derek O’Brien in Rajya Sabha is planning to introduce the Women’s Reservation Bill under Rule 168 of the House. Derek O’Brien made a tweet before the start of Rajya Sabha proceedings on Monday, in which the PMO has also been tagged. In the tweet, he has challenged the Modi government to pass the Women’s Reservation Bill. MP Derek O’Brien wrote, “The challenge for the Prime Minister with 56 inches chest is to introduce the Women’s Reservation Bill in the Rajya Sabha before the end of the budget session. Modi government should accept this challenge and vote on the bill under Rule 168 of the House.

Why women empowerment is not on the agenda of the government?
TMC MP Derek had said on Sunday that our party recognizes the important role of women in the development of society and the development of the nation. TSC is committed to providing 33 per cent reservation for women in Lok Sabha and state assemblies. The central government wants to take forward the Criminal Identification Bill, MCD Act. My question is why women empowerment is not in the agenda of the central government?

Where and how to get 33 percent reservation for women?
There is talk of giving reservation to women in two ways. First- to reserve one-third seats in Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha for women MPs and second- 33 percent reservation for women in party tickets. However, there is no mention of the number of women ticketed by political parties in the bill. Only one-third of the seats in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha have been said to be reserved for women.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Women’s Reservation Bill
Benefit: Political expert Ashutosh says that if the Women’s Reservation Bill becomes a law, then the full participation of half the country’s population will be seen in making the law. Issues related to women will be taken up on priority in Parliament. While making laws, women will be given full attention, whereas at present women are ahead of men in voting, but still they are sidelined while making laws.

Harm: What will happen if women do not get reservation in Parliament? Think of it like this – if three parties have given tickets to women candidates in the same seat and any two parties have fielded a male leader of high stature from there. That is, now 33 percent of the population will directly compete with 66 percent of the men. In such a situation, if the male leader wins, then the three parties will not get any benefit of giving reservation to women in the ticket. But if a seat is reserved for women, then all parties will field their female candidate there. In such a situation, win from any party, but only female candidate will win.

Will the women of the political family take advantage?
Some people opposing the Women’s Reservation Bill say that after its passage, one-third of the seats in the Assembly and Lok Sabha will be reserved for women only. In such a situation, the people of the political family can take their daughters and daughters-in-law from here, due to which the trend of familyism in politics will increase further.

However, it is not as if in Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha elections only women will contest and their father or husband will work, just like in Sarpanch and Pradhan elections. A vivid example of this is BJP leader in Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly Dayashankar Singh and his wife Swati Singh. Swati may have entered politics to save her husband’s politics, but she proved herself and performed her responsibility as a minister in the Yogi government.

Will there be any benefit of increasing the number of women in Parliament?
Women MPs have been demanding from time to time to pass the Women’s Reservation Bill. The question is, if the number of women in Parliament increases, will it be easier for anyone to pass the bill? In response to this, Professor Asha Singh of the Department of Women’s Studies, Tata Institute of Social Science, Mumbai says that it is not so. Suppose there are 15 per cent women in the Lok Sabha at present and they want to get a bill passed, but their party is not in support of that bill, then the party line will come in the way of women MPs. In such a situation, she would like to refrain from voting in support of this bill.