Ever since I can remember the Congress has wanted to sincerely work for the empowerment for women. After all this is the only party where women have been encouraged and rewarded. The top posts today, that is the President of India who has been a political figure for decades; the Speaker of Parliament are both women who are performing their duties to perfection. The Congress may be the only party in whose rule you find so many lady governors in different states. The Congress has been for many years trying to tell their allied parties about how important it is for the women reservation bill to come through. But unfortunately a consensus could not be reached.
The long delayed women’s reservation bill now looks poised to finally pass through parliament. Having crossed the hurdle being cleared by the cabinet. The bill has been hanging in Limbo in various versions for a decade or more. The Congress party has always insisted that it is serious and passionate about seeing the bill through. But the karma of coalition politics that has dogged Congress Government in previous avatars prevented it from moving forward. But this time it seems that its set to pass. There was of course an attempt during the cabinet meeting by some Congress men to try and suggest that it should go to the Rajya Sabha first but fortunately it was over ruled.
But both Manmohan Singh and Sonia Gandhi are quiet clear that this is a bill whose time has come. Indeed, it has the potential of completely changing the nature and nurture of Indian political life. And women cutting across all party lines see this as a huge victory in a battle that sometimes seemed never to end.
Once passed this Act will seriously affect all parties and the very nature of governance. Whilst the Laloo’s and Mulayam’s will predictably storm out of Parliament during the final debate the real reason is that this Act could severely constrain parties like theirs with an obvious male and caste dominance. They could see seriously poll reversals since their vote banks could get eroded. But in big parties i.e. the Congress and BJP that will have to do the most work. Women in parties, other than inheritors and a few favored otherwise, have had to struggle to get tickets to fight. With this sea change the big parties will have to scramble to get new talent and make them accept the challenge of polls. This will be a whole new ball game for parties with established war horses minding most states that they have hopes of winning. It is also very important that the kind of women who come into politics now. The screening committee of all parties have to make sure that the committed sincere and useful women are selected. Just to fill in the reserved constituencies without seeing the criteria needed for the lady to present her constituency should obviously be given preference. Otherwise it would be unfair to the Aam Admi.
How all this will play out and who will emerge with an advantage is the new big googly of Indian politics. And this is one where only one thing is certain. Either way, women win and hopefully with that, the polity too.
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