Not agitation by women, but the goodwill of men contributing to women’s reservation

By O.J.George

There were reports in patches by some women’s associations that the agitations launched by them from time to time have culminated in the conferment of one-third quota for women in the Lok Sabha and Assemblies.

No doubt, the women have been making a clarion call all these years. And it was just and fair that they have been campaigning for a just cause.

But don’t forget that all menfolk think like Mulayam Singh Yadav, Lalu Prasad Yadav and Sharad Yadav.

There are millions of men who do not fall under anti-women planks who have contributed to creating a mindset that would allow greater participation for women in public life.

In fact, some men were finding easy justification for denying more women’s representation pointing out undesirable tendencies that prevailed among the fairer sex which should only be ignored. There would always be some blemishes, but those shortfalls should not be generalised.

In the years to come, the women would behave in a better and far more desirable way than many of the menfolk.

If the women do not perform the way they are expected to, they would naturally be in bad light. And they cannot afford to do that.

Heavens are not going to fall if more women come up to don positions of political power.

The arguments for deferring the women’s reservation bill for inclusion of a quota within a quota for minorities and the like is only a ruse to scuttle the piece of legislation that is going to transform the very functioning of the polity.

In the years to come men will have to concede fifty per cent of reservation for women. Let there be no perfunctory handling of the issue.