The Yadavs could not prevent passing of Women’s Reservation Bill, however hard they tried to scuttle it

By O.J.George

It goes to the credit of the fledgling democracy of India that the main Opposition party and the main ruling party joined together to pass the historic women’s Reservation Bill in the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday with two-thirds majority of the members present and voting as required for a Constitutional amendment.

Now it has to be passed by the Lok Sabha as well as more than half of the state legislatures for the law to become a reality.
There are a few capable women in various spheres of life in India, but now they would get one-third reservation as per law. No one can prevent them from contesting in seats allotted to them.

The chauvinistic menfolk were, it seems, against the rotational reservation to women , seatwise. The stalwarts who were guarding particular constituencies as their lifetime fiefdom will have to look to other places when their own constituencies get reserved for women. Maybe they will ask their spouses to contest from such seats.
Times are changing and the writing on the wall has to be respected. Women who are better finance managers at home can take over many functions in a responsible manner. Those who condemn them, taking stray cases of aberration, would be in for a surprise when women take up their legislative functions effectively.

Passing of this piece of legislation has not been easy, for there have been attempts during the last 14 years and all the time it got scuttled. Now there has been a concerted attempt and the players deserve kudos for seeing the bill through. If it can be passesd in the Rajya Sabha, it could very well be followed through in the Lok Sabha as well.