Women Reservation
Sir,
There are
provisions in the constitution of India and in
J&K constitution also to protect the rights
and interests of weaker sections of the society.
To ensure protection of rights and interests of
weaker section, there exists provisions for
protective reservations in jobs, legislatures and
in many other areas and ways. This protective
reservation ensures representation of weaker
sections in these spheres of life. Uptil now this
reservation exists for SC, ST, OBCs etc.
Of late, there has
been talk of 30 percent political reservation for
women, Our society is a classic example of
classes. We have classes, castes, tribes, racial
group; groups, sub groups, lobbies, trade unions
welfare associations so on and so forth, all or
sub group represented by them. There are
anomalies galore in the agenda pursued by these
groups. For example, welfare association of a
profit earning enterprise demands more bonus,
whereas employees association of loss incurring
unit asking for release of monthly wages. Rural
people yearning for a bucket of water, whereas
their urban brethren pressing for round the clock
water supply. Rural people aspring for a walking
strip to their village, urbanite asking for
electrification of their roads, widening of roads
etc. Rich have different demands and poor have
different. Women constitute 50 percent of our
populace. But it is illogical to talk that entire
50 percent women folk are one group. Women are
integral part of each and every group and sub
group. We have elite women, educated women, rich,
poor, higher caste, lower caste, backward caste,
urban, rural women. Like other segment of
society, women also are integral part of each and
every group. So entire women folk are not one
group. It is, therefore, illogical to talk of 30
percent reservations for women as one group.
Women are our mothers, sisters, wives, daughters.
It is women who have mothered and nourished the
entire human beings. She is always to be kept at
high esteem. So there is nothing which is against
their reservation in politics but fair share
should go to women of each and every group and
sub groups. Otherwise benefit of women
reservation will be concerned by women of elite
classes and by those belonging to families having
political clout. Women belonging to high Start of
society have different vision and ideology than
those of poor women. So how can they take care of
problems and aspirations of poor women. To ensure
equitable share of women of all classes, it is
but natural that women reservation should be
further divided amongst women belonging to
scheduled caste, scheduled tribe, OBCs and other
groups who cannot come up at their own. Otherwise
women reservation will remain confined to a few
families and fate of all others will remain
uncharged.
So votary of women
reservations should ponder over these issues and
after having found a satisfactory solution to
these issues should fight for it. Without any
satisfactory distribution of women seats, it is
futile to have political reservation for women as
it will be cornered by few already well-to-do.
Yours etc..
Ramesh Chandra
Former Under Secretary
CSIR, Govt. of India.
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