Juhi Manhas Pathania
ddcudhampur@gmail.com
Awake, Arise and stop not until the goal is achieved-Swami Vivekananda
Female power is the unyielding fire that rises from ashes of disrespect-forged when Raja Ram Mohan Roy fought Sati’s brutality in 1829, when Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar battled for Hindu widows’ remarriage amid ridicule in 1856, and when millions rallied after Nirbhaya’s 2012 horror, turning violation into a nationwide roar for justice. This is the punchline and path ahead for women across India, yesterday’s dreams now demanding enactment in Parliament.
India, that is Bharat, stands at an epoch-making constitutional precipice-not from lack of legislative will, but a calculated ambush. As Parliament’s recent session underscores the stalling of the historic Women’s Reservation Bill, a stark reality emerges: for many in the opposition, “Nari Shakti” is a street slogan, strangled in the House.
The Anatomy of an Ambush
The Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam (106th Amendment) was meant as democracy’s “cashed cheque.” Yet, opposition demands to delink it from a delayed Census-cloaked in “quota within quota” or “North-South divide” concerns-reveal an “Old Guard” consensus upholding patriarchal status quo under procedural perfectionism. These aren’t principled stands; they’re tools to shield incumbency from women’s rise.
The Delimitation Dilemma as a Shield
For decades, women’s representation languished hostage to delimitation’s ghost. The proposed expansion to 816 Lok Sabha seats aimed to shatter this by carving “new space,” not redistributing “old territory.” Opposition obstruction, claiming federalism and OBC protection, ensures zero reserved seats for any woman. As Home Minister Amit Shah noted, they’ve invited the “wrath of women” at the ballot box.
Beyond Tokenism: Betraying Participation
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s call to not deprive Nari Shakti of opportunities met a wall of resistance. This wasn’t policy debate; it was stalling a tectonic shift from “protection” to “participation”-from Panchayati Raj grassroots to commanding defense, finance, and external affairs, echoing 19th-century reformers. The opposition’s resistance traps the “Mother of Democracy” in a patriarchal past.
Not Government Failure, Opposition Sabotage
The ice had broken, but opposition threw salt to halt the melt. If stalled, 2026 won’t mark government failure, but opposition sabotage. They’ve won numbers, lost moral ground. History will note: when India could legislate equality, the Old Guard slammed the door.
Optimism fuels achievement, but the Indian woman now wields transparency to spot true allies from obstructors. She will fight for it in the streets-and beyond.
(The author is a J&K-based lawyer and political commentator. She served as Vice Chairperson of the District Development Council, Udhampur.)
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