Oppose the Undemocratic Womens Reservation Bill
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Indian Parliament
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Sponsored By:
Manushi -
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The 108th Constitutional Amendment Bill is yet another example of the growing gap between pious promises and actual results of government policies and legislation in India.
The Bill provides for reservation on rotation basis through a lottery system, which means that two-thirds of the incumbent members will be forcibly unseated in every general election and the remaining will remain in a limbo till the last moment. Such compulsory unseating violates the basic principal of democratic representation and jeopardises the possibility of effective planning to contest by nurturing a political constituency for both male and female candidates. As legislators will be denied the possibility of seeking re election from the same constituency, politics will become even less accountable than at present. Since a seat will be reserved once in 15 years, males who will be pushed out of their constituency are likely to field their own female relatives as proxy candidates as a stopgap arrangement and women will not get the chance to cultivate deep roots in their constituency. Women will be ghettoised and forced to fight elections only against other women. They will lack the legitimacy of being mainstream politicians. Moreover, this Bill is completely silent about women's representation in Rajya Sabha and Legislative Councils.
It is unfortunate that the UPA Government under pressure from the CPM did not take several more viable alternative proposals that have been mooted in the last few years for enhancing the representation of women in legislatures. The Alternative Bill proposed by Manushi CSDS and Loksatta has received the endorsement of the Election Commission and several political parties who are opposed to the recently tabled Bill.
We have proposed that a law be enacted amending The Representation of the People Act, 1951, to make it mandatory for every recognized political party to nominate women candidates for election in atleast one-third of the constituencies. In the event of any recognized party failing to nominate one-third women candidates, for the shortfall of every single woman candidate, two male candidates of the party shall lose the party symbol and affiliation and all the recognition-related advantages. (For details see issue No 116 at www.manushi-india.org )
This Bill has the following advantages: Firstly, parties will be free to field women candidates where they can offer a good fight rather than in pre-fixed lottery based constituencies, where they may or may not have viable women candidates. Thus there is flexibility and promotion of natural leadership. A woman candidate will be contesting both against female and/or male candidates of rival parties. The democratic choice of voters is not restricted to compulsorily electing only women candidates.
Unlike with the lottery system of reserved constituencies, in which women's presence is likely to get ossified at 33 percent since there would be resistance to letting women contest from non-reserved constituencies, this model allows for far greater flexibility in the number and proportion of women being elected to legislatures. If women are candidates for one-third of all seats contested by each party, theoretically they could even win the vast majority of seats - all on merit.
Another major advantage of our Alternative Bill is that it obviates the need for a quota within a quota. Since the onus of fielding women candidates will be each party, those who are concerned about increased representation of OBC, BC women can field as many BC/OBC women as they think appropriate. Given the prevailing electoral arithmetic, OBC, BC communities have a great numerical edge over so-called upper castes. That is how most of our state legislatures are heavily dominated by OBC/BC men even without a reserved quota for them. The same caste arithmetic will work in favour of women of these communities.
This Bill is likely to face endless delays and obstructions because it requires an amendment to the Constitution, which mandates a 2/3 vote in favour of the Bill in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. Thereafter, it has to be ratified by at least half of the state legislatures. Given the overt and covert opposition to this Bill within all parties, including the Congress, the Bill will face endless hurdles and delays along the way. By contrast the Alternative Bill proposed by Manushi can be passed by a simply majority in the two Houses since all it requires is an amendment to the Representation of Peoples' Act.
We therefore request you to oppose this discriminatory and undemocratic bill by signing this petition to send a powerful message to the Indian Legislature.
About Manushi
Manushi has been active voice for women rights since 1979 and has been involved in numerous initiatives for achieving gender equality and for the welfare of women. More details about Manushi and its activities can be found on www.manushi-india.org
The Bill provides for reservation on rotation basis through a lottery system, which means that two-thirds of the incumbent members will be forcibly unseated in every general election and the remaining will remain in a limbo till the last moment. Such compulsory unseating violates the basic principal of democratic representation and jeopardises the possibility of effective planning to contest by nurturing a political constituency for both male and female candidates. As legislators will be denied the possibility of seeking re election from the same constituency, politics will become even less accountable than at present. Since a seat will be reserved once in 15 years, males who will be pushed out of their constituency are likely to field their own female relatives as proxy candidates as a stopgap arrangement and women will not get the chance to cultivate deep roots in their constituency. Women will be ghettoised and forced to fight elections only against other women. They will lack the legitimacy of being mainstream politicians. Moreover, this Bill is completely silent about women's representation in Rajya Sabha and Legislative Councils.
It is unfortunate that the UPA Government under pressure from the CPM did not take several more viable alternative proposals that have been mooted in the last few years for enhancing the representation of women in legislatures. The Alternative Bill proposed by Manushi CSDS and Loksatta has received the endorsement of the Election Commission and several political parties who are opposed to the recently tabled Bill.
We have proposed that a law be enacted amending The Representation of the People Act, 1951, to make it mandatory for every recognized political party to nominate women candidates for election in atleast one-third of the constituencies. In the event of any recognized party failing to nominate one-third women candidates, for the shortfall of every single woman candidate, two male candidates of the party shall lose the party symbol and affiliation and all the recognition-related advantages. (For details see issue No 116 at www.manushi-india.org )
This Bill has the following advantages: Firstly, parties will be free to field women candidates where they can offer a good fight rather than in pre-fixed lottery based constituencies, where they may or may not have viable women candidates. Thus there is flexibility and promotion of natural leadership. A woman candidate will be contesting both against female and/or male candidates of rival parties. The democratic choice of voters is not restricted to compulsorily electing only women candidates.
Unlike with the lottery system of reserved constituencies, in which women's presence is likely to get ossified at 33 percent since there would be resistance to letting women contest from non-reserved constituencies, this model allows for far greater flexibility in the number and proportion of women being elected to legislatures. If women are candidates for one-third of all seats contested by each party, theoretically they could even win the vast majority of seats - all on merit.
Another major advantage of our Alternative Bill is that it obviates the need for a quota within a quota. Since the onus of fielding women candidates will be each party, those who are concerned about increased representation of OBC, BC women can field as many BC/OBC women as they think appropriate. Given the prevailing electoral arithmetic, OBC, BC communities have a great numerical edge over so-called upper castes. That is how most of our state legislatures are heavily dominated by OBC/BC men even without a reserved quota for them. The same caste arithmetic will work in favour of women of these communities.
This Bill is likely to face endless delays and obstructions because it requires an amendment to the Constitution, which mandates a 2/3 vote in favour of the Bill in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. Thereafter, it has to be ratified by at least half of the state legislatures. Given the overt and covert opposition to this Bill within all parties, including the Congress, the Bill will face endless hurdles and delays along the way. By contrast the Alternative Bill proposed by Manushi can be passed by a simply majority in the two Houses since all it requires is an amendment to the Representation of Peoples' Act.
We therefore request you to oppose this discriminatory and undemocratic bill by signing this petition to send a powerful message to the Indian Legislature.
About Manushi
Manushi has been active voice for women rights since 1979 and has been involved in numerous initiatives for achieving gender equality and for the welfare of women. More details about Manushi and its activities can be found on www.manushi-india.org
141 Signatures
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Rajesh Kumar
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Vimal Kishen
- Comments
- The Petition is commendable and reflects my thoughts
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Ankur Gupta
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Anuradha Dev
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SIVA REDDY
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eraghavarayudu
- Comments
- IT IS UNNECCARY TO WOMEN
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vidhu
- Comments
- Almost all christians, muslims, sikhs & jews are murderers. Almost all other murderers are christians, but are in the disguise of non-christians. Ref.: www.myspace.com/vidhu2
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chadha
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kapur
- Comments
- I support this petition. But it is also important to know that christian priests are the biggest terrorists, because they bribe terrorists & criminals (like maoists, naxals, ltte, ulfas, ISKCON, sonia gandhi, british & other westerners, & ugandan & other africans) to murder non-christians. Ref.: www.myspace.com/vidhu3
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Swarup Sarkar
- Comments
- Women's Reservation Bill: Denying Citizens Rights to Contest in Elections.
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Vivek Deveshwar
- Comments
- I support reservation for women candidates by political parties, not by lottery system as in proposed WRB
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Prassoon Suryadas
- Comments
- The most Sexist bill democratic world has ever witnessed. This should go in dustbin.
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Durga Prasad Kollu
- Comments
- I strongly oppose this bill because it is against talent,intelligence etc
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Virag
- Comments
- This bill is thoroughly undemocratic, unconstitutional and does not deserve the light of the day. If old alpha male politicians are not giving up their power positions, then that is their problem, why should 110 million men suffer for that?
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Ramnath J
- Comments
- The Women's Reservation Bill is undemocratic.
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Sachin Kumbalpuri
- Comments
- The proposed Womens Reservation Bill is discriminatory, arbitrary , undemocratic and unconstitutional. This is yet another attempt by radical feminists to use their gender for furthering their own political interests, at the cost of the nation and ironically, other women.
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BEENA SHRIDHAR VYAWAHARE NASHIK
- Comments
- BILL HAS TO BE PASSED - THROW AWAY SUCH POLITICIANS THOSE WHO OPPOSE THIS BILL
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shravan
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Pardeep
- Comments
- Reserrvation is no solution for any kind matter. Reservation is a child of slavary mindset only.
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Ramesh Ramamoorthy
- Comments
- The Women's Reservation Bill in current form is undemocratic.This bill attempts to deny 110 million Indian men the right to contest in elections.
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Abhishek
- Comments
- MPs and Govt of India keep making mockery of and raping the Constitution of India by drafting and passing gender-biased bills. India now needs a Militray Rule!!
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Nilay Goyal
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Vikas Taneja
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Sudha Mogde
- Comments
- This reservation is like a crutch for handicapped person. Does it mean women of India are handicapped? No we are not handicapped. This bill is a slap in the face to the very soul of woman hood. I am a woman and come from a impoverished family and like any impoverished i crossed all hurdles to where I am. I am a woman and I am a able bodied person. Hence I need no reservation.
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hari
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Pravin
- Comments
- Women Reservation : Shame on Domecracy
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Ragu
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Paramjit Singh Aujla
- Comments
- Its totally a unconstitutional move
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Deepa Vaidyanathan
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Sandesh V Chopdekar
- Comments
- This bill will create a huge mess in our country. Enough of reservations.
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arun
- Comments
- This law is undemocratic and violates the equality principle. politicians are saying women are not getting the opportunities to contest election but if we check the last stats we can see 556 women contested the election out of 572 seats.it clearly resmbels there is no dicrimination against women.though only 59 passed we cannot say they lost due to discrimination may be they lost to a superior candidate.nowadays everywhere law is biased against men this adds to another such instance
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Pranathi
- Comments
- Reservations in a democratic country)?? ridiculous! all reservatiosn should be banned
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sruthi budidha
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Harish Achappa
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Kailash Ch. Sahu
- Comments
- You are creating a imbalance in the Indian Democracy by giving reservation. If the modern women are competent enough then, let them show it by their own skills, talents and achievents, not over the alms(reservation) offered to them. It is disheartining that our FEMALES counterparts have grown so old and sick, that they have used "Reservation" as a PROP !! I feel pity on them
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saurabh mehra
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VijayKumar Jaina
- Comments
- В
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Manoj David
- Comments
- I welcome this bill BUT not in it's current form, this bill is undemocratic bill and a lottery system. The bill needs to look into beyond votebank politics to empower women ALSO (a) what are it's impacts on the alternate governance- i mean family system? (b) Does the govt. intent to replace family system with individuals and Provide social security?. (c) Does India govt.have trillions of dollars like US to provide social security? (d) Does the India govt. intent to bring in more tax laws and burden the already overloaded MIDDLE-CLASS? (e) Does the Indian govt. want MIDDLE-CLASS to become a votebank?
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Rashmi Machado
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Anirudh Shastry
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lavanya
- Comments
- this bill is against democracy.
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Rajesh Majji
- Comments
- MAkes absolute sense to me
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Bharat Gupta
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punit
- Comments
- No Reservation
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kumar kushal
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Akhil
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Pushpal S.
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Milon
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Ritu
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Ragu
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141
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