This Article is From Mar 07, 2010

Women's bill: Race for credit begins

New Delhi: With the passing of the Women's Reservation Bill now being seen as a formality, there seems to be a race among various political parties to claim credit.

"Sonia Gandhi is keeping a promise made," Law Minister Veerappa Moily said.

For the first time since 2004 the Congress is breaking UPA ranks, banking on opponents BJP and the Left for passing the bill. But in its quest to take credit, the BJP is desperately talking to ally JD(U) to end its opposition. It is also hoping that the NDA it leads stays intact.

"The BJP will back the bill, it was the party's dream to implement," BJP president Nitin Gadkari.

The Left, despite its depleted numbers in 2009 polls, has championed women's quota. It is now talking to Rashtriya Janatan Dal (RJD) and Samajwadi Party (SP) to back the bill, as the two are set to stall and claim credit among backward class voters.

"Iske khilaf sangharsh har tarah se hoga," RJD president Lalu Yadav said.

But the big players, out to claim the credit, are as guilty of not promoting women as those opposing the bill. During the last general elections the Congress, BJP and the Left fielded 829 males, but only 85 women candidates. The JD(U), SP and RJD put up 323 men and just 28 women.

But the women quota bill is not just about who is supporting, who is opposing or who is out to steal credit. The Indian Constitution's Article 14 guarantees equality to women, Article 15 guarantees no discrimination and Article 16 equal opportunity. The Constitution has so much for women, but since 1950 we as a nation have failed the Constitution. The quota bill is an attempt to rectify the failure.
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