Women Reservation Bill - A political gimmick Gender equality and empowerment cannot be rendered just by imposing law in a society.

The foundation of freedom, justice and fraternity is based on the recognition of the inherent dignity and right to all members. The passage of the Women Reservation Bill in Rajya Sabha celebrating the International Women's Day, may manifest empowerment of women textually but in the paradigm of socio-cultural context, women can hardly escape being subordinate to the male dominated system. This can be socially experienced in the working of a panchayat, where, though one third of the seats are reserved for women, they act like mere puppets in the hands of men. Even Parliamentarian from the ruling class parties cannot challenge the economic and social structure that dominates women. Vijayarje Scindia of BJP valorised sati; Sonia Gandhi remains silent to the atrocities by Khap Panchayets in congress ruled Haryana. This indicates less political voice and refrained social and cultural freedom of women. It ensures that just more women participation in the Parliament cannot articulate empowerment of women. It could perhaps give entry to 180 Rabri Devis in the Parliament who would follow the dictates of their husbands, fathers and brothers. The need to have more women legislators will sound meaningful only when the entire women community will get spiritually enlightened. They need to be socially empowered by giving access to education (eradicating illiteracy and creating a gender sensitive educational system), nutrition and health care(malnutrition, infant mortality rate and maternal mortality rates are high). India has the largest population of non-school-going working girls. These girls are employed for unskilled ardous chores with remuneration below the minimum wage, as in, brick factories. A micro study was conducted in the Indian Himalayas, which found that in a hectare farm, a pair of bullocks workout for 1064 hours, man for 1212 hours and a woman for 3485 hours in a year. At an international level the International Labour Organization ensures equal access and equal treatment at work. In order to understand their rights and practice agency by overcoming the restraints imposed by the tabooed society(like in some communities women's access to public area is restricted) women have to construct law in terms of property, inheritance law, allowing divorce on reasonable grounds or protection from violence. They need to have access to the legal system in order to redirect policies for the socio-economic upliftment of women. This arouses the urgency to have women legislators who can shape the content of the law, but empowerment cannot be brought in by reservation. The amendment does not hold good as the preambles declares equality of all members without any discrimination in terms of sex, caste and creed. The concept of reservation is paradoxical as it aims to attain equality, discriminating at the very first place. Reservation Bill for women is passed, as if, believing that women cannot make it to the Parliament by their merits. Moreover Reservation might lead to a forceful filling up of seats by candidates who are not deserving. Selection would be based on gender rather than merit. If there is political and social support for greater participation of women in politics, nothing prevents political parties from choosing female candidates. Outstanding women leaders such as Jayalalita in Tamil Nadu and Mamata Banerjee in West Bengal have come up on their own through persistence and political skills.

The need for women's active participation in politics was recognized in 1996 by Deve Gowra led United Front Government. It could not be passed then because of the lack of political consensus. After fourteen years it got passed in the Rajya Sabha on the 9th of March after a lot of chaos with a majority of 180 votes for it and 1 against it. The bill got passed with the consistent support of the left parties. It is evident that Congress is gathering its social following amongst the women faculty along with the support of the upper class Hindus. It is holding out the sop of reservation for Muslims ,in order to neutralize any negative reaction from the minority community with respect to the women reservation bill as the Congress refuses any further manipulation of the bill(quota within quota ) claimed by the Samajwadi party and RJD. Both, Lalu Prasad Yadav and Mulayam Singh Yadav, considered the bill to be an upper caste conspiracy and therefore the Dalits and the OBC women would not get an opportunity to enter the Parliament. Mr. Lalu prasad Yadav has shown a sexist approach against the political representation of women, proudly declaring that India is a male dominated country and women including his wife follows his dictates. Mulayam Singh Yadav claims for minority quota (for Dalits, OBCs and Muslims). Muslims in spite of having a population of 16%, has only 5.52% representation in the Parliament. With a quota in the Women Reservation Bill their negligence in the political system could have been reduced. Though the policy of reservation never benefits the backward classes and it is the handful upper crust of the society that enjoys the privilege like the Yadavs and the Kurmis. Congress knows that it has to consolidate its hold among the Muslims and drive a wedge in their (Muslim-Yadav) vote bank and has to take on the SP and RJD in UP and Bihar. Its trying to rationalize by saying that Woman Reservation Bill cannot deal with fundamental problems of Indian Parliamentary Democracy. The political parties are razor sharp in their understanding of politics if not the dynamics of women empowerment. Caste discrimination will work itself out if and when the Women's Bill goes through. With a political landscape like this, political parties hegemonizing the "weaker section" of the society for the sake of quenching their appetite to earn votes, social reform movement cannot bring in any change in the attitude of the people, let alone equality and democracy.

-Manami Mallick