By TwoCircles.net Staff Correspondent,
Kochi: Dalit and Muslim backward classes should be allowed special quota in women’s reservation for their upliftment, said Dr Haseena Hashiya, member of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board. She demanded that necessary changes should be made to that effect when the Bill is presented in the Parliament. Ms Hashiya was inaugurating the seminar on ‘Women’s reservation: scopes and challenges’ organised by the women’s wing of the Jamat e Islami Hind. The seminar was organised prior to the state women’s conference to be held on January 24 at Kuttippuram in Malappuram.
Ms Hashiya said that population-wise representation in legislative assemblies and local self-government institutions was necessary for the success of democracy. Women who make up about half of the population face disparity always in political, social and economic fields. Women who amount to 48.6% of the population have only a very meagre representation in the 16th Lok Sabha. The lack of opportunities is the reason for women not coming up to the forefront. The Sachar Committee has made it clear that Muslims were even behind the Scheduled Castes. The condition of Muslim women is more pathetic than this. So there should be opportunities to present their social problems. The progress and empowerment of the marginalised sections including Muslim women are necessary for the country. Reservation of 50% and reservation inside reservation only can uplift women to the forefront, she added.
[Photos by SDI]
It is sad that the Parliament is only discussing about one-third reservation even six decades after the attainment of independence, said Adv Satheedevi, former Member of Parliament. Women have right for 50% reservation. She added that speaking of quota for backward classes when demanding women’s reservation is actually to delay the reservation.
Reservation is the basic right of women and not anybody’s charity, said CK Janu, convenor of the Adivasi Gothra Sabha. Quota inside reservation is necessary for the upliftment of the backward women, said Adv KP Mariyumma, Malappuram district president of Vanitha League, women’s wing of the Muslim League.
Political parties should be ready to present examples by carrying out reservation in the leadership, said Sauda Padanna, member of Jamat e Islami women’s state committee. Islam has never opposed women coming into the political and social fields. However, revolution can’t be made by avoiding family, she added presenting the topic.
OV Abida (state committee member of the Girls Islamic Organisation) and PV Rahmabi (state vice-president of the women’s wing of Jamat e Islami) also spoke. Presents were distributed to the winners of the essay and reading competitions conducted by the GIO as part of the Reading Day.
KK Fathima Suhra, state president of the Jamt e Islami women’s wing, presided over the function. KN Sulaikha, district president, delivered the vote of thanks.