By IANS,
New Delhi : Calling it a great honour to become the country’s first woman speaker, Meira Kumar however said Wednesday she saw the post as being “gender neutral”.
“I really don’t see myself as a woman speaker as it is a gender neutral job and you have to ensure that the house is conducted properly,” Meira Kumar said during an interaction with women journalists here.
“See, women are struggling for their rights at various levels and gradually the society has started accepting them. As the struggle has increased, so has the acceptability. I see my election for the post of Lok Sabha speaker as increased maturity and acceptability of women in the society,” she said.
Meira Kumar added: “Being a speaker I have to ensure that all members of the house get enough time to speak, especially the first time members, and that rules are followed. I am very happy that 296 members in this Lok Sabha are new and of these many are young. For the first time, the parliament has a very good representation with the largest number of women ever,” she said.
On being praised for conducting the proceedings of the house calmly, Meira Kumar said: “I don’t think parliamentarians get aggressive, but in last 10 years it has become a trend that if they have to make a point they come to the well of the house.”
Denying that being a speaker may hamper development work in her constituency, she said: “You see, whatever progressive steps are taken in the country it is through the parliament. I think being a speaker my agenda for development doesn’t get diluted but gets strengthened.”
Speaking on the issue of women’s reservation bill, the speaker said: “Everything depends on consensus of various political parties in Lok Sabha and the speaker doesn’t have a role to play in the passage of any bill.”