By Saiyed Danish, TwoCircles.net,
New Delhi: In a massive show of urgency and solidarity, women came out on streets to demand the passage of the 33% Women’s Reservation Bill that has been waiting a debate in LokSabha for over three years now. The bill that was passed in the RajyaSabha will lapse and the years of struggle will be undone, putting a decade-and-half old demand in jeopardy. The event was christened as ‘33% Now’.
The passage of women reservation bill has been a promise made by all leading coalitions like UPA, NDA and left parties in their last manifestos. The coalition members will advocate with various political leaders and urge upon them to mobilize support of their party colleagues on this important issue. The campaign is also being rallied through a strong online and mobile push to connect with the youth, particularly women from various backgrounds.
The Public Meeting was followed by a march to Parliament. Hundreds of women from various parts of the country came together for this ‘Aam Sabha.’
The demand for action came various speakers such as Dr. Syeda Hameed, Member of the Planning Commission, Ms. Nandita Das, an award-winning Indian film actress, Dr. Prabha Thakur, Member of Parliament (LokSabha), Ms.Brinda Karat ,Former Member of Parliament and esteemed representatives of the various groups such as Ms. Jagmati Sangwan, Ms. Shabnam Hashmi, Dr. Ranjana Kumari, Ms. Annie Raja, Ms. Shobha Ozha, Ms. Rekha Mody, Ms. Kamla Bhasin,Ms. Albeena Shakil, Mr. Harsh Mander, Ms. Mohamedi, Mr.Parvinder Singh, Ms. Rahila Perween, Ms. Sahba Farooqi, Ms. Sunila Singh, Ms. Vijay Lakshmi, Ms.Madhu, Ms.Chitra Mudgal, Ms. Shyamkali and many more.
Speaking to TCN on the occasion AHHAD director Shabnam Hashmi pointed out at the main hurdles lying in the way of 33% women reservation in the Parliament by saying, “The political parties show no political will on this issue otherwise the bill could have been passed in the current session also and that too very easily.
She also held that the menace of patriarchy among the leaders of various political parties also played a dangerous role in creating logjams in the House. “When the issue of women reservation comes all the male top-notch leaders of the party unite in a peculiar way to oppose the step taken in the direction of women empowerment,” she said.
CPI women leader Jagmati Sangwan was also present at the occasion and addressed the crowd of hundreds of enthusiastic women at the gathering by stating that “Women must get up to fight for their rights. It is time to stand up against the violence and mistreatment of women by men and so the issue of 33% women reservation is the right demand by us which will the gaps of ages and bring women at par with men.”
“The voting pattern in our county shows that women participate more than men in the democratic process and they also fare better in studies and improving in other vocations which are considered only men’s fields of work. Women have become aware now and they have understood the betrayal of both the UPA and the BJP on this issue,” she opined while speaking to TCN.
Yasenin Inceoglse, a Turkish sympathizer of the movement, who is also a professor at Jawahar lal University, expressed her solidarity with the event by saying that such events help women to redeem the pledge the struggle they have been fighting for years.
The event with the delegates of various women organizations singing ‘Hum Honge Qaamyaab’ (We Shall Overcome) by holding each other’s hands and shouting pro-women empowerment slogans.
Related:
33% Now: Women groups demand reservations, passage of women’s reservation bill