The Indian Parliament had unanimously passed in 2023 an Act to provide 30% reservation to women in the Lok Sabha. Perhaps it was just a gesture to impress the women voters that the party is genuinely interested in women empowerment. But there was no follow-up to make the women’s quota a reality.
In the current session of Lok Sabha, the BJP-led NDA brought a constitutional amendment bill on women’s quota and delimitation. The Opposition understood full well that the bill was just a decoy. The real plan behind it was to continuethe grip on power for ever. Prime Minister Narendra Modi supported the bill vehemently and stressed that the bill must be passed and that Indian women will not forgive those who are opposing this pro-women bill.
It was quite clear right from the beginning that the real aim of the amendment was purely political. The BJP did not address the concerns of the five South Indian States that the women quota and fresh delimitation Act will reduce the strength of the Southern States in the Parliament. Finally, the bill was rejected by the majority of members and therefore it failed.
Now a propaganda campaign has been launched that the Opposition has committed a major sin by blocking the bill which would have done the miracle of upgrading the status of women in India. The fact remains that the BJP had never been sincere in its big claims of its commitment to empower women. The country can never forget what was BJP’s attitude when women were victimised in Manipur. Prime Minister Modi did not care to visit the state and neither condemned the victimisation and degradation of women there.
India can never forget the Unnao episode in which a BJP MLA from Bangarmau, Uttar Pradesh Kuldeep Singh Sengar eliminated the entire family of the woman victim. So was the case of the Hathrasrape victim who was even denied her rights of respectablelast rites. Also comes to mind the attitude of BJP MLAs in Kathua teenager rape and murder case.Due to people’s pressure the two cabinet ministerswere forced to resign their ministerial posts.BJP needs to do some honest heart searching of its role in the victimisation of women in countless cases.
Being the largest party in the ruling NDA, the BJP must avoid false pretences and display of fake concern for women.
Dishonest politics to influence voters and strict to power cannot be useful always. A genuine change of heart and course correction must be adopted to uplift the 50 percent population of India. False moves to pose as protectors of women are bound to fail miserably.