While my Group Discussion (GD) for my MBA program, my group was served with the expected topic,"Women Reservation Bill".The whole group came out with really strong points for the bill,and before it will be tabled in the parliament for further discussion,it was approved by the "Aam Aadmi-The Mango people of India". Even the moderators were also really impressed by the way discussion took. Now after a month when I am all set to join. This topic resonates in my mind often, I always ask myself why I didnt think unconventionally,as I usually do.Why I didnt opposed and instead of Pro UPA, for a moment should have joined the Mulayam's Bandwagon, but that was a matter of securing a seat in the college,so came up with really very strong points "for the motion". And the two girls in my group, were repeating the name of Pepsico Chairman's name "Mrs Indira Nooyi",that if this bill is passed,it will be an important step in Women Empowerment and many Women CEO's are in the offing,even weaving dreams for themselves too,that the first step of being a CEO,Mission MBA achieved, and the majority of Indian population consent for her the next CEO also gets the nod.
But what I think,does India really requires this Reservation?Does an efficient Home Managers,ready to occupy the major chunk in Parliament,and ready to showcase impropriety as most politician men do. Is a single "Reservation on Caste Base" is not enough? Will it not allow multiplication of hundred's of Rabri Devi's? And who says there will be no corruption,because no research yet has yet proved that "Women cant be equally corrupted to men"? Like such many questions are there,still unanswered.
There are certain critical issues which India faces,which require immediate attention action and strong address from every sphere of the society,like female foeticide,dowry problems,domestic violence and education for women.But how does this leads us to Reservation and that to 33%,its a big number. How can we come to a conclusion,that a certain gender is required for the upliftment of similar gender,when the facts before us show that what is the story of Rajasthan,which was under the reigns of a woman Chief Minister,and that state leads the table in all the negative issues which I mentioned earlier.How many times do we hear women parliamentarians right from Mrs Gandhi to Sushma Swaraj,talking about Women's Right. But if the other political parties are wise enough,they would have understood that,one this Bill will not be passed two UPA will win almost all the sympathy votes of Women.Its a Win-Win Situation.
Other problem is the way formula involved for driving of these seats,Many agree that drawing a lottery can be one way to ensure fairness.But the real hitch is the absence of any logic in choosing constituency. One way to chose the 33 percent constituencies that go for reservation first up,could be by identifying those constituencies which have the highest proportion of women voters.Or constituencies which have historically seen the lowest female representation could be chosen.A simple lottery does not account for such a logic,atleast "the political logic".After distribution the Election Commission will have to face the wrath of Political Parties another Headache for them,when the role of Commission is already under Scanner for its Biased approach for political leaders.
If weird thinking is involved,as projected,many young faces,mostly unmarried will have a major share in this Bill,so the party high commands may have to look into the matters of MP's who will be marrying to conceiving. The situation can be more hilarious,certain numbers of MP's on pregnancy leave,which even in the worst case has to be atleast two months(inclusive of Pre Pregnancy and Post Pregnancy time,so loss of precious decision making time. If this Bill comes into effect,the important change which I would like to see the "Queues" starting from the Tickets of Theater's,Trains,Buses to Bills of Electricity,Telephones and Water."No separate Queue's" as women will be much stronger and empowered,so atleast no chance of "Eve Teasing" is possible.As women in India have the prerogative to form a separate queue,where it is not even mentioned to form one.
After putting so many details,I certainly say that I am against this Bill.Instead of Bill,we as Indians need a "Will".A will to change the mindsets of people,Education is the key area where our focus should be,which is the only panacea for aforementioned problems. In southern India,we find women drivers,conductors,even at petrol pumps(mind it all women crew) which is complete absence in Northern India(my travel is limited,to these two spheres only,so cant comment about Western and Eastern regions).So the need is to change the narrow mindset of majority of Indians,the upliftment can take few more years but reservation of seats for women is not a logical solution at all.When women can dare to break the shackles of Indian community and can set the ramp on fire by adorning bikinis,then other issues are really petty.
The Bottom Line: I as a Brahmin,who hugs and dines with every human despite the caste,creed and color, who already faces the axe of "Caste Based Reservation" and doesn't want any other Reservation in my country,because I am in no mood to explain my future generations about the constitutional flaws and laws.
