She said the AIMIM was entitled to have its views adding that the party's opposition did not stop the women's reservation bill.
A round table conference was held by K Kavitha on 15 March regarding the Women's Reservation Bill. (RaoKavitha/Twitter)
Telangana MLC K Kavitha, on Thursday, 28 September, alleged that the Women’s Reservation Bill passed in Parliament was like a post-dated cheque, with no clarity on “when you can cash it”.
Insisting that women should be given 33 percent reservation in the Lok Sabha and state Assemblies immediately, as per the Bill passed in both houses of Parliament, the BRS leader accused the NDA government at the Centre of not implementing it despite being able to do so.
“So, it’s a very clear sign and signal to the women of this country that passing the Women’s Reservation Bill is like giving a post-dated cheque. We have signed the cheque. The amount is written but we do not know when you can cash it. There is no point or purpose to this whole exercise. It just looks like tokenism to me,” she told PTI.
Yet, the passage of the Bill was a good gesture which should be celebrated, she said.
On the demand for reservation for OBC women in the women’s Bill, she said the OBCs should get 33 percent share in Parliament and state Assemblies to begin with, and once OBC reservation was given, it would automatically reflect for OBC women as well.
Asked if the winnability factor is cited to stop representation for women, she replied in the affirmative and said more efforts were needed to enhance representation for women and other sections of society in the political system.
Kavitha, who is the founder of ‘Bharat Jagruti’, a cultural organisation, said she is keen on taking up workshops on leadership across the country to prepare women for roles at the helm.
Asked if she would convince her party BRS to ensure adequate representation of women, she, however, replied in the negative.
“I am a very small first-time MP and first-time MLC kind of junior leader. So, nobody can convince the parties.”
“Wasn’t Indira Gandhi an important voice in the party? Wasn’t Sonia Gandhi the only voice in the party? The issue here is you need to give policy protection to the vulnerable section of the society which starts from women,” she said.
It could be upper-class women, OBC women, Dalit or Adivasi women but women need policy protection, she said.
How soon the women’s reservation legislation could be implemented and provide representation to OBC women was a larger fight, she said.
On parties like the BJP questioning the BRS on its friendship with the AIMIM which was the sole opposer of women’s reservation in Parliament, she said the BRS and the AIMIM are “friendly parties” and they have never been alliance partners.
The AIMIM is entitled to have its views, she said. The party’s opposition did not stop the women’s reservation bill, she added.
Earlier, on 5 September, Kavitha shot off letters to the presidents of 47 political parties urging them to support the passing of the Bill.
The letters, including one to BJP President JP Nadda, implored parties to support the bill and ensure that it was passed in the special session of Parliament.
The former MP from Nizamabad has lately been taking up the issue and even convened a Deeksha in New Delhi in March this year, requesting all parties to prove their commitment to the cause of women by passing the Women’s Reservation Bill in the Lok Sabha.
In her letters, Kavitha urged the presidents of the parties to set aside their political differences to ensure that the Bill becomes an Act.
In her letter, Kavitha stressed the crucial role women play in every sphere of life and, therefore, said that they deserve representation in legislative bodies. She said that there were already 14 lakh women active in public life, demonstrating their ability to lead and govern effectively.
Kavitha emphasised the importance of inclusivity in the Indian democracy, asserting that increased women’s representation is not a matter of exclusivity, but a means to build a more equitable and balanced political landscape. She urged all political parties to recognise the urgency of the issuer and throw their weight behind the Women’s Reservation Bill.
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