New Delhi, July 29: Leaders of the Congress and the Left addressed a rally together today in a rare act of political camaraderie since the communists withdrew support to UPA I in July 2008.
Women’s groups had organised the rally to press for 33 per cent reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and the state Assemblies, as proposed in a bill passed in the Rajya Sabha in March but not yet tabled in the Lok Sabha.
Although both the Congress and the Left have championed the proposed legislation throughout its stop-start progress, they have never “hit the streets” together on the issue.
The Congress was represented by spokesperson Jayanthi Natarajan and MP Alka Lamba, and the Left by CPM politburo member Brinda Karat, CPI national secretary D. Raja and CPI women’s wing leader Annie Raja.
Since the Left and the Congress have for years backed women’s reservation, today’s development may not hold any political implications to worry Mamata Banerjee. However, it underlines the difference between her stand and that of ally Congress.
While the Congress and the Left (and the BJP) officially want the bill passed in its current form, Mamata, perhaps because of her political compulsions in Bengal, recently threw a damper, demanding a sub-quota for backward Muslims.
The Rajya Sabha passed the bill during the budget session amid protests by the Samajwadi Party, Rashtriya Janata Dal and the Janata Dal (United). The government hopes to introduce the bill in the Lok Sabha during the monsoon session amid overt and covert opposition from male MPs from many parties.
Brinda told the gathering that it was her party’s constant struggle that had led to the bill’s passage in the Rajya Sabha even after so many people objected to it.
“The bill should not be sabotaged in the name of consensus. There is no law which a government cannot pass if it has the political will,” she said.
Natarajan said: “I assure you all that my party is totally committed to the passage of the bill.”
The BJP, which had supported the bill in the Rajya Sabha, did not join the rally, which drew 2,000 women and hundreds of men from 350 NGOs across the country. Donning blue caps with “33 per cent” written on them, the crowd sang songs and shouted slogans.
Lyricist Javed Akhtar and actors Sharmila Tagore and Shabana Azmi addressed the rally.
Akhtar drew loud cheers when he said: “There are two kinds of opponents of the bill, those who are openly opposing it and those who are hiding behind the forces opposing it. These people who do not come forward are more dangerous.”
He hinted that the Congress lacked the political will to get the bill passed.
Shabana urged all the political parties to resolve their differences and find the will to pass the bill in the current session of Parliament. Sharmila said reservation was not just a women’s issue but was about equal justice for all.
Some of the women’s activists had earlier met President Pratibha Patil. “The President has asked us to continue our fight till we succeed,’’ women’s rights activist Jyotsna Chatterjee said.
