New Delhi, April 15 Padma Shri awardee and 102-year-old freedom fighter from Goa, Libia Lobo Sardesai, on Wednesday reacted to the Women's Reservation Bill, saying that while the legislation is welcome, it is also deeply disappointing and appears to be an electoral tactic.
Speaking to IANS, Sardesai said: "It is a good Bill, and we need it, but 27 years have passed, and it has still not been implemented. Now they say it will take another three years. It is not going to come today or tomorrow."
"Women make up 50 per cent of the country’s population, yet they are stuck at just 33 per cent reservation. Today, women have progressed a lot. They are capable of governing the country, but they are not being given the opportunity. This is very wrong. The Bill should have been passed immediately, but they are saying it will be implemented after the Census and Delimitation. Why such delay? What does it have to do with the Census? They already know that women make up half the population," she said.
Calling the Bill an electoral stunt, Sardesai said: "This Bill is not being brought for the welfare of women. It is only an electoral tactic to attract women voters. At least, that is how it appears. Otherwise, why would it take so much time?"
She also questioned when women would actually get real representation once the Bill is passed. "Women will get representation, but after three years. We have already waited so long; we cannot wait any longer. Why are conditions like Delimitation and the Census being imposed only on women? Why are these rules not applied to the representation of MPs and MLAs themselves?"
Libia Lobo Sardesai also targeted political parties, saying, "When the Congress was in power, the BJP opposed it. Now the BJP is in power and is criticising the Congress. Both parties are not taking it seriously. Now the BJP is using it only as an electoral stunt.”
She urged that there should be no delay in implementing the Bill and that it should be enforced at the earliest, without any conditions.
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