바카라�Quota Within Quota바카라� To Misogyny: Why Did SP, RJD, BSP Oppose Women바카라�s Reservation Bill?

Women Reservation Bill바카라�s 27-year-long journey has been anything but a cakewalk. Strong opposition from different political parties stalled its passage in the last three decades, a few political parties learnt to shift their ideological turf to cope with the new political demands. But what were the grounds for opposing the bill? Historically, the reasons range from a demand for a 바카라�quota within quota바카라� to sheer misogyny of the political patriarchs.   

In its early days during the late 1990s, Rashtriya Janta Dal (RJD), Samajwadi Party (SP), Janata Dal (United), and Bahujan Samajwadi Party (BSP) majorly rallied against the proposition. In June 1997, senior JD(U) leader Sharad Yadav hurled a misogynist comment on the floor of the house. In a derogatory manner, he asked how 바카라�par-kati mahilaen바카라� (short-haired) urban women would be able to represent the causes of rural women.   

This misogynistic statement had been echoed by former SP supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav in 2012. While addressing a rally, the Yadav said, 바카라�The women reservation bill in its present form would only benefit rich and urban women... our poor and rural women are not attractive.바카라�   

However, this statement of Yadav was only complementary to what he said in 2010. Referring to the increased number of women in Parliament, the UP strongman said, 바카라�The Women바카라�s Reservation Bill, if passed in the present format, would provoke young men to whistle in parliament바카라�.  

Besides such misogynistic perceptions, SP, RJD, and BSP have been together in demanding 바카라�quota within quota바카라� for marginalised women for years. As the bill got passed in Rajya Sabha on March 9, 2010, RJD supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav said, 바카라�We will not oppose reservation. We will stick to our old stand of reservation within the reservation. The Bill must include reservations for Muslim women, women from backward classes and Dalits.바카라�  

Mulayam Singh though primarily pushed the 바카라�quota within quota바카라� as the caveat to lend support to the bill, later on, he changed his stance and said that such a bill would muzzle down the voices of marginalised women. 바카라�We would do everything it takes to stop any such law being framed in the country as it is a design of the Congress party to keep Muslim and Backward women out of Indian politics,바카라� said the SP chief.   

However, BSP chief Mayawati바카라�s position has been very clear regarding women바카라�s reservations. Since day one, she opposed the bill saying that the 28% SC/ST quota should not be affected due to WRB.   

As the Bill was first introduced during Deve Gowda바카라�s regime, the political compulsions of the time could not be undermined. Coming on the back of the Mandal agitation that gave life to the OBC movement, it was difficult for the parties to neglect the aspirations of backward classes.   

In 1996, it was none other than BJP leader Uma Bharti who batted for the OBC women바카라�s reservation and said, 바카라�My demand is that there should be reservation for backward-caste women also, as in the Panchayati Raj system. This should be incorporated in this Bill because women from the backward castes suffer the most.바카라�    

While RJD, SP and BSP more or less stood by their stand, it was JD (U) under Nitish Kumar that took a U-turn since 2010.   

In 2016, addressing an event to celebrate 20 years of the Bill by the National Federation of Indian Women (NFIW), then JD(U) general secretary K C Tyagi said, 바카라�I have come to say that from today onwards you can remove the name of JD(U) as one of the parties opposed to the women바카라�s reservation bill.바카라� On being asked whether they are still considering the demands of 바카라�quota within quota바카라�, Tyagi said that it was not a pre-condition for their support, rather it was a wish.   

However, the leaders from the Southern states like AIADMK supremo Jayalalithaa and DMK leader Kanimozhi have been supportive of the Women바카라�s Reservation Bill. Jayalalithaa, known for her leadership in the 1990s to push for 69% reservation for the marginalised communities asked political parties of all shades to support WRB in 2010.  

After the  Bill was passed in Rajya Sabha and was awaiting its introduction to Lok Sabha, the senior AIADMK leader said, 바카라�Nearly a month after it was passed in the Rajya Sabha, the Women's Reservation Bill is yet to be tabled in the Lok Sabha which is a matter of concern. This gives rise to apprehensions among women that it could once again be put on the back-burner.바카라�  

In 2016, as the CM of Tamil Nadu, she even increased the reservation of women in urban and rural local bodies to 50%. She even pointed out that women바카라�s presence in administration boosts developmental works.  

Interestingly, DMK leader Kanimozhi in 2019 while extending her support to the bill said that the issue lies in sharing the power. 바카라�Though the Women바카라�s Reservation Bill is supported by all parties, it has still not seen the light of the day. That may be because sharing the power is not easy, especially in politics,바카라� said the DMK leader.  

Telangana Rashtriya Samiti (TRS), nonetheless, had extended its support to the bill. In 2016, it asked the central government to bring WRB to the table, the following year senior minister K T Rama Rao said that his party would provide full support to the government if it intended to pass it.  

Women바카라�s Reservation Bill promises 33% reservation for women both in Parliament and state assemblies. As per the current seat count, if the Bill is passed and implemented, there would be 181 women MPs in Loksabha.