Women's reservation bill doesn't need protection from Mandal MPs this time

New Delhi: The introduction of the women's reservation bill on Tuesday in Lok Sabha was in sharp contrast with the time the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance attempted a similar exercise 15 years ago.

Armed with an absolute majority, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the historic move to introduce 33% reservation for women in elected bodies in the new Lok Sabha chamber. Apart from a sharp exchange of words between Congress MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury and home minister Amit Shah, the proceedings were largely peaceful and ceremonial.

On May 6, 2008, it was an eventful day in the Rajya Sabha when UPA listed the 108th Constitution Amendment Bill. The government had to craft a floor strategy to introduce the bill and protect law minister Hans Raj Bharadwaj from physical attack of MPs belonging to 'social justice' which vociferously protested against the bill.


After members had snatched copies of the bill in an earlier effort, Bharadwaj did not sit in the first row and was surrounded by women parliamentarians. He sat between Cabinet colleagues Ambika Soni and Kumari Selja. The approach from the aisle was guarded by Cabinet colleague Renuka Chowdhury and Congress MPs Jayanthi Natarajan and Alka Balram Kshatriya. As soon as Bharadwaj rose to introduce the bill, Samajwadi Party MP Abu Asim Azmi moved to snatch the copy from his hands. A scuffle followed as Chowdhury jumped in. In the confusion, Bharadwaj introduced the bill and presiding officer PJ Kurien referred it to the standing committee and immediately adjourned the House. The passing of the bill two years later was no less dramatic when Rajya Sabha chairman Hamid Ansari had to call in marshals to remove protesting MPs of SP and RJD.

The effort to introduce the bill had always witnessed protests and even misogynist comments in the House. When the bill was first introduced on September 12, 1996, by Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda, BJP MP Uma Bharati raised the issue of reservation for OBC women. Indian Union Muslim League MP E Ahamed sought clarification on provision for women's reservation in the Rajya Sabha. Seeing the loud protests, Gowda was forced to call an all-party meeting.

In 1997, JDU leader Sharad Yadav objected, saying short-haired women, an allusion to the urban educated, could not represent rural women.