I've to say this and I say it loud and clear...as a responsible citizen of India, I DO NOT support the Women's Reservation Bill. There are many reasons I can quote for my anger on this bill let me share them with you. I just want to share and express what I think to accept it or not it's upto you, because you are free to make your own opinion (I know I don't have to remind you of this.)
So, here are the reasons:
1. Indian Woman is NOT weak : We were once under the infamous British Raj and together we fought both men and women to gain th Highly precious and dear to us all, the Freedom. Those days are gone now, when everyone felt empowered, when there was zeal to get free and throw away the British government, now we all want is to make ourselves feel weak so weak that our mind stops believing in ourselves. Indian woman has had (and a very few still have) the worst times from crimes like female fetal homicide and many more but those crimes to women were not done by men alone there were women accomplices too, however, we tend to ignore that fact because we want the women of our nation feel they are weak, they need someone to guard them, a helping hand and what not. But I think that women are no less than men they can do everything that men can do and as the history stands to testimony this is a true statement I can go on quoting examples of Rani Laxmi bai, Sarojini Naidu, Kiran Bedi, Our President Smt. Pratibha Patil, congress chief Sonia Gandhi, Mayawati, Mamta Banerjee etc etc the count is huge, so when they can do it why can't others? Our Constitution doesn't stop them from contesting in any government jobs or for that matter any private jobs or works. why do they have to have a reservation when Women of this great nation are already empowered with equal opportunity and are not weak in any sense.
2. You cannot win if you start begging: Some strong words there I know and I can tell how they are true, but I have a Question to ask first What is the intent of this bill? Is there any timeline till which it will be in force and then we'll drop it? Who will measure the success of this bill? Having asked those questions hope I get answer to them, I want to quote the example of existing QUOTA for SC/ST/OBC who are these people called SC/ST/OBC? aren't they citizen of India? don't they have right to breathe as much air, have as much water as a person from so called General class? Yes, they have the right and they enjoy their freedom but still they want the reservation, if that's not begging what is it? I promote equality and it can not be achieved if we continue on making favors to one section of society and then other We are only promoting DIVISON of Society and not equality. The plan to have quotas as proposed by Dr. B.R. Ambedkar was for intial 3-4 five year plans under a constant supervision and monitoring but it's still going on after almost 7 decades since we got independence. If woman of India HAS always been weak and so is today then WHY was the BILL never proposed from the begining i.e. in 1947? because we believed that we will promote a free society with equality and everyone will have the right to fair contest but now we are down with the habit of begging, we need quotas/reservations for everything.
3. If not Reservation Bill then what?: That's the question I think we all should be asking rather than asking (begging) for quotas. Let's start small how about
(A) mandate on every family where a girl is born to give her education by sending her to schools (govt. already has programs to support child education especially for girls) so that she can start learning things and plan for her future and become independent.
Another scenario that I can suggest but I'm afraid of it's misuse is (B) giving financial support like cheaper loans, cheaper education for like next 5 years or may be 10 and then observe/measure the growth if nothing substantial is achieved that doesn't mean to continue if or another decade instead take a breath and think/analyze how much success did we achieve and what can be the next best thing to do with the on-going technology advancement, societal changes etc.
(D) Law Enforcement: People should Strongly oppose any kind of bills of such nature being presented in Parliament instead spread the conscious message of equality that any sort/nature of discrimination based on sex will be dealt with the harshest of consequences.
4. Global Image and Learnings from across the Globe: The moment I think of this bill I get this sense that we are telling the world that Indian woman is the weakest of all and Indian society still believe in 'purdaah' we won't let our mother's and sisters live the free air and neither we promote their growth. All these thoughts make me question: What do we learn from other Nations acrss the globe?
Their rise should be a battle they win instead of someone's help to begin,
'cos the fire that melts the iron makes it strong too.
Support women to make them Strong and not weak,
they can roar like lioness of jungle but let them speak.
let them march along to the highest peak,
be the helping hand only when they need.
- Vineet "The Bard"
