Hon. Chairman Sir, it is not every day that
history is created. It is, indeed, a historic moment that in the new Parliament
Building, the first legislation that has come before the House is the Women’s
Reservation Bill. If this is history, our hon. Chief Minister Shri
Naveen Patnaik is the historian. The Bill has seen the light of the day only
after the initiative of Shri Naveen Patnaik. Our hon. Chief Minister has
always worked for women’s reservation. In November, 2018, Odisha Legislative
Assembly adopted a resolution proposing 33 per cent of reservation for
women in100 Parliament and
Assemblies. Pursuing further, in the same year, he had written to 22
Chief Ministers for their support120
on this issue. Then he had also written to the hon. Prime Minister on
this issue. He strongly believes that our society and our country will move
forward with much greater momentum only if half of our population, our
mothers and daughters, have a role in the highest decision-making bodies. Ours
is the first political party to fill one third women candidates in 2019
Lok Sabha election. Every third BJD MP in this House is200 a woman. We are promoting political
representation of women through Mission Shakti.
Odisha has reserved 50
per cent of seats for women in Panchayats and urban local bodies. In the
last local bodies’ elections, 55 per cent of winning240 candidates are women. Sir, in
local bodies, we are pioneers in giving 50 per cent reservation to women. All
across the State, you will see thousands and thousands of women leaders
at the local level, leading women’s empowerment politically, economically, and
socially. This bold, aspirational, and new Odisha has voices which
must be heard across Panchayats, Legislative Assemblies, and
Parliament.300 Sir, my
leadership believes that along with political empowerment, we must have an
action plan for social and economic empowerment. Historic initiatives like
Mission Shakti and Mamata Yojana have transformed the lives of several girls
and women.
Odisha’s model of
empowering women through self-help groups has been widely appreciated. In
order to bolster potential entrepreneurs, Odisha Government has launched360 the Startup Odisha initiative. This is
to ensure that at least 33 per cent of new startups have women as founders and
co-founders. Sir, we appreciate the hon. Prime Minister and the Union
Government for bringing this Bill. However,400
we also suggest that this Bill should be implemented from the coming
2024 elections instead of waiting for the delimitation. Sir, from 2019 onwards BJD had taken a strong
decision to give 33 percent tickets to women candidates for Lok Sabha election.
This will continue till this Bill becomes an Act. But we want this Act
to be implemented in 2024 itself as we have been waiting for the480 last 75 years. This agenda perhaps
is for 2029. We will have census. The census should500 be published and this will be
followed by delimitation exercise which itself is a humongous task, and
then only the Act will come into force. Sir, we have waited for 75 years and
this Bill has come just to tell us to wait for another six years. Let
us not make a joke or a political gimmick. Women’s empowerment is not a
joke. BJD has taken a stand to give 33 per cent of tickets in Lok Sabha to
women from 2019 onwards and we will continue to600 do so till this becomes an Act. But we
demand that this historic legislation should be implemented from the next
election without any further delay. This will correct the historical mistakes we
have done to women during the last 75 years. Secondly, I appreciate that
this Bill has a provision for SC and ST women within the reservation, but
this Bill has ignored the OBCs. How can you ignore the interest of
42 per cent of our population? The Government of Odisha has initiated OBC
census and it is committed to take all sorts of700 measures for their empowerment and
development. The Union Government should take necessary steps in the interest
of OBCs720 in this Bill.
This will help the Bill to become more inclusive. Sir, beyond the provisions of
the Bill, we need to create an ecosystem for political, economic and
social empowerment of women. Political parties, society and everybody has a stake
to ensure that a safe ecosystem is put in place for women. Look at how women
who are in public life are being trolled online mercilessly. We need to
do something in that direction also. Legislative provisions with
a800 safe and sustainable political
and social ecosystem will definitely go a long way. I thank the hon.
Chief Minister Shri Naveen Patnaik for his leadership and consistent
efforts for the cause of women. With these words, I conclude with great840 hope that my suggestions would be given
due consideration.
Hon. Chairperson Sir, I thank you profusely for
having given me this opportunity to speak on this historic Women’s Reservation
Bill, 2023. Sir, as our leader and hon. Chief Minister Shri M.K. Stalin has been
the torch bearer of women’s empowerment, I rise to support the Bill.
While900 I appreciate the
initiative, I do have my own fear, anxieties and doubts. Sir, I opened
up to read the Bill with huge expectations that it would lead women to
enter into uncharted territories. But again, I ended up with huge
disappointment. It is like a post-dated cheque in a bankrupt bank. It is
like a betrothal with so960
many ifs and buts, and we are not sure when it is going to
culminate into a Utopian marriage.
Sir, the Women’s Reservation Bill is a matter of right, and not a matter of favour. With all humility and dignity,1000 I would like to profess before the House that reservation is our birth right. While our Party welcomes and supports this Bill, I would also like to remind you that women are empowered not only in this millennial era, but hundreds of years ago in Sangam era, empowered women were celebrated on our Tamil soil. Our rich Tamil Epics have spoken about the rights and powers of women invariably through all walks of life. Sir, Tamil Nadu is a1080 role-model State. This Bill has been put forth by so many political parties but the seed of it was sown in the soil of Tamil Nadu by the Dravidian Movement. In the Dravidian model, all the schemes and reservations were entirely for the women folk. Grant of equal rights to women in family property according to an Act of 1989 and 50 percent reservation in local bodies’ elections are examples of this. The present Government has implemented 40 per cent reservation for women in Government jobs.1169
