Women Reservation Bill

Reservation according to dictionary is the act of reserving; a keeping back or withholding. It can also be said as an arrangement by which accommodations are secured in advance. If you try reading that carefully, in all terms it seems like a negative term attached to it. However, when we talk about government is trying to reserve one third of the seats in Parliament and Assembly to women, it is done with the intention of empowering the women. But will it actually bring a social change? I have few concerns about it.

The most important aspect is the fact that any form of change or development has to come from the grass root level. Without understanding the real reason for the lack of empowerment from the grass root level, no change can be brought forward.

This will only add an additional burden to the constitution. By adding more reservation of any form, it adds to the probability of selecting a candidate who is not capable but is there mainly to take advantage of his / her presence on the first come first serve basis.

If reservation is the means to bring equality then why haven’t the tribes and the castes scheduled in the constitution have emancipated yet? If no, then even after more than 60 years of Independence, there are still the tribes and castes oppressed. If the same has not happened with them over such a long period of time, who can take the guarantee of bring this social change?