December 20, 1999
New Delhi, Dec. 20 - The Indian government said on Monday it would introduce in parliament this week a bill that aims to reserve for women a third of the seats in parliament and the country's state assemblies. ''I once again reiterate the government's intention to introduce the women's reservation bill in this session,'' Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pramod Mahajan told the lower house of parliament. Mahajan said while the government would make good its intention to bring forward the bill, it was up to parliament, which ends session later this week, to approve it.
The bill, which involves an amendment to the Indian constitution, will require the support of two-thirds of the lower chamber's 545 lawmakers. Last year, parliament reached agreement in principle to reserve a third of its seats for women, but quibbling over details held up the legislation. The main opposition Congress party walked out of the Lok Sabha, or lower house, on Monday, saying the government was not serious about reservations for women.
''Only four days are left (before the parliament session ends),'' said opposition leader Sonia Gandhi. ''I would like to know whether the government has any intention to introduce the bill and get it passed.'' A clutch of regional groups have said they opposed the bill in its current form, but supported the principle behind it. Some parties have urged caution, saying there is no need to rush the bill through and that consensus should first be reached.
Mulayam Singh Yadav, leader of the regional Samajwadi Party, said his party also wanted reservations for minorities and disadvantaged sections of society. The number of women in the Lok Sabha peaked in 1984 at 8.1 percent. In 1998 the figure stood at 7.9 percent.
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