Unfortunate

It is really unfortunate that the Women's Reservation Bill has been shelved despite former Prime Minister, H D Deve Gowda's announcement on last year's Independence Day that it will be attended to. Surprisingly, the same wish has been renewed this year by Prime Minister Inder Kumar Gujral while delivering his Independence Day speech, but without any indication of its practical implementation. If the Prime Minister is really sincere in his approach, he must put the bill for voting in its present form on the very first day of Parliament's session. Since only some factions of ruling United Front are opposing the bill while the BJP is eager to vote for the bill, it can be passed without any difficulty.

However, in case the present male-dominated Parliament does not wish to give women their due share in Indian politics, the Supreme Court should devise some way for women's rights, who constitute 50 per cent of the country's population, in the manner it made the exemplary rule to safeguard honour of working women without waiting for Parliament to enact some rules in this regard.

BSP supremo Kanshi Ram has very rightly suggested removal of reservation on the basis of caste. Therefore, reservation must be on basis of gender.