Speaker hopes to see women’s bill through

BY AKSHAYA KUMAR SAHOO

BHUBANESWAR

June 8: Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee is hopeful of the passing of the Women’s Reservation Bill during his current tenure.

Mr Chatterjee, while delivering the 3rd Loknath Choudhury Memorial Lecture here on Sunday, said sustenance of democracy largely depended on the involvement of men and women in politics and different national activities.

Stating that after six decades of independence, women’s representation in the country was woefully inadequate, the Speaker pointed out that entry of more women in representative bodies by appropriate affirmative action, including legislation, was required. "I hope the revived interest in the proposed legislative initiative will be pursued to its logical conclusion.

A large section of our country’s population is looking forward to it (the Women’s Reservation Bill) with interest today and it is my hope that during tenure, the law will be enacted," Mr Chatterjee observed.

Criticising the religious, linguistic and casteist divisions in the society and political parties getting polarised around these, the Speaker said such distortions derailed the growth and progress initiatives.

"It is time all our democratic institutions began to demonstrate a greater degree of sensitivity and responsiveness to the growing disenchantment among our people with different aspects of national life, particularly our national life. They should collectively focus on issues that unite us, rather than those that divide us," Mr Chatterjee suggested.