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Speaker hopes to see women’s bill through
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NewsByte on 08 June, 2008 02:44:54
 
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.