CPI(M) affiliated AIDWA met Himachal Congress President and demanded immediate implementation of the Women’s Reservation Bill. The organization has urged to remove the census-delimitation condition and support the bill in the monsoon session of Parliament. Congress assured to convey the demand to the high command.
CPI(M) affiliated All India Janwadi Mahila Samiti (AIDWA) met Himachal Pradesh Congress Committee (HPCC) President Vinay Kumar in Shimla on Saturday. During this, the party’s support was sought for the immediate implementation of the Women’s Reservation Act providing 33 percent quota to women in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies.
AIDWA leaders urged Congress as well as other opposition parties to support the legislation in its original form during the upcoming monsoon session of Parliament. He demanded that its implementation should not be linked to the census and the delimitation exercise that follows.
Demand for removal from census and delimitation
Speaking to ANI after the meeting at the Congress headquarters, AIDWA’s Himachal Pradesh state secretary Falma Chauhan said the HPCC chief has assured the delegation that the demand is legitimate and will be conveyed to the party leadership to raise it in Parliament. “We met the state Congress president, who assured us that our demand is legitimate and it will be placed before the party leadership to be raised in the Lok Sabha,” Chauhan said.
She alleged that despite the Women’s Reservation Act being passed about three years ago in the name of women empowerment, it has not been implemented yet. He said, “It is unfortunate that despite the law being passed, it has not been implemented. Today, only 70 women represent almost half of the country’s population in Parliament. If 33 per cent reservation had been implemented, about 183 women would have been elected to the 543-member Lok Sabha. In Himachal Pradesh too, at least 23 women would become public representatives in the state assembly.”
Preparation for nationwide campaign and demonstration
Chauhan said that women’s organizations across the country are demanding from the Center that the implementation of the reservation law should be separated from the census and delimitation process and it should be implemented immediately. “The conditions of census and delimitation should be removed. The law should be implemented without any further delay,” he said.
He said that AIDWA in collaboration with many women’s organizations has launched a nationwide campaign in support of this demand. According to Chauhan, women representatives from across the country will hold an indefinite protest at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi from July 20 to August 13. He said signature campaigns would be conducted in Himachal Pradesh, memorandums would be submitted to political parties and demonstrations would be organized across the state.
She further said, “We will protest in Himachal Pradesh on July 21 and also submit our memorandum at the Raj Bhavan as part of the nationwide campaign demanding immediate implementation of the Women’s Reservation Act.”
Congress assured support
Responding to the delegation’s demand, HPCC president Vinay Kumar reiterated that the Congress has always supported women’s reservation and said the party will take this demand to its national leadership. Vinay Kumar said, “Congress has always stood with women and will continue to support them. We will convey the demand of the delegation to our high command and try to ensure that the law passed earlier is implemented in its original form.”
What is Nari Shakti Vandan Act?
The Nari Shakti Vandan Act, also known as the Women’s Reservation Bill, was passed in Parliament in September 2023. This law provides for 33 percent reservation for women in the Lok Sabha, state assemblies and Delhi Assembly. However, its implementation was linked to the first delimitation exercise after the next census.
In an effort to advance the implementation of the quota before the 2029 Lok Sabha elections, the Center introduced the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill in April 2026 to expedite the delimitation process. However, the bill failed to garner the constitutionally mandated two-thirds majority in the Lok Sabha during the budget session. It received 298 votes in favor and 230 against, which was less than the number required for passage of a constitutional amendment, resulting in its failure. (ANI)
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