The ‘Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam’ is the first Bill passed by Lok Sabha after it shifted to the new Parliament building. Adhiniyam popularly known as Women's Reservation Bill was cleared its first legislative hurdle with a thumping majority in the Lok Sabha with 454 votes "for" and 2 votes "against". Those two, who voted against the bill are belongs to All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) party.
Majlis party chief and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi and his colleague Imtiyaz Jaleel Syed (Member of Parliament from Aurangabad-Chatrapati Shambajinagar) defended their opposition to the draft legislation saying that it does not provide for a sub quota for Muslim and Other Backward Classes (OBC) women. Explaining their rationale for opposing historic bill AIMIM chief Owaisi said, "OBC's account for more than 50% of the population. The idea behind this Bill is to provide reservation for those women, who are not adequately represented in the Parliament and other legislative bodies. Why is the government then denying reservation to women from such larger community, which makes up more than half of our population?"
Meanwhile the Jamaat-E-Islami Hind has demanded reservation for both OBC and Muslim women. Jamaat's vice-president Salim Engineer welcomed the Bill, saying "For a strong democracy, it is important for all groups and classes to find repreentation in power-sharing. The Women's Reservation Bill is a good move though it should have come quite earlier. However, the draft of the Bill in its current form does not address the stark social inequalities in a vast country like India by excluding women from OBC, and Muslim community."
Why “Less Representation?”:
As per records and AIMIM claim, Muslim women account 7% of the national population but their representation in Parliament or legislative bodies is just 0.7% till now. Out of 690 women MPs elected till 17th Lok Sabha, only 25 of them belong to the Muslim community. Not a single Muslim woman MP was elected in the 1951, 1962, 1991 and 1999 parliamentary elections.
India has 14 Muslim-majority Lok Sabha constituencies and in addition, there are 13 constituencies where Muslims comprise more than 40% of the population. There are a total of 101 seats where Muslims cover more than 20% of the population. 2019 general elections saw a record number of women politicians in the lower house of parliament. 78 were elected, or 14 percent of the legislative body. At present there are about 36 Lok Sabha committees out of which only three are headed by women and none of them is headed by a Muslim woman. Similarly, in Rajya Sabha there are at present 12 standing committees (others are joint committees), none of which is headed by a Muslim woman.
Of the 16 Lok Sabhas we never saw a Muslim woman Speaker and in Rajya Sabha no Muslim woman occupied the post of Chairman. Of the eighteen times deputy chairmen’s post in Rajya Sabha saw four occasions when a Muslim woman was the incumbent. Interestingly, on all these four occasions only one, Najma Heptullah, was there.
Hurdles for Muslim Women:
It's important to note that the experiences of Muslim women in Indian politics can vary greatly depending on factors such as region, socio-economic status, and political affiliation. While some have achieved significant visibility and success, others continue to face barriers and obstacles. Muslim women have been at the forefront of advocating for their rights within the political system. Issues such as gender equality, education, employment opportunities, and social justice have been important areas of focus for them.
Muslim women, like their counterparts from other communities, face various challenges, including societal stereotypes, limited access to resources, and unequal opportunities. However, many continue to overcome these challenges and make significant contributions. They often face multiple challenges due to their gender, religion, and socio-economic background. They may be more vulnerable to discrimination and inequality, making their participation in politics crucial for addressing these issues. They have also been involved in community empowerment initiatives, including those aimed at education, healthcare, and economic development. These efforts often have a political dimension, as they seek to address the needs of their communities through advocacy and policy change.
While Muslim women have been elected to Parliament, their numbers have historically been small compared to the overall population. Some notable Muslim women are there, who have served in the Indian Parliament. The success of Muslim women in politics, such as Asma Khan, Mehbooba Mufti, and Najma Heptulla, serves as inspiration for younger generations and demonstrates the potential for women from diverse backgrounds to excel in the political arena.
In some states of India, there are reserved seats for women in local governing bodies like Zilla and Gram Panchayats (village councils) and Municipalities. This reservation has provided opportunities for women, including Muslim women, to actively participate in grassroots politics.
Is Majlis Doing Justice?:
Asuddin Owaisi's AIMIM party has seven MLAs in Hyderabad, none of them are women. He willingly ignoring this fact when making statement that Muslim women are not getting due justice. His party fields their candidates in various elections in states like Telangana, Maharashtra, Bihar, Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh. And they give chance for very less or “NO” number of women candidates to contest. Some journalists commented that it is surprising that Owaisi, who does not give priority to Muslim women in his own party, raised the same objection on the crucial women's reservation bill.
The women of the country have been waiting for decades to see when this Reservation Bill, which would give them representation in the legislature, would get approved. The Narendra Modi government has passed the draft bill in the Lok Sabha. All 454 MPs of NDA, Congress and its affiliated parties approved the Bill, while only two Majlis MPs opposed it. It is true that Muslim &OBC women do not get the representation they expect in legislatives. But the question is whether this is a right reason to oppose the Bill as a crucial juncture!. Barrister Owaisi should answer this for Nari Shakti.
