The historic Women’s Reservation Bill was tabled in the Lok Sabha today. The party is celebrating with crackers all over the country as the glory of “women’s reservation” goes to the BJP; it will take 6 years to come into effect.

Reservations for women in both state assemblies and parliaments have been emphasised since before India’s independence.

Maharashtra first raised it to 33% and then to 50% in local bodies. After this, representation for women in local bodies was implemented nationwide.

In 2008, the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government successfully passed the bill in the Rajya Sabha. Since then, the bill has not been introduced in the Lok Sabha for the last 15 years.

Union Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal tabled the bill during PM Modi’s inaugural address on the first day of the special session at the new building. Following this, BJP people are celebrating all over the country. But although this bill was passed in the Lok Sabha and passed again in the Rajya Sabha for amendments, it is said that it will come into effect only by 2029.

Because the central BJP government’s bill says that reservations for women will come into effect only after the constituencies are redefined under the new census.

If the census is conducted in 2026/2027, the 33% reservation for women will be implemented only during the 2029 Lok Sabha elections.

The current central government’s 33% reservation bill talks about internal reservations for SC, ST, Dalit, and tribal women. But it does not talk about reservations for other backward women.

How can we see upper-caste women as representatives of our village women (OBCs)? Therefore, the voice of Samajwadi and RJD that separate internal reservations for OBC women are necessary is not heard. Also, the current bill is superficial rather than clear. Is this a workable bill? Political observers also raise doubts.