‘Most transformative revolution’: President Murmu hails women’s reservation bill
President Daroupadi Murmu was addressing a gathering after inaugurating the biennial conference of the national human rights institutions (NHRIs) of Asia Pacific held at the Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi
President Droupadi Murmu on Wednesday hailed the newly introduced Women’s Reservation Bill and said that it “would be the most transformative revolution in our times for gender justice”.
“We have ensured a minimum of 33% reservation for women in local bodies elections. What is more, in a pleasant coincidence, a proposal to provide similar reservations for women in the state assemblies and national Parliament is taking shape now. It will be the most transformative revolution, in our times for gender justice,’’ said Murmu.
The government on Tuesday introduced a bill in the Parliament which proposes to reserve a third of seats or 33% in the Lower House and state assemblies for women.
On Wednesday, Union law minister Arjun Ram Meghwal moved the Constitution (128th Amendment) Bill 2023, to be taken up for consideration.
The Women’s Reservation Bill was the first bill to be introduced in the new Parliament building on Tuesday and the debate started in Lok Sabha on Wednesday.
Most of the opposition parties, including Congress, extended support to the bill but questioned the delay in implementation.
Former Congress president Sonia Gandhi demanded that the women’s reservation bill must be implemented immediately, while pitching for OBC quota within reserved seats as she declared her party’s support for the bill.
Murmu was addressing a gathering after inaugurating the biennial conference of the national human rights institutions (NHRIs) of Asia Pacific held at the Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi.
Discussing India’s achievements in promoting human rights, Murmu highlighted the country’s commitment to universal adult franchise from the Republic’s inception.
“Our Constitution adopted universal adult franchise right, since the inception of the Republic, and enabled us to usher in numerous silent revolutions, in the field of gender justice, and protection of life and dignity.”
Praising the government and the various schemes launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, she said, “Over the years, the government has launched several ambitious schemes to ensure basic facilities like housing, toilets, education, and health facilities and thus protect the dignity of the poor. I come from a background where I know how privation, poverty, and illiteracy make life miserable, with economic and social disparities which are no less violative of human rights as any other form of discrimination.”
Murmu inaugurated the annual general meeting and Biennial Conference of the Asia Pacific Forum on Human Rights in New Delhi celebrating the landmark 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration on Human Rights (UDHR). during which she urged all not to treat the issue of human rights in isolation and pay equal attention to nursing Mother Nature which is deeply wounded by the indiscretions of human beings.
The theme of the seminar revolved around, ‘Harmonising climate change, human rights, and business ‘and ‘Advancing human rights in business and industry.’
The NHRC is a statutory body, constituted on 12 October 1993, under the Protection of Human Rights Ordinance. It is responsible for the protection and promotion of human rights as defined by the act as ‘rights relating to life, liberty, equality and dignity of the individual’ guaranteed by the Constitution.
NHRC submits an annual report to the president every year which is then presented in both the Rajya Sabha and the Lok Sabha.
Last year, the theme of the seminar was, ‘Human Rights in Indian Culture and Philosophy’ in collaboration with Indira Gandhi National Centre for Art.