Akhilesh Mishra@amishra77
Summary of PM Modi Speech in Lok Sabha on Women Reservation Bill and Delimitation Bill:
On why 2011 census and not 2026 census for delimitation and what changed between 2023 bill and 2026 Reservation bill
1) Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, as passed in 2023, could not have been implemented without delimitation. Why? Because how can you divide seats and redraw constitutions with delimitation? Remember, both Lok Sabha and State Assembly states will need to be redrawn.
2) An exercise of delimitation takes about 1.5-2.0 years to complete. Impossible to have been completed in time for 2024 elections (bill was passed in Sep 2023), hence 2029 was mandated as the first election in which it would be implemented.
3) The census that has begun in 2026 would complete only in mid-2027. Delimitation would start only post that. Hence any delimitation that would base itself on 2026 census would again be unlikely to be completed by 2029 elections. So should women reservation again be postponed?
4) Hence, government decided to amend constitution to base delimitation basis last census data available - 2011. This data is available as of now. Hence delimitation can start as soon as bills passed - enough time, hence, to complete in time before 2029 elections.
On Delimitation Bill
1) PM Modi affirmed, in all possible connotations, that THE PRESENT PROPORTION of seats allocated to each state, out of total, would be maintained.
2) The increase in seats for each state and UT, post delimitation, would also maintain the same proportion.
3) Hence, no state would lose their voice, either in overall proportion, or in how they stack up to contribute to majority of Lok Sabha seats.
On Politics on Women Reservation
1) Last 25-30 years have demonstrated that those who have directly opposed Women Reservation or sabotaged it through subterfuge (like Congress) have slowly ben reduced to irrelevance in Parliament.
2) Panchayat level reservation for more than two decades, has created leadership of women at grassroots in lakhs. They are now empowered. Their rightful due can no longer be denied.