Kamal Ghorui
NEW DELHI: On the occasion of B R Ambedkar’s birth anniversary on Tuesday, PM Narendra Modi said the proposed Constitutional amendment related to Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyan (Women’s Reservation Act) is guided by the spirit of “equality and inclusivity” which the Constitution drafted by him emphasised. “Our democracy will become stronger and more vibrant if 2029 Lok Sabha elections and various assembly elections that year are held with women’s reservation fully in place,” the PM said in a letter addressed to women of the country ahead of the three-day special session of Parliament starting Thursday. “And for that, the upcoming legislation in Parliament should be passed. Any further delay will be unfortunate and a gross injustice to the women of India,” Modi said. When women become active participants in policy- and decision-making, the journey towards a ‘Viksit Bharat’ will be strengthened. He stressed that adding more vigour to India’s development trajectory makes women’s participation non-negotiable. The PM said this principle led to passage of the law in 2023 and makes the amendment the need of the hour. With women excelling across fields, he said, increasing their role in legislative bodies has long enjoyed broad consensus. He cited Sardar Patel’s efforts to reserve seats for women in Ahmedabad Municipality and noted India granted equal voting rights at Independence. Efforts over decades fell short. He urged women to write to MPs to back the amendment ahead of the “historic” session, as India works towards ‘Viksit Bharat’ by 2047.
