Long-pending aspiration of people that women get proper representation: Ex-law minister Khalap

Former Union Law minister Ramakant Khalap, who had moved the womens reservation bill in 1996-97, on Tuesday said it was a long-pending aspiration of people that women get proper representation.He was speaking to PTI as the Centre introduced a constitutional amendment bill to reserve one-third of seats in Lok Sabha and state assemblies for women.

Former Union Law minister Ramakant Khalap, who had moved the women's reservation bill in 1996-97, on Tuesday said it was a long-pending aspiration of people that women get proper representation.

He was speaking to PTI as the Centre introduced a constitutional amendment bill to reserve one-third of seats in Lok Sabha and state assemblies for women. ''I am the happiest person today. I understand that the women's reservation bill will be discussed by Parliament. My mind goes back to the year 1996-97 when I was union law minister and I had the privilege of moving the bill to provide one-third reservation to our sisters and mothers,” said Khalap, who was law minister in the Deve Gowda cabinet.

Khalap, who was with the Mahrashtravadi Gomantak Party (MGP), is currently with Congress. ''It was a long aspiration of the people of India that women should get a proper reservation. The system prevailing in the country is heavily oriented towards men. As a result of which, despite there being so many brilliant women, only a very few could get the representation,” he said.

Khalap recalled that the then Deve Gowda government had decided to consider the long-pending demand of reservation for women in Lok Sabha and state legislatures.

“I was given the mandate to prepare a Constitutional amendment bill. It was tabled on the floor of Lok Sabha. The bill was introduced and later it was referred to a joint parliamentary committee for further discussion,” he said.

Khalap recalled that some people had opposed the bill.

“A demand was raised for the bill giving representation to women while some sections in House demanded horizontal representation to Scheduled Tribe people,” he recalled.

Khalap said the Deve Gowda government was “short-lived” and since then this bill has been hanging fire.

“Whoever may be in power today, the dispensation that moves this bill will get the credit. PM Modi will certainly say that they should get the credit. I salute all those who supported the bill during that particular time. I salute Deve Gowda and all others who supported it,” Khalap said.