New Delhi, Apr 21 (PTI) There would have been 180 women MPs in the Lok Sabha today had the government not linked their reservation to delimitation, CPI(M) leader Brinda Karat said on Tuesday, urging Prime Minister Narendra Modi not to "shed tears" but ensure the immediate implementation of the one-third quota for women in legislative bodies.
"Don't shed tears for us, just act. Bring the women's reservation bill without linkages, without conditions," Karat said in an open letter to the prime minister.
In the letter, Karat quoted Modi's recent address to the nation, where he said several women have raised the issue of reservation in legislatures in the past.
"Modi ji, here is another letter to you, from one who has been an active participant in the 'decades long fight' you mention," the veteran Left leader said.
She said the historic fight was led by women's organisations and lakhs of women in the panchayats who fought patriarchal cultures to establish that they were not "proxies".
"It was through thousands and thousands of demonstrations, rallies, protests, dharnas, petitions," Karat said, as she also dismissed Modi's remarks that he is among those making such efforts.
"No Modi ji, in all these years of struggle, we have never ever received any support from you. Your claim is as distant from the truth as Godse's ideology was from Gandhi's," she said.
The Communist of India (Marxist) leader called the linkage of women's reservation to census and delimitation an "obstacle", and said, "Delete this sentence Modi ji and women's reservation can be implemented from tomorrow."
"But you won't do this Modi ji. Your commitment was never to women's reservation," she alleged.
Karat said the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had promised one-third reservation for women in legislative bodies in its election manifesto.
"The alliance you led won 336 seats, of which your own party won 282 seats. What were the efforts you made?" she questioned.
She recalled that demands for women's reservation were made in the Rajya Sabha in 2017 by former CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury and in the Lok Sabha in July 2018 by party MP P K Sreemathy.
Karat alleged that the BJP government did "nothing", depriving women of reservation in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.
She noted that the BJP-led NDA came back to power with a bigger margin in 2019 and while it used its "massive majority" to push "four anti-worker labour codes" and three "anti-kisan bills", it did not bring a bill for reservation for women.
The Left leader said when the bill was finally brought in 2023, women's organisations strongly protested against its linkage with census and delimitation.
"Modi ji, women paid the price. If you had not insisted on the linkage and presented the 2010 Bill, which your own party had voted for at the time, there would have been 180 women in the Lok Sabha today. Instead their number has gone down to just 74, less than in 2019," she said.
"Ten Assembly elections have been held in this period. Instead of one-third, their number is less than 10 per cent," Karat added.
She pointed out that from the 182 Assembly seats in Gujarat, Modi's home state, only 15 women, or just around 8 per cent, were elected in the election held in 2022.
She alleged that the government "deliberately" did not start the census process, "because you had planned this move all along".
"This was your third betrayal Modi ji," Karat said.
She further pointed out that remarks were made stating that the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam amendments were about "giving something to everyone".
"In other words, patriarchy in politics is not to be disturbed, let the men keep the power, let their numbers increase, women can be the add-ons," she said, calling it a "manuvadi approach".
Karat further questioned the use of the 2011 Census data, asking whether it would deprive Dalit and Adivasi women of their rightful share in the reserved seats.
"The SC/ST population has increased between 2001 and 2026 and so the proportion of their seats should also increase. But your proposal denied them this right," she said.
On delimitation and an increase in the number of seats, Karat said the issue should be discussed separately. "Population of states cannot be the basis for proportionate shares as this punishes states for their development. So what can be the basis? Let there be discussion and consultation. In any case, this has nothing to do with women's reservation," she said.
She also took strong exception to Modi's remarks accusing the opposition of "committing a sin" and "foeticide".
"Use your words with more care Modi ji. If you must use such inappropriate analogies, you should know that there was no foetus. There was a fully formed 'being' in the shape of the 2010 Reservation Bill, which your party had voted for. You buried that being," she said.
"Women are fed up with the series of betrayals from your government. Do not call it 'Vandan'. We are not looking for reverence but for rights," she said, adding that the demand is rooted in strengthening democracy through greater participation of women.
Karat also supported the demand for a caste census, alleging that the government is reluctant to document caste inequalities.
"And please Modi ji, don't shed tears for us, just act as you should have done in 2014: bring the women's reservation bill without linkages, without conditions, in the next session of Parliament so that it can be implemented in the next round of elections. We want action not theatrics," she said.
180 women MPs possible without linkage Karat asks Modi not to 'shed tears' implement quota now
(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)