Speaker Sumitra Mahajan with ministers Sushma Swaraj, Anupriya Patel and MP Poonamben Maadam during Women’s day celebrations at Jawaharlal Nehru bhawan. (Express Photo: Renuka Puri)
Protests rocked Rajya Sabha for the fourth consecutive day on Thursday, but for 55 minutes in the morning, the Opposition and the treasury benches spoke in the same voice as the House observed International Women’s Day.
Women members from the Opposition, supported by their male colleagues, demanded early passage of Women’s Reservation Bill and took potshots at the BJP-led government for not passing it in Lok Sabha despite having an absolute majority.
External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, who wrapped up the discussion, said she has been a supporter of the Bill from the beginning. “And I continue to be an ardent supporter.” Chairman Venkaiah Naidu said there should be renewed focus on gender equality and safety of women. “We all have to act collectively to raise awareness against discrimination of the girl child.”
While Congress’s Kumari Selja demanded setting up of an Equal Opportunities Commission for Women, her party colleague Viplove Thakur pointed out that there is not a single women in the panel of vice-chairmen.
Senior Congress leader Sonia Gandhi celebrates women’s Day at her residence with party leaders. (Photo: Renuka Puri)
“What kind of equality are we talking about? You (referring to Naidu) said (equality) we should start from home. I want to say that you should start from here. Is there no capable women among us who can be on the panel and sit on that chair?” she asked. Naidu told her that he has accepted her suggestion and it will be executed.
DMK’s Kanimozhi said, “Men are celebrating us today as mothers, as sisters, as daughters (but) I think it is time for women to say enough of that.”
“We don’t want to be celebrated for our sacrifices; we don’t want to be celebrated for what we give up. We want to be celebrated for what we are; we want to find our identity, our individuality and we want to pursue our dreams and, I think, that is what Women’s Day is all about,” she said.
Politics, too, crept in the discussion. Trinamool Congress’s Derek O Brien said the saying, “behind every successful man, there is a woman” has changed to “behind every successful man, there is a nationalised bank”. CPI’s D Raja invoked Periyar and Lenin, saying they stood for the empowerment of women.
In Lok Sabha, Speaker Sumitra Mahajan said, “If you consider man and woman as two wings of humanity, their empowerment is absolutely necessary for it to fly high.” “If we all work for the all round development of women for positive change, then I am sure that India will shine in the global stage,” she added.
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