T HE defeat of the Constitution Amendment Bill (131st) seeking 33 per cent reservation for women in legislatures came on expected lines. There is reason to believe that even the Government expected the Bill to fail the numbers test on the floor of the Lok Sabha. But if the Bill could not come through because of inadequate two-thirds numbers that the Government expected to build somehow, its failure was also caused because the Opposition was not committed to the cause of offering 33 per cent quota for women in legislatures. The bravado expressed by the Opposition after defeating the women’s quota Bill demonstrated amply its disdain for upliftment and empopwerment of woman that form nearly 50 per cent of the total Indian population.

 

The Government’s move might have failed in the numbers game -- which had been expected (even by the Government). However, whether the victory of the Opposition will help its cause in the elections to two major legislatures -- due in the next few days. For, if half the voters -- women -- carry a negative impression about the Opposition parties, the voters are least likely to opt for their candidates. Perhaps, the Opposition does not seem to have given any thought to that probability. Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi is not a simpleton politician. He knows the effects -- good or bad -- of his moves and makes his calculations on altogether different lines. He is mature enough to understand the implications of inadequate numbers in the Government’s failure. Yet, he persisted to table the Bill first in Lok Sabha -- where it failed as per the expectations of those who understand in-depth politics. Probably, the Opposition did not give much thought to these implications. It worked hard to keep its rank united through the period when the Women’s Reservation (Amendment) Bill was under consideration. It ensured that none in its camp defected to the Government, none in the Opposition ranks remained absent, too, during the period.

 

To that extent, the Opposition’s strategy seemed to have succeeded in blocking the Bill -- and embarrass the Government. In all likelihood, the Government did not feel embarrassed. For, most probably, it will use the rejection of the Bill by the Opposition as a ploy in the West Bengal and Tamil Nadu elections due in the next few days. It will keep building the narrative subsequently as well that the Opposition was against the interests of women and their true empowerment. Let alone politics, it must be agreed that the nation has lost a golden opportunity to empower women in one more way. If the Bill was passed, it would have made a historic change in the way the nation thought of women. But the Opposition does not seem to be bothered about it. Defeating the Government at least once, was its main concern. Going by what actually happened, it was almost obvious that Mr. Modi and Mr. Amit Shah were fully prepared for such a jolt to the reputation of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) as a strategically-tuned party. Or, in other words, can it be said that the BJP knew that the Bill would be defeated, but still persisted with its introduction and allowed a reasonable debate in the House. Through the debate, the Government put its views for the nation’s benefit, and underscore the Opposition’s disinterest in the cause. Though the Government did not plan its own defeat, it appeared to have been be prepared for the final outcome.