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New Delhi [India], April 7 (ANI): 'Ramayan' actor Dipika Chikhlia backed the the Women's Reservation Bill, praising Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the initiative aimed at empowering women in India.
"All I can say is that it is very good because, you know, actually we are 50 per cent of our population. Women are 50 per cent of population and I don't see really anything wrong in trying to help and support and, you know, bring them up in the society," Chikhlia told ANI.
Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju announced that Parliament will convene a special session on April 16 to take up the Women's Reservation Bill.
She emphasised the need for the bill, noting the divide between urban and rural India. "There is a certain percentage of people, women who are very educated, they're doing very well, but there's still, you know, there are two kinds of India. So, one where the women are, you know, excelling themselves everywhere, but they're still in the three tiers and the villages, women are still not up to where they should be."
The government is planning to bring an amendment bill to increase the number of Lok Sabha seats to 816 from 543 seats. The idea is to have at least 273 seats reserved for women. According to sources, the key agenda may include amendments to the 2023 Nari Shakti Vandan Act and the introduction of the Delimitation Commission Bill.The sources said that the Centre has planned to take the 2011 census as the basis for delimitation and seat redistribution.Currently, the Lok Sabha has 543 seats. With a proposed 50 per cent increase, the number of seats will rise to 816, with 273 (about a third) reserved for women.
Chiklia praised PM Modi's initiative as a step toward inclusive representation. "I think Modiji is supporting a bill like this as a, for a reservation. It's primarily because I think women also need to come out more in the open and I think it is absolutely very necessary for women to stand up and I think this is a complete support to womanhood," she added.
BJP MP Ravi Kishan also welcomed the move to implement the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, 2023, saying that this will allow more women MPs to bring forward issues of their constituencies. Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju announced that Parliament will convene a special session on April 16 to take up the Women's Reservation Bill.
"The Prime Minister's idea has infused all women with a new energy. Now there will be 33 per cent women's representation in the Parliament, and they will bring forward the issues of their constituencies. There are about 70 crore women in the nation, and women's first choice while casting votes is PM Narendra Modi. Reservation for women was important, and I welcome this move," Ravi Kishan said.
Earlier, veteran actor and CINTAA President Poonam Dhillon also voiced her support for the Women's Reservation Bill, emphasising that increased representation of women in Parliament will bring greater sensitivity and focus to key societal issues.
Dhillon highlighted the positive impact of women's participation in grassroots governance. "As we have seen in the last few years, when it was implemented in the panchayat, it made a lot of difference. Logon ko samajh aaya ki jab ek aurat apni awaaz rakhti hai aur nirnay mein bhi jo bhi uska opnion hota hai yes or no rakhti hai to usme bahut farak padta hai...(People understood that when a woman has her own voice and has her own opinion in the decision-making process, it makes a lot of difference)," she said.
She also noted that women are better positioned to understand and address issues such as family welfare, education, sanitation, and health. "Issues like family, women empowerment, education, sanitation, health, no one can understand these issues better than a woman. Sensitivity is very important," she added.
Dhillon said, "I am very happy that this time, this issue will be raised in our parliament, and a lot of time has been spent on it. We used to talk about the 33 per cent reservation. This is the right time."
The government aims to amend the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, also called the Women's Reservation Bill, which aims to delink quotas for women from the delimitation process. Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam was passed in 2023.A separate Delimitation Bill will be introduced. Both bills need to be passed as Constitutional amendments for women's reservation. The new Lok Sabha is likely to have more than 800 seats. (ANI)