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Today’s atmosphere in Uttarakhand Assembly was different. The occasion was a special session organized on the topic ‘Women’s Respect – Rights in Democracy’, where Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami not only glorified the mother power of the state, but also made a sharp attack on the role of the opposition regarding the Women’s Reservation Bill i.e. ‘Nari Shakti Vandan Act’. Addressing the House, the Chief Minister bluntly said that there should not be any kind of politics on the efforts for women empowerment. Supporting the efforts of the Central Government, he presented a resolution to implement this bill as soon as possible.

There was both emotion and political response in the Chief Minister’s speech. He started his address by paying tribute to the great women of Uttarakhand who sacrificed their lives for everything from state building to social reform. Referring to personalities like Gaura Devi, Teelu Rauteli and Sarla Behen, Dhami said that the land of Uttarakhand has always been a symbol of indomitable courage. In fact, the Chief Minister reminded the House that Nari Shakti is no longer limited to mere participation, but is playing a leadership role—be it the Chandrayaan Mission or commanding the army on the border.

Sharp attack on opposition and mention of Mahabharata

Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami mentioned the incident in the House when a special session of Parliament was called on April 16. He said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had resolved that half of the country’s population should get their full rights, but the opposition together stopped this historic initiative. Dhami said in a harsh tone, “When this bill could not be passed in the Lok Sabha due to numerical strength, the opposition leaders were clapping. In fact, seeing that scene reminded me of the meeting in Mahabharata, in which Draupadi was insulted.”

The Chief Minister alleged that the opposition is now trying to spread confusion on this important subject. He made it clear that there will be no discrimination against the seats of any state through delimitation. Dhami sarcastically said that those who were in power for decades never took concrete steps to give women their rights and today when the work is being done, they are creating obstacles in it.

Journey from Rasoi to Raisina Hill

While presenting the empowerment figures, the Chief Minister praised the Central Government. He said that the gender budget has increased by more than five times in the last 11 years. The Chief Minister said that today the daughters of the country are traveling from Rasoi to Raisina Hill. President Draupadi Murmu is the biggest example of this. Referring to the laws made against ‘Beti Bachao-Beti Padhao’, ‘Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana’ and ‘Triple Talaq’, he said that due to the resolution of Prime Minister Modi, today Muslim sisters have also got freedom from bad practices.

Dhami also said that if this bill had been passed, Uttarakhand would have benefited greatly. After delimitation, the number of assembly seats in the state could go up to 105, out of which 35 seats would be reserved for women. The number of MPs would also increase from 5 to 7 or 8. The Chief Minister raised the question that why does the opposition not want women from ordinary families to reach the top of politics?

‘Dhami Model’ and Lakhpati Didi in Uttarakhand

Enumerating the achievements of his government, the Chief Minister said that a provision of Rs 20 thousand crore has been made in the gender budget this year for women empowerment in Uttarakhand. Referring to the ‘Lakhpati Didi’ scheme, he said that more than 2 lakh 65 thousand sisters of the state have become self-reliant today. The state government has worked to strengthen women by giving 30 percent reservation in government jobs and 33 percent reservation in cooperative societies.

The Chief Minister did not forget to mention the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) in the end. He said that Uttarakhand is the first state in the country which has freed women from evils like Halala, Iddat and polygamy by implementing UCC. He appealed to the opposition to rise above party politics and stand in respect of mother power. The Chief Minister is confident that under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi, this resolution of ‘Nari Shakti Vandan’ will definitely be fulfilled one day.