I know this is one of the most controversial topics to touch upon. According to me (and probably according to you too) women qualify for being treated as a depressed and disadvantaged class. One must not be under any false impression that now the things have changed by seeing that a few women have become economically independent. It is just a small percentage, more visible and noticiable because they are so less in number.
One may think that when there are no restrictions on women joining politics, where does the need to provide them reservation arise from? The answer to this is very simple. Constitution has given them equal right to join politics, but the society has not given them equal opportunities, which makes them unequal and candidates eligible for special consideration.
Well just being underprevilidged doesn't qualify them for 50% reservation in panchayat and state elections or anywhere else for that matter. After all 50% is a big number to be given away just like that. The fact that women constitute 50% of the population (or they should constitute around 50% of the population, if all of them are allowed to be born and taken care of properly in the childhood) does qualify them. The fact that the average representation of women in political parties is nowhere near 50%, in spite of them constituting 50% of the population does qualify them.
It is natural for the men to feel threatened since such reservation would mean lesser seats for them than before and greater competition for them in the 50% of the unreserved seats. Some menfolk might feel wronged when even the novice, little knowing women get seats while the seasoned men in politics might be left behind just on the basis of reservation. But this consideration is not as special as it looks, it would naturally cease to be a special consideration once the women cease to be disadvantaged. Such people must remember that reservation would remain fruitful for women only as long as they are lagging behind men. Once they are at par, reservation would mean no special previlege because then competition would be same for reserved as well as unreserved seats, the quality of competing candidates would be same.
If women find it easy to get into politics due to reservation, it means that not as many women are participating or coming up as many men are participating. It might also means that they lack the competence due to years of suppression and male dominance. If only now society gives them a chance, to learn, to make mistakes, let them to tread the unexplored path, there is a chance that we won't find them as unequal in future.
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