Mayawati seeks sub-quota for women from SC, ST and OBC in new bill

Mayawati, the leader of the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), has called for a sub-quota for Scheduled Caste (SC), Scheduled Tribe (ST), and Other Backward Class (OBC) women within the Women’s Reservation Bill in the Parliament.

She has argued that this is necessary to ensure that women from these marginalised groups are not left behind. While laying down her demands, she also made it clear that she would support the bill for the reservation of women in the parliament.

BSP leader has said that the Women’s Reservation Bill is a welcome step, but it is not enough. She has said that a sub-quota for SC, ST, and OBC women is essential to ensure that they have a fair chance of being elected to Parliament and state legislatures. Her demand for a sub-quota within the Women’s Reservation Bill is supported by many women’s groups and activists. They argue that SC, ST, and OBC women face additional challenges in participating in politics and that a sub-quota would help to level the playing field.

Mayawati wants 50% seats for Women

In her statement released for the media, Mayawati said, “If instead of giving 33 percent reservation in the Legislative Assemblies, 50 percent reservation is given keeping in mind their population, then our party will welcome this wholeheartedly, about which the government should definitely think.”

“But along with this, I had also said that out of whatever reservation is given to women, reservation quota for women from SC, ST, and OBC categories should be ensured separately. Otherwise, there will be a lot of injustice to these classes and if this is not done then the backward women of all these classes will soon be given the general seats here. They will not get a chance, because the casteist parties here do not want to see these classes progressing in any field from the very beginning.”

“Whereas, in order to remove the backwardness of these classes and to enable them to live a life of self-respect, Baba Saheb Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar, the original creator of the Indian Constitution, had made arrangements to give them separate reservations in government jobs and politics, etc. because these classes of people here were very backward in the educational, economic and social fields under the caste system for centuries, and are still backward.”

19-09-2023-BSP PRESS NOTE-WOMEN RESERVATION BILL pic.twitter.com/6P9Z8Cb3eT
— Mayawati (@Mayawati) September 19, 2023

BSP made it clear that the party wants a separate reservation should be made for these categories of women in the Women’s Reservation Bill.

“Along with this, our party also wants to say that if these demands of our party are not implemented in the Women’s Reservation Bill, then in such a situation our party will support the Women’s Reservation Bill. Still, it will support it and give full help in getting it passed, because here women of all castes and religions are still kept far backward compared to men in every matter.”

Mayawati sounded convinced that this women’s reservation bill would definitely be passed, which was pending for a long time.