Centre’s Cabinet Decision on Women’s Quota is Unilateral – Kavitha

Kavitha stated that the struggle initiated by Jagruthi for the Women’s Reservation Bill has brought a positive change for women across the country. She said that their efforts created momentum for the bill, and many activists participated in the protest held in Delhi. Along with this, they coordinated with 18 political parties and ensured their participation, while also encouraging MPs to raise the issue in Parliament.

She explained that continuous political pressure from Jagruthi played a key role in the introduction of the bill. However, she criticized the bill by saying its benefits are like a “post-dated cheque”, as it does not provide immediate advantages. She pointed out that the bill was passed without a quota for BC women and was linked to delimitation, which delayed its implementation. As a result, women did not benefit in the recent Parliament and state elections.

Kavitha further expressed concern over the Centre’s plan to implement reservations based on the 2011 census data, stating that it would again lead to injustice. She demanded that reservations should be based on the 2027 census and that BC women must be given a sub-quota after proper data collection. She also criticized the Centre for not sharing the draft bill with political parties in advance and called for a united fight to secure fair rights for women.