Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday inaugurated Bharat Ratna Dr. B.R. at Prerna Sthal located in the Parliament complex. Paid tribute to Ambedkar. This tribute was given on the occasion of 135th Ambedkar Jayanti. Assuring the implementation of the Women’s Reservation Bill, he said that it seems appropriate to increase the number of seats for women MLAs in the Lok Sabha.
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He expressed happiness over the enthusiasm received towards the proposal and praised the increasing participation of women in various fields like education, literature, art, music, cinema, dance and heritage.
He said, “In the next two days, on the 16th, Parliament will reconvene to discuss and hopefully pass an important constitutional amendment related to the Nari Shakti Vandan Act. I see that there is immense enthusiasm for it. Women across the country are expressing their happiness at getting a strong opportunity to contribute to building a developed India.”
He further said, “All of you, our women power, are leaving your mark in every aspect of national life, and this active contribution is one of the most gratifying developments of our times. Just look at the world of startups. Women are playing leadership roles in many of them. Women’s participation in science and innovation, which is guiding the progress of mankind in the 21st century, is continuously increasing. The same is the case in the fields of education, literature, art, music, cinema, dance and heritage.”
Prime Minister Modi also highlighted the increasing participation of women in sports and emphasized that young girls are challenging stereotypical thinking.
“Perhaps this change is most clearly visible in the world of sports, where a silent revolution has taken place. Indian female athletes are winning more medals, breaking records and challenging stereotypes. Their successes are inspiring many other young girls to pursue careers in sports,” she said.
She said that many self-help groups and Lakhpati Didis have demonstrated how self-reliance can be achieved and how other women can be empowered.
He further said that to further empower women in Parliament, it is appropriate to give them more seats in the Lok Sabha. She recalled the efforts by Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel to create reserved seats for women, which resulted in women gaining equal rights in Indian society after independence.
He said, “Given the excellent progress of women in many of the above areas, it is natural to increase women’s participation in legislative bodies. In fact, this is a subject on which there has been widespread agreement over many decades, not only in the present but also in the past. Nearly a hundred years ago, during his tenure as the Chairman of the Ahmedabad Municipality, Sardar Patel had worked towards reserving seats for women. As India began its journey of becoming an independent nation, women and men should have equal voting rights. Was gone.”
She further said, “In many other countries of the world, women had to wait for years or even centuries for this. In the last three-four decades, many efforts were made to increase the participation of women in legislative bodies, but these efforts were not completely successful. Many times, even after coming very close to the target, they fell far short. Unfortunately, a subject on which there has always been a consensus could never reach its logical conclusion.”
The Prime Minister said that the implementation of this bill will strengthen the dream of “Developed India” by 2047.
He said, “In the year 2047, we will complete 100 years of independence from colonial rule. By then, the people of India will be engaged in realizing the dream of a developed India, and we must ensure that the aspirations of India’s women power, who constitute almost half of our population, are justified. When they become active participants in policy making and decision making, the journey towards a developed India will be stronger.”
She further said that women’s participation in legislative decision making is absolutely non-negotiable and appealed for support from all political parties for the implementation of the Women’s Reservation Bill.
He said, “It is imperative that we make every possible effort to further accelerate our development path and for this, the active participation of women is extremely essential. It is on the basis of this principle that the Nari Shakti Vandan Act was passed in 2023 and this very principle has made this constitutional amendment the need of the hour. I am sure you are also waiting for its passage in the Parliament in the next few days. It is important that we all come together to ensure that the representation of women in legislative bodies is implemented as per the norms.”
The Prime Minister said that with the implementation of the Women’s Reservation Bill, the number of seats for women in the Lok Sabha will increase and democracy will become stronger.
He said, “If the 2029 Lok Sabha elections and various assembly elections to be held in the same year are held with full reservation for women, our democracy will become more strong and vibrant. For this, the proposed bill should be passed in the Parliament. Any further delay in it will be unfortunate and will be a grave injustice to the women of India. The daughters of India cannot be made to wait indefinitely for their rights. When the voices of women are raised in our assemblies, the voice of democracy also becomes stronger.”
The Prime Minister urged local MPs to actively participate in the special meeting, saying it would have a historic impact that would be remembered for centuries. She appealed to the women to write letters to their local MPs encouraging them to participate in the meeting on the Women’s Reservation Bill from 16 to 18 April.
He wrote on the I also wish you all the best for the upcoming festivals in a few days. May you all be healthy, happy and prosperous.
