India steps into history with women's quota bill
New Delhi, March 9 (IANS) India's politics took a decisive step towards change Tuesday with its
upper house passing a historic bill giving one-third representation to women in parliament and state
legislatures, crossing the biggest hurdle in the road towards political empowerment for women in
the world's largest democracy.
The 13-year perilous political struggle to give women adequate representation ended with the
Rajya Sabha finally debating the contentious issue and then voting 186-1 on the Constitution (One
Hundred and Eighth Amendment) Bill, 2008 amid acrimony, political divides and ugly scenes of
dissent.
Only the last step remains - of the Lok Sabha endorsing it. With the numbers stacked in favour of
the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government in the lower house, this should
hopefully be a formality, said activists and leaders, who had fought long and hard to see the day.
The reserved seats would be allotted by rotation to different constituencies and would be valid for
15 years after the commencement of the Amendment Act.
The flagship legislation did not get passed on International Women's Day as the government had
hoped but a day later. Nonetheless, it was a time for hyperbole and the timing of the bill, introduced
by the Deve Gowda government in 1996, could not have been better.
Even for the usually taciturn Prime Minister Manmohan Singh who described it as "a historic step
forward" towards "strengthening the process of emancipation" of Indian women. Both he and UPA
chairperson Sonia Gandhi had staked the government's future on the passage of the bill.
"This is a momentous development in the long journey of empowering our women," he said at the
end of a lively debate on the bill that saw 27 speakers participate.
"Our women faced discrimination at home, there is domestic violence, they face discrimination in
equal access to education, healthcare, there are all these things. All these things have to end if India
were to realise its full potential," he added on an emotive note.
That the issue of giving women in a still deeply traditional country assured representation in the
highest echelons of political power provoked the most intense reactions was evident from the prime
minister's opening remarks itself.
"I owe you a profound apology for the disrespect shown to you...," he told Vice President and
chairman of the house Hamid Ansari.
On Monday, Ansari found himself virtually accosted by a handful of MPs who tore the bill into
shreds and hurled the pieces at him. On Tuesday, a disgusted Ansari suspended seven MPs from
the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), the Samajwadi party (SP), the Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) and the
Janata Dal-United (JD-U), regional parties whose main support base is in the Hindi heartland.
At this point, women constitute nine percent of the Lok Sabha, 10 percent of the Rajya Sabha and
only seven percent of state legislative assemblies.
Correcting the anomaly, however, saw the blurring of many political lines and the Congress-led
United Progressive Alliance government losing some of its political edge.
The RJD and the SP announced the withdrawal of their support to the government and the ally
Trinamool Congress abstained from the vote. Within the Janata Dal-United (JD-U) divisions
appeared with Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar for the move but its other big leader Sharad
Yadav bitterly opposed to it.
But the Congress battled the hurdles. It was a triumph for Congress president Sonia Gandhi who
was determined that it would go through. In the Lok Sabha, the task would be easier with the
Congress having a strength of 208, the largest constituent of the UPA's 259 members.
The SP's 22 seats and the RJD's four would not make a difference, said a party leader.
But this was an issue that went beyond politics, a reflection of the emerging women power in a
rapidly modernising India.
Principal opposition Bharatiya Janata Party's Arun Jaitley who opened the debate said he had a
feeling of being a party to history in the making when he came to the house and his party
"unequivocally" supported it.
Communist Party of India-Marxist's (CPI-M) Brinda Karat said the move would change the
"culture of the country because women today are still caught in a culture prison. In the name of
tradition, stereotypes are imposed and we have to fight these every day".
These stereotypes will also be broken by the bill, said a delighted Karat, who believes the entry of
a larger number of women in legislatures would make for "more sensitive politics".
Inequalities would be rectified, age-old biases corrected. With this bill, could things finally change.
A tempting thought for India's women.
The women's bill was worth the risk, says Sonia
New Delhi, March 9 (IANS) "I am very happy," Congress president Sonia Gandhi declared
Tuesday after the Rajya Sabha passed the women's bill to reserve a third of seats in all legislatures
for women, adding the "larger picture" of women's empowerment was worth the political risk that
the ruling coalition had taken.
Speaking to NDTV's Barkha Dutt, Gandhi said she was grateful to all the political parties who
helped the bill to pass, including the Left, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) "and our coalition
partners".
She hoped that "those who did not support us will understand" over time the need for the bill, which
now needs to get past the Lok Sabha. She was particularly surprised about Trinamool Congress'
abstention, especially since its leader Mamata Banerjee was "enthusiastic" about supporting it when
the cabinet discussed it.
Gandhi, who is also chairman of the ruling United Progressive Alliance (UPA), said she was
watching the parliament proceedings from her home and she felt happy the bill was passed after a
lively discussion.
"I am happy and relieved," she said and added the issue had been very close to her heart,
especially since it was in keeping with vision of her late husband former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi.
"The first step has been taken. As a natural corollary, the next step will also be taken," she said in
reference to the bill's passage in the Lok Sabha.
Regarding opposition from some UPA allies, Sonia Gandhi said she was aware of the political risks
involved but the "big picture" of empowerment of women in the country was more important and
worth taking the risk.
The fissures caused by the divisions over the bill, she admitted, was a political risk.
"It is a huge risk but we have taken risks before. Whenever something is revoutionary, there is
opposition, there are difficulties. But the larger picture (of women's reservation) is more important."
She said she was not disappointed that the bill did not go through in the Rajya Sabha on Monday,
the International Women's Day. "I knew it was a difficult legislation, (that) problems may come up,
one wasn't really sure," she said.
Gandhi expressed surprise at Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee's last minute objections vis-a-vis
the bill.
She said she had been told by the person who sat by Banerjee at the last cabinet meeting that she
was very enthusiastic about the bill. "I don't quite understand what has happened."
The Congress president gave full credit to allies DMK and Nationalist Congress Party for backing
the bill fully right from the beginning.
She admitted that she had a personal rapport with Rashtriya Janata Dal president Lalu Prasad and
Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav, the most vocal critics of the women's bill.
"But when it comes to political issues, personal relations do not count too much. I understand their
porblems, their compulsions."
"Of course, our party is committed. If we were not committed, we would not have taken the first
step."
PM apologises to Ansari
New Delhi, March 9 : Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Tuesday apologised to Rajya Sabha
Chairman Hamid Ansari for the "disrespect shown to you" by MPs opposed to the women's
reservation bill.
"I owe you a profound apology for the disrespect shown to you. These things should never have
happened. They have happened, and we have to reflect how to we have to streamline our
functioning in future so that these things don't take place," he said in the upper house.
In the same breath, the prime minister acknowledged the role played by "all political parties whose
cooperation has made it possible for us to enact this historic legislation".
On Monday and Tuesday, MPs from four parties including the Samajwadi Party and Rashtriya
Janata Dal came out strongly against the bill, insisting that there should be special reservation of
seats for Dalit, tribal and Muslim women.
Rahul Mahajan gets back passport
Reality show star Rahul Mahajan, who got married in a TV programme, was on Tuesday allowed
by a Delhi court to get back his passport for going to the Maldives for honeymoon.
Outside the courtroom, Mahajan said, "I am very happy with the outcome. I just want to pack my
bags and leave."
The court, however, made it clear the relief would not be used as an extension of the show,
including shootings by him.
"Mahajan shall give an undertaking that his visit shall be a private visit and in no way extension of
the show... there shall be no shooting done at Maldives between March nine and 31," the court
said.
He was also asked by Additional Sessions Judge J P S Malik to give an affidavit that his marriage
contracted on March six was a bonafide and not for purpose of the TV show.
As the conditions for release of his passport, the court directed Mahajan, son of slain BJP leader
Pramod Mahajan to get his marriage registered under the provisions of the Hindu Marriage Act
within two months, apart from depositing Rs five lakh each as fixed deposit and a personal bond
immediately.
Mahajan, 35, got married on Saturday to 21-year-old Dimpy Ganguly, a model and dancer, during
the TV reality show 'Rahul Dulhaniya Le Jayega'.
During arguments, prosecutor Ahmed Khan opposed Mahajan's plea saying the kind of reality
show in which he participated and contracted the marriage should not be encouraged as they leave
a bad impression on the mind of young viewers.
Curfew reimposed in four localities of Bareilly
Bareilly (UP), Mar 9 (PTI) Curfew has been reimposed in four localities of the town in the wake of
fresh tension following arrest of a prominent Sunni cleric in connection with communal clashes,
official sources said here today.
Day cufew, which was lifted on March 7, has been reimposed in three police station areas of Prem
Nagar, Qila, Baradari and some parts of Kotwali this morning, they said.
Curfew was clamped in four police areas of Bareilly city after communal clashes on March 2, in
which several poeple were injured and scores of houses and shops were set ablaze.
Fresh tension erupted in the city after leader of Ittehad-e-Millat Conference Maulana Tauqeer Raza
Khan was arrested by the police on charges of inciting communal feelings, attempt to murder and
treason last evening, sources said.
Rajya Sabha merely enforced its code in suspending 7 MPs
Some members of the Rajya Sabha tore papers on the chairman's desk Monday while protesting
the women's reservation bill. Tuesday the house took action against them by suspending them for
the rest of the budget session.
Parliamentary procedures and etiquettes are carefully crafted to permit all members to contribute to
debates in a constructive manner. This implies that objections may be raised to an issue with the
permission of the chair. This also implies that members should listen to others who may have a
different point of view.
The Committee on Ethics of the Rajya Sabha has drafted a Code of Conduct for MPs, which was
adopted by the house in April 2005. The code requires members to 'hold in high esteem the
Constitution, the law, parliamentary institutions and above all the general public'. It lays down 14
principles, the first of which states that 'members must not do anything that brings disrepute to
parliament and affect their credibility'.
The Rajya Sabha also has a Committee of Privileges, which looks into issues that involve breach of
privilege of the house. The chairman of the Rajya Sabha may refer any issue to the Committee of
Ethics or the Committee of Privileges.
The rules of procedure also lay down certain norms to be followed by members. In particular,
members 'shall not obstruct proceedings, hiss or interrupt and avoid making running commentaries
when speeches are being made in the council'.
The rules also state that a member shall not 'use his right of speech for the purpose of obstructing
the business of the council'.
The chairman has certain powers and duties to preserve order. Rule 259 states that 'the chairman
shall preserve order and shall have all powers necessary for the purpose of enforcing his decisions.'
Rule 255 empowers the chairman to direct any member whose conduct is in his opinion grossly
disorderly to withdraw immediately from the council, and such member may not attend the sitting
for the remainder of that day.
Rule 256 states: 'The chairman may, if he deems it necessary, name a member who disregards the
authority of the chair or abuses the rules of the council by persistently and willfully obstructing the
business thereof'.
This is followed by a motion in the house to suspend that member for a period not exceeding the
remaining period of the session. If that motion is passed, that member may not attend for the period
of suspension.
This power was exercised Tuesday. The chairman named seven members, a motion was moved in
the Rajya Sabha, and all of them were suspended from the house till the end of the current session,
that is till May 7. The list of members includes four from the Samajwadi Party and one each from
the Rashtriya Janata Dal, the Janata Dal-United and the Lok Janashakti Party.
The Rajya Sabha's publication 'Rajya Sabha at Work' lists several incidents in which members
were suspended. Raj Narain was suspended several times - in 1966, 1967, 1971 and 1974. Each
time, he refused to withdraw from the house and was removed by the Marshal on three occasions.
Godey Murahari was suspended thrice - 1962, and twice in 1966.
The largest set of suspensions occurred in the Lok Sabha in 1989. Following commotion over the
tabling of the Thakkar Commission report that looked into the assassination of Indira Gandhi, 63
MPs were suspended for a week. Four more MPs joined them in walking out of the house.
In an extreme case of misconduct, the house may expel a member. This is the only penalty that is
higher than suspension for the remaining period of a session. Parliament exercised this power during
the cash-for-questions issue to expel the errant MPs.
It is important for parliament to discuss issues of national importance. Parliament has rules that
require MPs to behave in a dignified manner and processes to allow reasoned debate. The
chairman, insisting Tuesday that these rules be followed, helped uphold the dignity of the house.
Leader of Opposition in the Rajya sabha Arun Jaitley insisted on a debate on the women's
reservation bill though he supported the bill, saying that it was important to hear all differing views
before voting on the issue.
This welcome though regretful development should be followed by all MPs upholding the Code of
Conduct and Rules. The country hopes to see fewer disruptions and more business being
conducted in an orderly manner in keeping with parliamentary dignity.
Patil, Bagwe attend 26/11 Mumbai attack proceedings
Mumbai, Mar 9 (PTI) In a rare gesture, Maharashtra Home Minister R R Patil today attended the
proceedings in the 26/11 terror attack case along with Minister of State for Home Ramesh Bagwe
in a special court here.
Patil's visit assumes significance in the wake of the prosecution opening its final arguments against
lone surviving Pakistani gunman Ajmal Kasab and two Indian national Faheem Ansari and
Sabauddin Ahmed.
Unprecedented security measures were undertaken in view of the ministers' visit.
While Kasab is charged with killing 166 persons in the attack, Sabahuddin and Ansari are facing
charges of drawing maps of targets and passing them on militant outfit LeT for executing the terror
strikes.
Order on Maulana Meraj Rabbani's bail plea reserved
Mumbai, Mar 9 : A lower court today reserved its order till tomorrow on an anticipatory bail plea
filed by Maulana Meraj Rabbani of the Ahle Hadees sect, who had allegedly passed disparaging
remarks against Khwaja Gareeb Nawaz, a Sufi saint of Ajmer, who is revered by the Barelvi Sunni
Muslims, in January this year.
Additional Sessions Judge A V Avchat reserved the order after the arguments from both
prosecution and defence side concluded.
On January 28, while addressing a gathering in the eastern suburb of Ghatkopar, Rabbani had
allegedly made abusive and hurtful remarks against Nawaaz, a saint whose shrine at Ajmer is
India's most famous Sufi shrine.
Soon, a huge mob of protesters gathered at the venue and demanded an apology from the maulana.
Seeing the tense situation, the police whisked him away to safety.
On January 30, the Ghatkopar police registered an offence against Rabbani for allegedly hurting the
religious sentiments of fellow Muslims, mostly Sunnis of the Barelvi denomination.
After the offence was registerd, Rabbani moved sessions court seeking anticipatory bail, while
claiming that he had not delivered any speech as alleged in the First Information Report.
The court, however, noted that this could not be determined until the investigating officer's report
on the evidence is submitted and thereby granted him interim relief.
Advocate Rizwan Merchant, who has filed an intervening application to oppose the maulana's plea,
today said recently a section of urdu newspapers have carried an apology on behalf of Rabbani but
the same is not acceptable to Sunni religious scholars as it does not contain the words that are
mendatory for an apology.
However, the maulana's lawyer Sudeep Pasbola said ''Rabbani had not made any such utterances
in his speeches. His recorded speech, which is doing the rounds, was delivered in Saudi Arabia
many years ago, in some other context.''
Gov not indulging in thought policing in name of fighting terror: Pillai
By Shreeraj Gudi, New Delhi, Mar 9 : Union Home Secretary G K Pillai on Tuesday denied
charges of government being engaged in "thought policing" in the name of fighting terror threat but
said certain measures need to be taken in order to maintain security of the country.
Earlier in February, the Home Ministry had issued instructions to all Central Ministries /
Departments and chief secretaries of all state governments and union territories, advising them to
strictly adhere to the revised procedure for grant of Conference Visa to foreign participants coming
to India.
According to new guidelines--in the case of scholars from a list of eight flagged countries --
Afghanistan, Bangladesh, China, Iran, Iraq, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Sudan -- or any scholar of
"Pakistani origin", regardless of nationality, official vetting is necessary regardless of the "sensitivity"
of the subject of the conference they have been invited to.
Addressing the panel discussion on "Thought Policing or Fighting Terror", organised by the
Foundation for Media Professionals (CMP) here Pillai said the much debated conference visa
norms are still under discussion at the government level and the Centre is ready to correct any
norm, which was considered as a blockade to flow of knowledge.
" Ours is a learning and functional democracy. No body is perfect, it also holds good for the
Government. If there are any mistake in the norm we are ready to discuss it and there is enough
scope for correction," Pillai said.
He also clarified that the Government has no intention to restrict the flow of thoughts, but it is
concerned about the security of the country.
"If you are organising a conference with the available resource person in India, we don't have any
problem, but if you are inviting foreign scholars then we have to check his/ her background before
letting them inside India," Pillai said.
He further added that the measures are being implemented to check Inter Service Intelligence (ISI)
and other Pakistani agents to visit India in different names.
" We are working out a policy where 'genuine scholars' can get entry into India without any
problem," Pillai added.
Pillai also claimed that such vetting system is in force in many countries of the world.
"At least we are discussing our visa policy, many countries would not allow you to discuss visa
policy as it come under severity," Pillai added.
He further said that when there are over 100 news channels and over 1, 000 magazines and
newspapers
in India, the question of thought policing doesn't arise.
He informed the panel that over 900 conferences were cleared in 2009, only two or three requests
were rejected by the Home Ministry.
Commenting on necessary clearance from Home Ministry for eight flagged countries Pillai said:
"The government has taken this decision as our 'hostile' nabour is getting a lot of inflow from these
areas."
He assured the panel that Government is preparing a list of institutions, universities through out the
world whose members and faculty can get direct access, can be put out side the conference visa
norms.
Lalu must back Bill, he has 7 daughters: Sonia
New Delhi Congress President Sonia Gandhi on Tuesday took a dig at RJD chief Lalu Prasad
telling him in a lighter vein that he needed to be on the side of the Women's Reservation Bill since
he had seven daughters.
"He has seven daughters. I was telling him that within his family there are seven for the Bill," Gandhi
told reporters when asked about her informal interaction with Prasad and SP chief Mulayam Singh
Yadav in the Lok Sabha. Asked what was Prasad's reaction, she said "he just laughed".
Gandhi expressed hope that "our former partners remained with us on the Bill." Prasad and Yadav
have been the most prominent opponents of the Women's Reservation Bill and they had a nearly
20-minute interaction with Gandhi in the House when it was adjourned.
MP ATS to question 'IM terrorist' Salman
Madhya Pradesh anti-terror police will interrogate suspected Indian Mujahideen terrorist Salman
Ahmed to find out if he had any connections in the state, a top Anti Terrorist Squad official said on
Tuesday.
"Madhya Pradesh ATS will go to the national capital to quiz twenty-one-year-old Salman who is
presently in the custody of Delhi police," the official said.
Though there was no blast in Madhya Pradesh, the police will question Salman alias Chhotu to
know if he had visited the state and had connections with any persons.
However, Madhya Pradesh police will have to wait for its turn to interrogate him as Salman is
wanted by other states, including Uttar Pradesh , Gujarat, Rajasthan and Delhi also, for his alleged
involvement in serial blasts there, he said.
Salman, a resident of Sanjarpur in Azamgarh district who carried a reward of Rs 1 lakh, was
arrested by Uttar Pradesh ATS from Siddharth Nagar district, bordering Nepal and is presently in
the custody of Delhi police.
Salman is an expert in carrying out blasts. He is also alleged to have received training in handling
weapons and explosives during his stay in Pakistan, police sources said.
Following the Delhi serial blasts, Salman spent a lot of time in eastern Uttar Pradesh and then fled
to Nepal, where he got a Nepalese passport under a fictitious identity.
Salman had been to different places in UAE and Pakistan, including Sharjah, Dubai, Karachi and
Lahore.
There he met several top Indian Mujahideen operatives including Iqbal and Riyaz Bhatkal and even
underwent training in arms and explosives, sources said.
Indian boy's death: Woman gave lift to taxi driver
Melbourne, March 9 (IANS) Part-time taxi driver Gursewak Dhillon apparently ran out of fuel and
was helped by a woman in this Australian city while he was driving around with three-year-old
Gurshan Singh Channa in the boot of his car, the police said.
Police intend to speak with the woman they believe stopped to help Dhillon between 12 p.m. and 3
p.m. Thursday, Australian news agency AAP reported.
Dhillon is alleged to have placed the child in the boot of his car unconscious, but still alive.
Gurshan's body was found on Wildwood Road Thursday night after a massive search following a
complaint by his parents who were staying in Lalor, over 20 km away.
Officials believe the woman helped Dhillon who was driving a dark green car somewhere in
Melbourne's northern suburbs. She took him to a service station.
Dhillon was a housemate of Gurshan's parents.
It was still unclear as to how the boy was rendered unconscious; an autopsy has failed to determine
a cause of death.
Gurshan arrived in Australia in January with his parents. The family was due to return to India as his
father Harjit Singh Channa failed to find work in Melbourne.
Singh and his wife Harpreet Singh Channa gave statements to police Friday but officials say they
are not suspects.
Gurshan's death had caused an uproar in India, with New Delhi Friday describing the incident as
"most unfortunate".
There have been a string of attacks on Indians in Australia, with one of them proving fatal. Nitin
Garg was fatally stabbed Jan 2 while on his way to work in this city.
One-fifth of Australia's private colleges visa factories: Report
Melbourne, March 9 (IANS) Nearly a fifth of Australian private colleges are "permanent residency
factories", a new report in the education sector has revealed.
The education sector, which is the country's third largest export industry, has been affected by a
string of assaults on international students, particularly Indians. The claims of exploitation of
overseas students have also not helped matters.
Education Minister Julia Gillard had asked former MP Bruce Baird to review the international
education sector. He released his report in Canberra Tuesday.
Baird said the education industry had been "distorted" by unscrupulous people cashing in on
foreigners' desire to live in Australia.
"We have permanent residency factories, (and) if you ask any of the good providers they'll quickly
name those who they believe are the dodgy operators...
"It is those groups that we should be directing our attention to. I certainly think that they represent...
about 20 per cent of the vocational sector," Australian news agency AAP quoted Baird as saying.
The report recommends the development of clear, enforceable standards, and fines for non-
compliance.
"High-risk applicants... won't be allowed in. If they are medium- to lower-risk, they would have to
pay a higher rate of registration and they would be monitored more regularly," he said.
He suggested that foreign student hubs be set up to provide information and advocacy services and
wanted the government to expand its Study in Australia website to include a manual available in
major languages.
Baird said: "We need to do more work in terms of social inclusion, and part of the idea of the
education hubs is actually to encourage greater interaction with students and the Australian
community."
Gillard said: "We're saying to international students, come, study in this country, it's a great place to
study."
"But the purpose of coming here as a student is to engage in study and end up with a qualification,
not with an immigration pathway," she was quoted as saying.
$280,000 a year job offer for Chennai patent holder
Chennai, March 9 (IANS) Downturn or upturn, US corporations pick the best of young Indians.
R. Shivaraman, a nanotechnology research scholar here, has been hired by hardware manufacturer
Seagate Technology at an annual pay packet of $280,000 (Rs.1.4 crore).
Shivaraman holds an Indian patent jointly with C. Gopalakrishnan, who like him is also with the
Nanotechnology Research Centre at the SRM University, for an innovation that enables a hard
drive to hold a large amount of data - 30 terabyte (TB) - as against the current storage capacity of
500 gigabyte.
"Patent under the US law is awaited," Shivaraman told IANS, talking about his innovative "polymer
templated lithography process which allows fabrication of patterned magnetic media with density of
around 30 TB".
According to him, the technology for ultra-high data storage is already available and his innovation
scores over others in the time taken to fabricate the hard drives.
"I brought an engineering solution to the problem. Using our technology one can make eight hard
drives in a minute," he said.
Shivaraman plans to join Seagate in December by which time he will get his doctorate in
nanotechnology.
Rahul to vist SAIL unit in Jagdishpur
Sultanpur, Mar 9 : Congress general secretary and Amethi MP Rahul Gandhi would soon visit the
Steel Authority of India (SAIL) unit in Jagdishpur area of his parliamentary constituency.
The Congress leader yesterday sent his representative at the unit where the construction work is in
the doldrums as it is yet to clear some stamp duty. The district administration had earlier imposed
restriction on the construction work.
Mr Gandhi's representative Kishore Lal Sharma said the Amethi MP would soon visit the place as
he intended to see progress of the work at the unit.
He said the schools and health centres in the premises of the unit should continue working for the
benefit of the denizens.
The SAIL factory was set-up in Jagdishpur last year in place of Malvika Steel plant.
New Delhi, March 9 (IANS) India's politics took a decisive step towards change Tuesday with its
upper house passing a historic bill giving one-third representation to women in parliament and state
legislatures, crossing the biggest hurdle in the road towards political empowerment for women in
the world's largest democracy.
The 13-year perilous political struggle to give women adequate representation ended with the
Rajya Sabha finally debating the contentious issue and then voting 186-1 on the Constitution (One
Hundred and Eighth Amendment) Bill, 2008 amid acrimony, political divides and ugly scenes of
dissent.
Only the last step remains - of the Lok Sabha endorsing it. With the numbers stacked in favour of
the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government in the lower house, this should
hopefully be a formality, said activists and leaders, who had fought long and hard to see the day.
The reserved seats would be allotted by rotation to different constituencies and would be valid for
15 years after the commencement of the Amendment Act.
The flagship legislation did not get passed on International Women's Day as the government had
hoped but a day later. Nonetheless, it was a time for hyperbole and the timing of the bill, introduced
by the Deve Gowda government in 1996, could not have been better.
Even for the usually taciturn Prime Minister Manmohan Singh who described it as "a historic step
forward" towards "strengthening the process of emancipation" of Indian women. Both he and UPA
chairperson Sonia Gandhi had staked the government's future on the passage of the bill.
"This is a momentous development in the long journey of empowering our women," he said at the
end of a lively debate on the bill that saw 27 speakers participate.
"Our women faced discrimination at home, there is domestic violence, they face discrimination in
equal access to education, healthcare, there are all these things. All these things have to end if India
were to realise its full potential," he added on an emotive note.
That the issue of giving women in a still deeply traditional country assured representation in the
highest echelons of political power provoked the most intense reactions was evident from the prime
minister's opening remarks itself.
"I owe you a profound apology for the disrespect shown to you...," he told Vice President and
chairman of the house Hamid Ansari.
On Monday, Ansari found himself virtually accosted by a handful of MPs who tore the bill into
shreds and hurled the pieces at him. On Tuesday, a disgusted Ansari suspended seven MPs from
the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), the Samajwadi party (SP), the Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) and the
Janata Dal-United (JD-U), regional parties whose main support base is in the Hindi heartland.
At this point, women constitute nine percent of the Lok Sabha, 10 percent of the Rajya Sabha and
only seven percent of state legislative assemblies.
Correcting the anomaly, however, saw the blurring of many political lines and the Congress-led
United Progressive Alliance government losing some of its political edge.
The RJD and the SP announced the withdrawal of their support to the government and the ally
Trinamool Congress abstained from the vote. Within the Janata Dal-United (JD-U) divisions
appeared with Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar for the move but its other big leader Sharad
Yadav bitterly opposed to it.
But the Congress battled the hurdles. It was a triumph for Congress president Sonia Gandhi who
was determined that it would go through. In the Lok Sabha, the task would be easier with the
Congress having a strength of 208, the largest constituent of the UPA's 259 members.
The SP's 22 seats and the RJD's four would not make a difference, said a party leader.
But this was an issue that went beyond politics, a reflection of the emerging women power in a
rapidly modernising India.
Principal opposition Bharatiya Janata Party's Arun Jaitley who opened the debate said he had a
feeling of being a party to history in the making when he came to the house and his party
"unequivocally" supported it.
Communist Party of India-Marxist's (CPI-M) Brinda Karat said the move would change the
"culture of the country because women today are still caught in a culture prison. In the name of
tradition, stereotypes are imposed and we have to fight these every day".
These stereotypes will also be broken by the bill, said a delighted Karat, who believes the entry of
a larger number of women in legislatures would make for "more sensitive politics".
Inequalities would be rectified, age-old biases corrected. With this bill, could things finally change.
A tempting thought for India's women.
The women's bill was worth the risk, says Sonia
New Delhi, March 9 (IANS) "I am very happy," Congress president Sonia Gandhi declared
Tuesday after the Rajya Sabha passed the women's bill to reserve a third of seats in all legislatures
for women, adding the "larger picture" of women's empowerment was worth the political risk that
the ruling coalition had taken.
Speaking to NDTV's Barkha Dutt, Gandhi said she was grateful to all the political parties who
helped the bill to pass, including the Left, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) "and our coalition
partners".
She hoped that "those who did not support us will understand" over time the need for the bill, which
now needs to get past the Lok Sabha. She was particularly surprised about Trinamool Congress'
abstention, especially since its leader Mamata Banerjee was "enthusiastic" about supporting it when
the cabinet discussed it.
Gandhi, who is also chairman of the ruling United Progressive Alliance (UPA), said she was
watching the parliament proceedings from her home and she felt happy the bill was passed after a
lively discussion.
"I am happy and relieved," she said and added the issue had been very close to her heart,
especially since it was in keeping with vision of her late husband former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi.
"The first step has been taken. As a natural corollary, the next step will also be taken," she said in
reference to the bill's passage in the Lok Sabha.
Regarding opposition from some UPA allies, Sonia Gandhi said she was aware of the political risks
involved but the "big picture" of empowerment of women in the country was more important and
worth taking the risk.
The fissures caused by the divisions over the bill, she admitted, was a political risk.
"It is a huge risk but we have taken risks before. Whenever something is revoutionary, there is
opposition, there are difficulties. But the larger picture (of women's reservation) is more important."
She said she was not disappointed that the bill did not go through in the Rajya Sabha on Monday,
the International Women's Day. "I knew it was a difficult legislation, (that) problems may come up,
one wasn't really sure," she said.
Gandhi expressed surprise at Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee's last minute objections vis-a-vis
the bill.
She said she had been told by the person who sat by Banerjee at the last cabinet meeting that she
was very enthusiastic about the bill. "I don't quite understand what has happened."
The Congress president gave full credit to allies DMK and Nationalist Congress Party for backing
the bill fully right from the beginning.
She admitted that she had a personal rapport with Rashtriya Janata Dal president Lalu Prasad and
Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav, the most vocal critics of the women's bill.
"But when it comes to political issues, personal relations do not count too much. I understand their
porblems, their compulsions."
"Of course, our party is committed. If we were not committed, we would not have taken the first
step."
PM apologises to Ansari
New Delhi, March 9 : Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Tuesday apologised to Rajya Sabha
Chairman Hamid Ansari for the "disrespect shown to you" by MPs opposed to the women's
reservation bill.
"I owe you a profound apology for the disrespect shown to you. These things should never have
happened. They have happened, and we have to reflect how to we have to streamline our
functioning in future so that these things don't take place," he said in the upper house.
In the same breath, the prime minister acknowledged the role played by "all political parties whose
cooperation has made it possible for us to enact this historic legislation".
On Monday and Tuesday, MPs from four parties including the Samajwadi Party and Rashtriya
Janata Dal came out strongly against the bill, insisting that there should be special reservation of
seats for Dalit, tribal and Muslim women.
Rahul Mahajan gets back passport
Reality show star Rahul Mahajan, who got married in a TV programme, was on Tuesday allowed
by a Delhi court to get back his passport for going to the Maldives for honeymoon.
Outside the courtroom, Mahajan said, "I am very happy with the outcome. I just want to pack my
bags and leave."
The court, however, made it clear the relief would not be used as an extension of the show,
including shootings by him.
"Mahajan shall give an undertaking that his visit shall be a private visit and in no way extension of
the show... there shall be no shooting done at Maldives between March nine and 31," the court
said.
He was also asked by Additional Sessions Judge J P S Malik to give an affidavit that his marriage
contracted on March six was a bonafide and not for purpose of the TV show.
As the conditions for release of his passport, the court directed Mahajan, son of slain BJP leader
Pramod Mahajan to get his marriage registered under the provisions of the Hindu Marriage Act
within two months, apart from depositing Rs five lakh each as fixed deposit and a personal bond
immediately.
Mahajan, 35, got married on Saturday to 21-year-old Dimpy Ganguly, a model and dancer, during
the TV reality show 'Rahul Dulhaniya Le Jayega'.
During arguments, prosecutor Ahmed Khan opposed Mahajan's plea saying the kind of reality
show in which he participated and contracted the marriage should not be encouraged as they leave
a bad impression on the mind of young viewers.
Curfew reimposed in four localities of Bareilly
Bareilly (UP), Mar 9 (PTI) Curfew has been reimposed in four localities of the town in the wake of
fresh tension following arrest of a prominent Sunni cleric in connection with communal clashes,
official sources said here today.
Day cufew, which was lifted on March 7, has been reimposed in three police station areas of Prem
Nagar, Qila, Baradari and some parts of Kotwali this morning, they said.
Curfew was clamped in four police areas of Bareilly city after communal clashes on March 2, in
which several poeple were injured and scores of houses and shops were set ablaze.
Fresh tension erupted in the city after leader of Ittehad-e-Millat Conference Maulana Tauqeer Raza
Khan was arrested by the police on charges of inciting communal feelings, attempt to murder and
treason last evening, sources said.
Rajya Sabha merely enforced its code in suspending 7 MPs
Some members of the Rajya Sabha tore papers on the chairman's desk Monday while protesting
the women's reservation bill. Tuesday the house took action against them by suspending them for
the rest of the budget session.
Parliamentary procedures and etiquettes are carefully crafted to permit all members to contribute to
debates in a constructive manner. This implies that objections may be raised to an issue with the
permission of the chair. This also implies that members should listen to others who may have a
different point of view.
The Committee on Ethics of the Rajya Sabha has drafted a Code of Conduct for MPs, which was
adopted by the house in April 2005. The code requires members to 'hold in high esteem the
Constitution, the law, parliamentary institutions and above all the general public'. It lays down 14
principles, the first of which states that 'members must not do anything that brings disrepute to
parliament and affect their credibility'.
The Rajya Sabha also has a Committee of Privileges, which looks into issues that involve breach of
privilege of the house. The chairman of the Rajya Sabha may refer any issue to the Committee of
Ethics or the Committee of Privileges.
The rules of procedure also lay down certain norms to be followed by members. In particular,
members 'shall not obstruct proceedings, hiss or interrupt and avoid making running commentaries
when speeches are being made in the council'.
The rules also state that a member shall not 'use his right of speech for the purpose of obstructing
the business of the council'.
The chairman has certain powers and duties to preserve order. Rule 259 states that 'the chairman
shall preserve order and shall have all powers necessary for the purpose of enforcing his decisions.'
Rule 255 empowers the chairman to direct any member whose conduct is in his opinion grossly
disorderly to withdraw immediately from the council, and such member may not attend the sitting
for the remainder of that day.
Rule 256 states: 'The chairman may, if he deems it necessary, name a member who disregards the
authority of the chair or abuses the rules of the council by persistently and willfully obstructing the
business thereof'.
This is followed by a motion in the house to suspend that member for a period not exceeding the
remaining period of the session. If that motion is passed, that member may not attend for the period
of suspension.
This power was exercised Tuesday. The chairman named seven members, a motion was moved in
the Rajya Sabha, and all of them were suspended from the house till the end of the current session,
that is till May 7. The list of members includes four from the Samajwadi Party and one each from
the Rashtriya Janata Dal, the Janata Dal-United and the Lok Janashakti Party.
The Rajya Sabha's publication 'Rajya Sabha at Work' lists several incidents in which members
were suspended. Raj Narain was suspended several times - in 1966, 1967, 1971 and 1974. Each
time, he refused to withdraw from the house and was removed by the Marshal on three occasions.
Godey Murahari was suspended thrice - 1962, and twice in 1966.
The largest set of suspensions occurred in the Lok Sabha in 1989. Following commotion over the
tabling of the Thakkar Commission report that looked into the assassination of Indira Gandhi, 63
MPs were suspended for a week. Four more MPs joined them in walking out of the house.
In an extreme case of misconduct, the house may expel a member. This is the only penalty that is
higher than suspension for the remaining period of a session. Parliament exercised this power during
the cash-for-questions issue to expel the errant MPs.
It is important for parliament to discuss issues of national importance. Parliament has rules that
require MPs to behave in a dignified manner and processes to allow reasoned debate. The
chairman, insisting Tuesday that these rules be followed, helped uphold the dignity of the house.
Leader of Opposition in the Rajya sabha Arun Jaitley insisted on a debate on the women's
reservation bill though he supported the bill, saying that it was important to hear all differing views
before voting on the issue.
This welcome though regretful development should be followed by all MPs upholding the Code of
Conduct and Rules. The country hopes to see fewer disruptions and more business being
conducted in an orderly manner in keeping with parliamentary dignity.
Patil, Bagwe attend 26/11 Mumbai attack proceedings
Mumbai, Mar 9 (PTI) In a rare gesture, Maharashtra Home Minister R R Patil today attended the
proceedings in the 26/11 terror attack case along with Minister of State for Home Ramesh Bagwe
in a special court here.
Patil's visit assumes significance in the wake of the prosecution opening its final arguments against
lone surviving Pakistani gunman Ajmal Kasab and two Indian national Faheem Ansari and
Sabauddin Ahmed.
Unprecedented security measures were undertaken in view of the ministers' visit.
While Kasab is charged with killing 166 persons in the attack, Sabahuddin and Ansari are facing
charges of drawing maps of targets and passing them on militant outfit LeT for executing the terror
strikes.
Order on Maulana Meraj Rabbani's bail plea reserved
Mumbai, Mar 9 : A lower court today reserved its order till tomorrow on an anticipatory bail plea
filed by Maulana Meraj Rabbani of the Ahle Hadees sect, who had allegedly passed disparaging
remarks against Khwaja Gareeb Nawaz, a Sufi saint of Ajmer, who is revered by the Barelvi Sunni
Muslims, in January this year.
Additional Sessions Judge A V Avchat reserved the order after the arguments from both
prosecution and defence side concluded.
On January 28, while addressing a gathering in the eastern suburb of Ghatkopar, Rabbani had
allegedly made abusive and hurtful remarks against Nawaaz, a saint whose shrine at Ajmer is
India's most famous Sufi shrine.
Soon, a huge mob of protesters gathered at the venue and demanded an apology from the maulana.
Seeing the tense situation, the police whisked him away to safety.
On January 30, the Ghatkopar police registered an offence against Rabbani for allegedly hurting the
religious sentiments of fellow Muslims, mostly Sunnis of the Barelvi denomination.
After the offence was registerd, Rabbani moved sessions court seeking anticipatory bail, while
claiming that he had not delivered any speech as alleged in the First Information Report.
The court, however, noted that this could not be determined until the investigating officer's report
on the evidence is submitted and thereby granted him interim relief.
Advocate Rizwan Merchant, who has filed an intervening application to oppose the maulana's plea,
today said recently a section of urdu newspapers have carried an apology on behalf of Rabbani but
the same is not acceptable to Sunni religious scholars as it does not contain the words that are
mendatory for an apology.
However, the maulana's lawyer Sudeep Pasbola said ''Rabbani had not made any such utterances
in his speeches. His recorded speech, which is doing the rounds, was delivered in Saudi Arabia
many years ago, in some other context.''
Gov not indulging in thought policing in name of fighting terror: Pillai
By Shreeraj Gudi, New Delhi, Mar 9 : Union Home Secretary G K Pillai on Tuesday denied
charges of government being engaged in "thought policing" in the name of fighting terror threat but
said certain measures need to be taken in order to maintain security of the country.
Earlier in February, the Home Ministry had issued instructions to all Central Ministries /
Departments and chief secretaries of all state governments and union territories, advising them to
strictly adhere to the revised procedure for grant of Conference Visa to foreign participants coming
to India.
According to new guidelines--in the case of scholars from a list of eight flagged countries --
Afghanistan, Bangladesh, China, Iran, Iraq, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Sudan -- or any scholar of
"Pakistani origin", regardless of nationality, official vetting is necessary regardless of the "sensitivity"
of the subject of the conference they have been invited to.
Addressing the panel discussion on "Thought Policing or Fighting Terror", organised by the
Foundation for Media Professionals (CMP) here Pillai said the much debated conference visa
norms are still under discussion at the government level and the Centre is ready to correct any
norm, which was considered as a blockade to flow of knowledge.
" Ours is a learning and functional democracy. No body is perfect, it also holds good for the
Government. If there are any mistake in the norm we are ready to discuss it and there is enough
scope for correction," Pillai said.
He also clarified that the Government has no intention to restrict the flow of thoughts, but it is
concerned about the security of the country.
"If you are organising a conference with the available resource person in India, we don't have any
problem, but if you are inviting foreign scholars then we have to check his/ her background before
letting them inside India," Pillai said.
He further added that the measures are being implemented to check Inter Service Intelligence (ISI)
and other Pakistani agents to visit India in different names.
" We are working out a policy where 'genuine scholars' can get entry into India without any
problem," Pillai added.
Pillai also claimed that such vetting system is in force in many countries of the world.
"At least we are discussing our visa policy, many countries would not allow you to discuss visa
policy as it come under severity," Pillai added.
He further said that when there are over 100 news channels and over 1, 000 magazines and
newspapers
in India, the question of thought policing doesn't arise.
He informed the panel that over 900 conferences were cleared in 2009, only two or three requests
were rejected by the Home Ministry.
Commenting on necessary clearance from Home Ministry for eight flagged countries Pillai said:
"The government has taken this decision as our 'hostile' nabour is getting a lot of inflow from these
areas."
He assured the panel that Government is preparing a list of institutions, universities through out the
world whose members and faculty can get direct access, can be put out side the conference visa
norms.
Lalu must back Bill, he has 7 daughters: Sonia
New Delhi Congress President Sonia Gandhi on Tuesday took a dig at RJD chief Lalu Prasad
telling him in a lighter vein that he needed to be on the side of the Women's Reservation Bill since
he had seven daughters.
"He has seven daughters. I was telling him that within his family there are seven for the Bill," Gandhi
told reporters when asked about her informal interaction with Prasad and SP chief Mulayam Singh
Yadav in the Lok Sabha. Asked what was Prasad's reaction, she said "he just laughed".
Gandhi expressed hope that "our former partners remained with us on the Bill." Prasad and Yadav
have been the most prominent opponents of the Women's Reservation Bill and they had a nearly
20-minute interaction with Gandhi in the House when it was adjourned.
MP ATS to question 'IM terrorist' Salman
Madhya Pradesh anti-terror police will interrogate suspected Indian Mujahideen terrorist Salman
Ahmed to find out if he had any connections in the state, a top Anti Terrorist Squad official said on
Tuesday.
"Madhya Pradesh ATS will go to the national capital to quiz twenty-one-year-old Salman who is
presently in the custody of Delhi police," the official said.
Though there was no blast in Madhya Pradesh, the police will question Salman alias Chhotu to
know if he had visited the state and had connections with any persons.
However, Madhya Pradesh police will have to wait for its turn to interrogate him as Salman is
wanted by other states, including Uttar Pradesh , Gujarat, Rajasthan and Delhi also, for his alleged
involvement in serial blasts there, he said.
Salman, a resident of Sanjarpur in Azamgarh district who carried a reward of Rs 1 lakh, was
arrested by Uttar Pradesh ATS from Siddharth Nagar district, bordering Nepal and is presently in
the custody of Delhi police.
Salman is an expert in carrying out blasts. He is also alleged to have received training in handling
weapons and explosives during his stay in Pakistan, police sources said.
Following the Delhi serial blasts, Salman spent a lot of time in eastern Uttar Pradesh and then fled
to Nepal, where he got a Nepalese passport under a fictitious identity.
Salman had been to different places in UAE and Pakistan, including Sharjah, Dubai, Karachi and
Lahore.
There he met several top Indian Mujahideen operatives including Iqbal and Riyaz Bhatkal and even
underwent training in arms and explosives, sources said.
Indian boy's death: Woman gave lift to taxi driver
Melbourne, March 9 (IANS) Part-time taxi driver Gursewak Dhillon apparently ran out of fuel and
was helped by a woman in this Australian city while he was driving around with three-year-old
Gurshan Singh Channa in the boot of his car, the police said.
Police intend to speak with the woman they believe stopped to help Dhillon between 12 p.m. and 3
p.m. Thursday, Australian news agency AAP reported.
Dhillon is alleged to have placed the child in the boot of his car unconscious, but still alive.
Gurshan's body was found on Wildwood Road Thursday night after a massive search following a
complaint by his parents who were staying in Lalor, over 20 km away.
Officials believe the woman helped Dhillon who was driving a dark green car somewhere in
Melbourne's northern suburbs. She took him to a service station.
Dhillon was a housemate of Gurshan's parents.
It was still unclear as to how the boy was rendered unconscious; an autopsy has failed to determine
a cause of death.
Gurshan arrived in Australia in January with his parents. The family was due to return to India as his
father Harjit Singh Channa failed to find work in Melbourne.
Singh and his wife Harpreet Singh Channa gave statements to police Friday but officials say they
are not suspects.
Gurshan's death had caused an uproar in India, with New Delhi Friday describing the incident as
"most unfortunate".
There have been a string of attacks on Indians in Australia, with one of them proving fatal. Nitin
Garg was fatally stabbed Jan 2 while on his way to work in this city.
One-fifth of Australia's private colleges visa factories: Report
Melbourne, March 9 (IANS) Nearly a fifth of Australian private colleges are "permanent residency
factories", a new report in the education sector has revealed.
The education sector, which is the country's third largest export industry, has been affected by a
string of assaults on international students, particularly Indians. The claims of exploitation of
overseas students have also not helped matters.
Education Minister Julia Gillard had asked former MP Bruce Baird to review the international
education sector. He released his report in Canberra Tuesday.
Baird said the education industry had been "distorted" by unscrupulous people cashing in on
foreigners' desire to live in Australia.
"We have permanent residency factories, (and) if you ask any of the good providers they'll quickly
name those who they believe are the dodgy operators...
"It is those groups that we should be directing our attention to. I certainly think that they represent...
about 20 per cent of the vocational sector," Australian news agency AAP quoted Baird as saying.
The report recommends the development of clear, enforceable standards, and fines for non-
compliance.
"High-risk applicants... won't be allowed in. If they are medium- to lower-risk, they would have to
pay a higher rate of registration and they would be monitored more regularly," he said.
He suggested that foreign student hubs be set up to provide information and advocacy services and
wanted the government to expand its Study in Australia website to include a manual available in
major languages.
Baird said: "We need to do more work in terms of social inclusion, and part of the idea of the
education hubs is actually to encourage greater interaction with students and the Australian
community."
Gillard said: "We're saying to international students, come, study in this country, it's a great place to
study."
"But the purpose of coming here as a student is to engage in study and end up with a qualification,
not with an immigration pathway," she was quoted as saying.
$280,000 a year job offer for Chennai patent holder
Chennai, March 9 (IANS) Downturn or upturn, US corporations pick the best of young Indians.
R. Shivaraman, a nanotechnology research scholar here, has been hired by hardware manufacturer
Seagate Technology at an annual pay packet of $280,000 (Rs.1.4 crore).
Shivaraman holds an Indian patent jointly with C. Gopalakrishnan, who like him is also with the
Nanotechnology Research Centre at the SRM University, for an innovation that enables a hard
drive to hold a large amount of data - 30 terabyte (TB) - as against the current storage capacity of
500 gigabyte.
"Patent under the US law is awaited," Shivaraman told IANS, talking about his innovative "polymer
templated lithography process which allows fabrication of patterned magnetic media with density of
around 30 TB".
According to him, the technology for ultra-high data storage is already available and his innovation
scores over others in the time taken to fabricate the hard drives.
"I brought an engineering solution to the problem. Using our technology one can make eight hard
drives in a minute," he said.
Shivaraman plans to join Seagate in December by which time he will get his doctorate in
nanotechnology.
Rahul to vist SAIL unit in Jagdishpur
Sultanpur, Mar 9 : Congress general secretary and Amethi MP Rahul Gandhi would soon visit the
Steel Authority of India (SAIL) unit in Jagdishpur area of his parliamentary constituency.
The Congress leader yesterday sent his representative at the unit where the construction work is in
the doldrums as it is yet to clear some stamp duty. The district administration had earlier imposed
restriction on the construction work.
Mr Gandhi's representative Kishore Lal Sharma said the Amethi MP would soon visit the place as
he intended to see progress of the work at the unit.
He said the schools and health centres in the premises of the unit should continue working for the
benefit of the denizens.
The SAIL factory was set-up in Jagdishpur last year in place of Malvika Steel plant.
