“25–30 Years Too Late”: PM Modi Pushes Women’s Reservation Bill Amidst INDIA Bloc’s Opposition

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday strongly advocated for the implementation of the Women’s Reservation Bill in the Lok Sabha, describing it as a long-pending reform that should have been introduced decades ago. Addressing the House, Modi said the proposal to reserve seats for women in legislatures had first emerged nearly 25–30 years ago and ought to have been implemented at that time.

“The need was that 25–30 years ago, when this idea first emerged, we should have implemented it right then. Today, we would have brought it to a considerable level of maturity. As needed, it would have seen improvements from time to time, and that, after all, is the beauty of democracy,” said the Prime Minister. 

His remarks come amid Opposition criticism that, despite the Bill being passed unanimously in Parliament in 2023, the government has yet to operationalise it. Opposition parties argue that the Centre could have implemented 33 per cent reservation within the existing strength of 543 Lok Sabha seats instead of linking it to future processes such as delimitation.

The Prime Minister, however, described the legislation as a defining moment in India’s parliamentary history. “In the life of a nation, there come some crucial moments, and the mental state of society at that time and the leadership's capacity to capture that moment turn it into a nation's legacy, creating a strong heritage. This is exactly such a moment in the parliamentary history of India,” he said.

PM Modi stressed that the move should not be viewed through a partisan lens, but as a step forward for the country’s democracy. “If we all move forward together, this decision will not go in favour of any one political party, but in favour of the country's democracy.” He also warned that opposing women’s political representation could carry long-term consequences. “Those who opposed giving this right to women have not been forgiven by the women of this country. They have faced the consequences… those who oppose this today will have to pay the price for a long time,” he said.

Highlighting the growing participation of women in grassroots politics, Modi called for their leadership to be recognised and strengthened. “Anyone who wants to move forward in political life will have to accept that over the past 25 years, lakhs of women have emerged as grassroots leaders. The leadership that has developed at the grassroots level among women must be recognised and taken into account.”

Linking the Bill to his broader vision of development, the Prime Minister said a “Viksit Bharat” must be inclusive in both policy and representation. “Viksit Bharat does not mean only good infrastructure or economic development. We want the spirit of ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas’ to be reflected in the policymaking of a developed India. Fifty percent of the country's population should be made a part of decision-making. This is the need of the hour,” he said.