Women across India hail passing of Women's Reservation Bill - India News and Travel Times Provides India-centric and other News and Features

Women across India are celebrating the passing of the Women's Reservation Bill. This Bill, once enacted as a law will, provide 33 percent reservation for women in parliament and various state legislative assemblies. The joy could be judged from the fact that even women party workers of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in New Delhi danced and distributed sweets to hail this historic event in the annals India. "I am very happy especially about one thing that women of various parties like the Congress, the Communists and others irrespective of different ideologies were united on this issue," said Savita Sharma, a BJP activist, New Delhi. Similar celebrations were witnessed in Lucknow and Allahabad where women lit firecrackers. "We want to congratulate honourable Sonia Gandhi because of her strong commitment this Bill was passed. Our leader had said that even if the government falls this Bill would have to be passed. We want to congratulate Sonia Gandhi," said Rita Bahuguna Joshi, President of Uttar Pradesh state unit of Congress party. "There would 33 percent reservation for women in legislative assembly and Lok Sabha, this would help in representation of women in politics and also would make their voice stronger," said Satya Pande, a woman social worker, Allahabad. After unprecedented disruptions, and unruly behaviour by some of the lawmakers, the Rajya Sabha finally passed the historic bill. There were 186 votes in favour and one against the bill that was championed both by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and the Congress President Sonia Gandhi.