Editor,
I wish to address the widespread confusion surrounding the recent developments on women’s reservation.
It must be clearly stated that the 33% reservation for women in Parliament and state assemblies has not been defeated. It is already a passed law and will apply across the country, including states like Arunachal Pradesh.
In fact, states like Arunachal already have women MLAs, which proves that capability has never been the issue – opportunity has.
The real concern, however, lies in the manner of implementation. The reservation has been linked to future processes such as the census and delimitation. This has effectively delayed its execution and raised several legitimate concerns.
The opposition, contrary to popular belief, has not opposed women’s reservation itself. Their objection is to the delay caused by making it conditional on census and delimitation; the linking of a progressive reform with a politically sensitive delimitation exercise; and the fear of regional imbalance if delimitation is based primarily on population.
For smaller and tribal states, especially in the Northeast, representation is not merely about numbers. It is about identity, geography, and safeguarding our voice in a diverse nation. If delimitation is carried out without balanced parameters, states like Arunachal may continue to remain underrepresented.
Leaders such as Tadak Nalo have rightly highlighted that while reforms are necessary, they must be inclusive and fair to all regions.
Women’s empowerment should not be delayed due to procedural or political complexities. At the same time, any delimitation process must be carried out with updated data and a balanced approach that protects smaller states.
India does not lack strong women leaders. What we need is a system that provides them consistent and guaranteed representation without unnecessary delay.
Bage Kamsi,
H Sector, Itanagar