The Andhra Pradesh Government, which has been making elaborate arrangements for the successful conduct of the three-day National Women’s Parliament-2017 (NWP), seems to be taking care to avoid women’s prime concern of 33 per cent reservation in legislative bodies, from its final declaration. State government is said to be fearing that such a reference would attract anger from the Narendra Modi regime.
It is being organised by the Andhra Pradesh Assembly at Pavitra Sangamam, Ibrahimpatnam, starting from February 10. It was stated that the NWP, a first-of-its-kind conclave in India, would facilitate interaction between women from varied backgrounds and also girl students to raise awareness on issues like malnutrition, social security, sexual harassment, sanitation, oppression and other gender-based problems.
But the crucial issue of `women’s reservation in legislative bodies’ is missing from the prime agenda of the conclave. Though AP Assembly Speaker Dr. Kodela Sivaprasada Rao says the vision of NWP is to enable and encourage social, political and economic empowerment of women in all strata of the society, he too admitted that it will not take up certain `controversy issues like reservations’.
The conclave will come out with Amaravati Declaration on women empowerment at the end of the three-day deliberations. Dr Sivaprasada Rao said that the issue of long-pending 33 per cent reservation for women in Parliament and State legislature will not be included in this declaration. “We will discuss, but we want to stay clear of any controversial issues,” he added.
The state government awaiting for confirmation from the Prime Minister Narendra Modi to inaugurate the same. Buddhist spiritual leader Dalai Lama will attend the inaugural session along with a host of leaders from India and abroad.
Dr Sivaprasada Rao said that the NWP will be a common platform for women from diverse backgrounds like politics, arts and culture, sports, education, industry, media, cinema, judiciary and social sector to share their knowledge and research in the area of women’s social, economic and political empowerment.
