Kamal Haasan Advocates for Urgent Women’s Reservation, Opposes Delimitation Link
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Chennai, April 18 (NationPress) Actor and politician Kamal Haasan has urged for the prompt enactment of a 33% reservation for women in both Parliament and State Assemblies, vehemently opposing any attempts to link this initiative with delimitation.
Following the defeat of the 131st Constitutional Amendment Bill associated with delimitation, Haasan noted that a Private Member’s Bill has now been put forward by P. Wilson, a Member of Parliament from Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, to secure women’s reservation independently of any constituency adjustments.
In a statement on X, he asserted that if the nation is genuinely committed to women’s empowerment, the 33% quota should be implemented without delay, leveraging the current composition of the Lok Sabha and State legislatures, without the need to wait for delimitation.
Haasan also supported the idea of extending the freeze on delimitation until 2051, arguing that this would provide states with sufficient time to achieve population stabilization through effective reforms.
These reforms should include improved access to quality education, healthcare, and equal job opportunities for women—elements he considers vital for achieving a sustainable demographic balance.
Addressing regional inequalities, Haasan warned that linking women’s reservation to delimitation could jeopardize India’s federal structure.
He highlighted that southern states like Tamil Nadu, which have focused on population control and women’s development, could face political representation disadvantages if delimitation is based solely on population metrics.
“States that have made significant progress in stabilizing population and empowering women should be regarded as examples, not penalized,” he stated, cautioning against any covert attempts to implement delimitation.
The founder of Makkal Needhi Maiam further called on the Union government to hold a special Parliamentary session after the ongoing Assembly elections to pass the proposed Bill.
He also proposed that the central government could introduce its legislation to ensure that women’s reservation is enacted without further delay.
Haasan’s comments contribute to the escalating political discourse surrounding the intersection of women’s reservation and delimitation, a subject that continues to evoke strong reactions from parties across the political spectrum.