CM welcomes Centre’s move for women reservation

Staff Reporter

Shillong, Sept 19: Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma today welcomed the Centre’s decision to reserve 33 per cent of seats for women in Parliament and State Assemblies.

Speaking to reporters, Sangma said, “Of course as a matrilineal state and as an individual who believes in women empowerment, I’m very happy about the Bill and I welcome the Bill. I’m sure that this will lead to a very positive strengthening and representation of women in the Parliament and in the state assemblies.”

“As a state also it is something that I’m sure the state as a whole will be also acceptable because it’s one of the few states in the country that believes in socially empowering women by means of having a matrilineal, it is part of our culture,” he said.

Stating that his party National People’s Party (NPP) will soon take an official stand on the matter, Sangma said, “As a party, of course we will take our official stand on it, we will be calling a meeting and once we do that officially will take a resolution and pass in will take a call on that. As a president of the party and as an individual it is something that we welcome.”

The Chief Minister said, “See that is the reason why the prime minister has decided to move on this and this is something that has been discussed in the past because of the fact that there are no takers so now reservation being there so they would now be a reason for women to come forward and say well because others cannot contest, men cannot contest, so women have to contest and that’s the whole purpose of reservation.”