Kolkata: TMC Rajya Sabha MP Sushmita Dev is the only woman member of the parliamentary panel examining women marriage (amendment) bill.
Talking to Free Press Journal, Sushmita said that due to the ‘farsightedness’ of TMC Supremo Mamata Banerjee that Trinamool Congress is the only party that has sent a woman representative in the standing committee examining the Child Marriage (Amendment) Bill 2021.
“No other political party except the TMC has sent a woman representative in this committee. Only Mamata Banerjee knows that a woman representative will be a befitting one. I have urged the chairperson of the parliamentary committee Vinay Sahasrabuddhe to invite more women MPs in the committee as even they have the right to speak on this issue,” said Sushmita.
The TMC Rajya Sabha MP also added that this standing committee includes the members from Education, Women and Child Development, Youth and Sports department.
“Under rule 84 (3) and 275 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the Council of States (Rajya Sabha), I wish to propose that any woman member of both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha be empowered to testify either in writing or in person before the Committee over this issue,” read the part of the letter.
Sushmita also claimed that there are 29 women members in Rajya Sabha and 81 women representatives in Lok Sabha and also that the individual political parties should send more women representatives in the committee.
“Be it BJP, Congress or the rest of the parties should send forward women representatives,” said TMC MP.
It can be noted that this bill seeks to amend seven personal laws like the Prohibition of Christian Marriage Act, 2006; Parsi Marriage and Divorce Act, 1936; Muslim Personal Law (Shariat) Application Act, 1937; Special Marriage Act, 1954; Hindu Marriage Act, 1955; and Foreign Marriage Act, 1969.
It is pertinent to mention that during the recent winter session of the Parliament amidst sharp protest by the opposition, this bill was introduced by the Women and Child Development Ministry in the Lok Sabha.
A standing committee comprising 21 members from the Lok Sabha and 10 from the Rajya Sabha was formed to scrutinize this bill.
While introducing the bill, Union Minister of Women and Child Development Smriti Irani stated that equality of women needs to be addressed in India in terms of age of marriage.
“I rise to introduce the amendment bill. This amendment gives equality to men and women in allowing both to marry at 21,” said Smriti in Parliament.
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