Women’s Reservation Bill: Why Nitish Kumar Demanded a Separate OBC Quota

Patna: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, while serving as a Member of Parliament from the Samata Party 30 years ago, strongly advocated for a separate quota for OBC women within the Women’s Reservation Bill. He had expressed his concerns in a fiery speech in the Lok Sabha, clarifying that his demand did not reflect opposition to women’s empowerment.

Background: Women’s Reservation Bill, 1996
On 12 September 1996, the HD Deve Gowda-led government introduced the 81st Constitutional Amendment Bill, aimed at reserving one-third of seats for women in legislatures. The government, a coalition of 13 parties, faced partial agreement on certain provisions, prompting referral of the bill to a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) chaired by CPI’s Geeta Mukherjee. The 31-member committee included Nitish Kumar, Mamata Banerjee, Meira Kumar, Sushma Swaraj, Uma Bharti, and Girija Vyas, among others.

Demand for Quota Within Quota
The JPC suggested seven recommendations on the bill, including a clearer definition of the “one-third” reservation. Nitish Kumar proposed that within the one-third reserved seats for women, a specific quota should be ensured for OBC women, reflecting their proportionate representation.

In his speech, he said:
“Sir, we only want that within the reservation being provided to women, backward class women should also have a secure place. Otherwise, only women from more privileged communities will benefit. Our request is simply that this matter should be discussed thoroughly in the House. Disputes cannot be resolved by accepting some decisions while ignoring others.”

Clarifying Misconceptions
Nitish Kumar emphasized that the Samata Party was not against women’s reservation:
“There is an attempt to portray those demanding OBC women’s quota as anti-women. Let me clarify: we support women’s reservation, but we will not be misled into approving the bill ‘as is’ without ensuring inclusion of OBC women.”

Lessons from Mandal Reservation Agitation
He also referred to the nationwide unrest during the implementation of Mandal Commission recommendations, highlighting the need to manage potential societal backlash carefully. He argued that a simultaneous provision for OBC women within women’s reservation would prevent division and ensure a balanced approach.