NEW DELHI: V.P. Singh, said that the constitution would have to be amended to make his proposal for reservation of 40% of the seats in Parliament and state legislatures for the poor a reality.
In identical letters to the leaders of the political parties in both houses of Parliament, the prime minister sought their advice on his suggestion and recalled that his idea was welcomed by several members of Parliament.
“Perhaps, to realise this objective, we would need to amend the constitution for which legislation may have to be introduced in the next session of Parliament,” the prime minister said in his letter.
“No more should we perpetuate the griver taker relationship that has been institutionalised in our society where the poor are mere ‘receivers’ of certain state funded benefits without having any real say in decision making,” the prime minister said.
Singh said that the poor should effectively share political power so that they could demand and ensure changes in the system.
Leopard kills 3 women
BODHRA: A leopard recently killed three women and mauled a child in Bhanpur village in Panch maha district in the western Indian state of Gujrat.
The feline from the nearby forest area seems to have attacked the villagers after the loss of two cubs one was swept away in last month’s floods and the other got separated, forest officials said.
Article extracted from this publication >> October 19, 1990
