Somewhere along the way, two separate issues: delimitation and reservation, have been mixed up into one big political mess. They are not the same thing, but political tensions have tied them together, turning delimitation into a proper bone of contention and, frankly, a hot potato no one wants to handle cleanly. That said, I stand firmly in favour of the reservation itself. Women today are not waiting to “prove” anything—we already have. From STEM to farming, healthcare to business, women are everywhere, contributing, leading, building. But politics? That’s one space where entry has been slow, restricted, and often resisted. And that needs to change, urgently. The opposition has raised concerns, calling delimitation a possible political land grab and questioning whether any committee formed would favour the Centre. On the other hand, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said the process will be guided by law and built through consensus. Both sides have their arguments, but this back-and-forth cannot become an excuse to stall women’s representation yet again.

Let’s be real, elections in India are always around the corner. If every reform waits for the “perfect timing,” or every reform becomes synonyms with electoral gain then nothing will ever get done.

There are also concerns about the expanding Parliament, whether it will become too crowded or lose the quality of debate. Fair point. Parliamentary standards must be maintained. But that cannot come at the cost of keeping women out. That argument just doesn’t hold anymore. With India’s growing population, delimitation is bound to happen. But women’s rights should not get caught in the crossfire of political calculations. Nor should this be framed as something that takes away from men as if equality is a zero-sum game. Let’s be clear: women today are not asking to filling seats for the sake of it. This is about rightful representation.

NOT A PRIVELEGE. NOTE A TOKEN. A RIGHT LONG OVERDUE AND AND IMPOSSIBLE TO IGNORE.