'A great day', say women MPs as Meira becomes Speaker

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New Delhi: Cutting across party lines, womenMPs today hailed the election of Meira Kumar as the Lok SabhaSpeaker and hoped that the women's reservation bill will besoon passed by Parliament.

"It is a great day. When women come out in politics, itis a good sign for the country," Krishna Tirath, Minister forWomen and Child Development, told reporters outside ParliamentHouse after Kumar was elected as the first woman Speaker.

Tirath said a large number of women have come toParliament without quota and hoped that the "dream for women'sreservation would be realised soon".

Minister of State for Rural Development Agatha Sangmasaid she felt "good" about the election of Kumar and thevictory of a large number of women in the Lok Sabha elections.

"We will try for reservation for women (in legislatures).We have a better chance this time," the youngest minister inthe Cabinet, who belongs to the NCP, said.

Akali Dal MP Harsimrat Kaur said it was a "great day",and hoped that the election of the 64-year-old Dalit leader tothe top Constitutional post will usher in a new age inpolitics.

Asked whether women occupying top jobs like that of thePresident and Speaker was merely symbolic, Kaur said,"whatever you call it, it is a step in the right direction".

She said women should get their rights which were deniedto them earlier. (More)

Recalling his association with Kumar's father, lateJagjivan Ram, the Prime Minister said she was an "embodiment"of the same qualities of "wisdom, knowledge and experience".

Singh assured her his government's fullest cooperation indischarge of her duties.

Advani, while hailing Kumar's election, expressedconfidence that her experience in public life would help herserve as Speaker in an efficient manner and 15th Lok Sabhawould run smoothly.

Accepting with humility and gratefulness the honourbestowed on her, Meira Kumar said it would be her principalduty to conduct the Lok Sabha in keeping with theConstitution, rules and traditions.

She said the assumption of the office of Speaker by awoman was a "historic" occasion in the 57 years of Parliamentand it has come at a time when the Lok Sabha has a recordnumber of women members.

Noting that she was aware of successful tenures of herpredecessors from Ganesh Vasudev Mavlankar to SomnathChatterjee, the Speaker said they had worked to promote thedignity of the post and that she would continue the search forbetter methods.

"I assure the House that I will pay full attention to allsections of the House. I also assure you that neither I willbe biased against the Opposition nor I will give anyopportunity for the Treasury benches to complain," she said. 

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