Passing women's reservation bill more important, amendments can be done later to make it better: Javed Akhtar

New Delhi: Poet and lyricist Javed Akhtar has said that it is more important to pass the women's reservation bill first and if it has flaws, amendments can be made later to make it better.

Akhtar was speaking at an event on Thursday, hours before Parliament approved the Constitution (128th Amendment) Bill -- Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam -- reserving a third of seats in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies for women.

"People have issues with it, they are saying it lacks this, it doesn't have that. It should have included that. I don't want to get into that discussion, I am sure improvements are needed, maybe it's not perfect. Maybe it's not up to the total satisfaction of everybody, but it doesn't matter.

"First, put the foot in the door. Let it be passed first, it doesn't matter if it is not perfect yet. If you have the intention then let it be passed. And once it is passed, then eventually with time you can keep making amendments to improve it," Akhtar said.

He had earlier posted similar thoughts on X, welcoming the bill.

"I wholeheartedly welcome the women's reservation bill. It was overdue. Maybe it is not perfect in some people's opinion but so what with time many laws have been amended and improved to perfection. Let's at least start the process," he wrote on the social networking website.

Citing the example of the Hindu Succession (Amendment) Act, 2005, Akhtar added that it also took nearly 50 years to include daughters as coparceners, giving them the same rights as the son.

"Hindu code bill was made in 1956, it was very timid, very weak at the time. There was a lot of noise about it but it was passed. Over a period of time, it kept getting better and better...If you had dropped it back then by calling it weak, then we wouldn't have arrived here.

"...so let's first get it passed, then we will see. Eventually it will happen. But if you stop it here then nothing can be accomplished. And this should happen," the 78-year-old said.

According to the bill, it will come into effect after the delimitation of Lok Sabha constituencies which will be carried out after the completion of the next population census.

At present, women make up for nearly half of India's 95 crore registered voters but account for only 15 per cent of lawmakers in Parliament and 10 per cent in the state assemblies.