NEW DELHI, August 13: Virtually giving up on the women's reservation bill, Prime Minister Inder Kumar Gujral told Parliament today that the legislation of such social importance could not be enacted without a consensus.

The Prime Minister's intervention during zero hour in Lok Sabha brings the curtain down, at least for now, on the exercise begun last year to reserve 33 percent of all Lok Sabha and State Legislature seats for women.

For the record, a discussion on the bill remains listed on the Lok Sabha's agenda. But with just another day to go before this session ends - and the United Front government indicating that it is not pressing for its passage - the fate of the proposed legislation appears sealed.

Gujral argued that there were ``suspicions'' and ``doubts'' about the bill in many minds, and this needed some `accommodation' and `persuasion.' He urged that a consensus should be evolved on the bill with the Speaker's help. But he mentioned no mechanism to evolve a consensus.

The House categoricall reminded the Prime Minister that sections within his own United Front were preventing a `consensus'. There was a furore when Gujral said he had to ``confess'' there were two views on the issue in ``every party.''

``There are no two views in the Left,'' Nirmal Kanti Chatterjee (CPM) shouted repeatedly above the din.

Gujral promptly corrected himself, saying except for the Left there were divisions in every party on the bill. But then it was the turn of other parties to contest the claim.

The Congress wanted the Prime Minister to withdraw his remarks. Sharad Pawar, its leader in the House, said the party supported the bill and would issue a whip to ensure its passage. Another Congress MP, Girija Vyas, said Gujral was trying to shift blame on other parties, when the problem was with his own coalition.

George Fernandes (Samta) was similarly angry. He said though his party had called for an amendment to the bill to ensure a separate quota for OBCs, it was willing to support it in its present form. Even if their amendment was rejected, his party will vote for the bill. The BJP fielded Uma Bharati - who favours an OBC quota - to make the same point. Uma Bharati said though, she herself had called for reservation for OBCs, she was willing to support the bill as it stood now. She said there were no divisions in the party, and the BJP members will follow the party line.

Somnath Chatterjee (CPM) urged that the discussion on the bill should begin. The debate itself would help in evolving a consensus, he said.

With major political groups in the House indicating support for the bill, the UF constituents led in voicing opposition to it. Pappu Yadav (Samajwadi Party) ruled out any compromise on the issue till a quota was assured for OBCs and minorities as well.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.