The flame of liberation of women shimmered at its crescendo literally painting the venue red. The scenes were reminiscent of an Ocean or a deluge. Revolutionary spirit touched the very core of the souls of everyone. For 2 weeks forces were mobilised from districts of Punjab with truckloads of women hurtling in to Delhi Democratic forces must all over the nation salute the conference staged yesterday by the Bharatiya Kisan Union(Ugrahan) which exposed the neo-fascist agenda perpetrating oppression of women at the very ground level .It pledged to extinguish women’s inequality and discrimination..The magnitude of the protest illustrated the deep roots of the democratic revolutionary movement amongst women in Punjab and their involvement in the role of revolutionary mass organisations. Decades ago in Punjab it was hard to visualise women independently taking the initiative at such a scale. The event had great qualitative significance in sharpening the class struggle amongst women amongst landed peasantry and agricultural labourers. The speakers tooth and nail or at the very core exposed how the BKP govt virtually sold the nation to neo-colonial powers by patronising their loot. The neo-fascist agenda of the ruling party was also touched upon .With concrete examples the speakers described how women were enslaved in their day to day lives by the corporates and exploited as a mere commodity to promote consumerism. We must salute the women for proving their capability or vast potential to organise struggles or lead them on their own..Quoting Youth activist Manpreet Jas “By conducting and managing stage and performing all the volunteer duties, the women exhibited their innate capabilities to perform everything equal to men.”
REPORT FROM COMRADE HARINDER BINDU-LEDAER OF WOMEN WING OF BKU(UGRAHAN)
During the Delhi Kisan Morcha, BKU Ekta (Ugraha) held a huge women conference on the occasion of Women’s Day, in which ten thousands of women from Punjab and Haryana participated with full enthusiasm. Floods of women in Gadri Gulab Kaur Nagar settled near Pakora Chowk on Tikri Border burned new soul in the ongoing front. This huge conference was conducted by women and addressed by female speakers. The conference started with a tribute to the women who martyred during the farmer s’ struggles on the National Liberation Movement in whose memory a two-minute silence was kept. Addressing the conference, BKU Ekta (Ugraha) Women Wing leader Harinder Kaur Bindu and Paramjit Kaur Pitho said that women’s role is exemplary during the ongoing farmer s’ struggle as women are already facing the most hit of the agricultural crisis And women have recognized this new corporate attack. Joining the struggle of this stage with the ability to endure the most suffering within society is a powerful aspect of the struggle that needs to be moved further. He said that during the last decade of public struggles in Punjab, farm laborers and farmer women have also created a strong foundation for the women’s rights movement through which the environment for women’s rights is created. On this occasion, women farmer leaders Harpreet Kaur Jethuke and Paramjit Kaur Kotra discussed the important contributions made by farmer laborers women during the past struggles, and announced to stand till the victory of the ongoing front against agricultural laws.
Today’s conference was addressed by women’s rights and democratic rights activist and daughter of late Punjabi playwright Gursharan Singh, Navsharan Kaur, discussed the contribution of women in the people’s struggles in the country’s history. He said the current fascist regime is attacking women’s rights more sharper than ever before. The slogan of this fierce backward regime’s religion-based state is to push women towards medieval slavery. Women need to build a united struggle against the other suppressed religious minorities such as Dalits, tribals.
Former student leader and revolutionary activist Shiri said during his address that the imperial multinational companies and the farmer s’ struggle against the corporate world have a fierce enmity relationship with women. These empire companies one-handed loot women’s labour by taking advantage of their pressured condition while offering women as an object to sell their goods. Their capital businesses have converted women into a market-selling item. So the struggle against corporates is a twin part of the struggle for women’s rights. He said that the women rights movement is an important part of our country’s national liberation movement against imperialism, as well as the struggles fought to end felony looting and slavery of women are also the struggles to break the chains of slavery. The women’s rights movement is a twin part of the people’s rights movement.
On behalf of Punjab Khet Labour Union, Krishna Devi addressed that Dalit women are victims of triple pressure in society. They are victims of the so called high caste claims along with the pressure of the robbery classes. Farm labourers should be the most emerging concern of the women’s rights movement.
In today’s gathering, a big delegation from Delhi’s women organizations also participated. Shabnam Hashmi addressed on behalf of this delegation and expressed his solidarity with the farmer’s struggle. Renowned artist Maya Rai supported the farmer’s struggle through excellent art work from the stage. Also, Shweta from Haryana, Poonam Rani and lawyer from Punjab Ravinder Kaur also addressed. In today’s conference, two important resolutions were passed by women farmer leader Kuldeep Kaur Kusa. A resolution demanded the release of all democratic rights activists, including women activists thrown in jail. Through second resolution, brave journalist women were saluted for exposing the truth of the communal hanging attack of the fascist Modi government. Meanwhile, the play ′′ Je Abbhi Na Bole ′′ was presented by the conscious theater Mohali under the direction of Anita Shabdish. Women’s involvement was so extensive that even the big arrangements of the giant pandal fell short.
Finally, the state president of the organization Joginder Singh Ugrahan thanked the women who reached the conference and said that without women no struggle can succeed. He said that this stage of society should not be left out of struggles. Their participation is not only necessary for the strength of the struggle but also for the respect and equality of women. Their organization is and will always strive to bring women to the leading pages of struggle. With the leading contribution of women, this struggle will surely reach the victory.
In Allahabad on the initiative of Revolutionary Students fronts a conglomeration of democratic forces assembled to commemorate International Women’s day. Although small it had qualitative impact in invoking democratic spirit amongst people. We must salute the student groups for this initiative.
REPORT FROM INQUILABI CHATRA MORCHA,ALLAHABAD.
′ Procession and gathering on International Women’s Day (8 March) against the ban on students coming to campus on Saturday, Sunday and holiday at Allahabad University
Yesterday at Allahabad University’s Student s’ Union Bhavan, students associated with Revolutionary Student Front and SFI held a meeting against the ban on students coming to EVV campus on the occasion of International Women’s Day (March 8) and procession till Vice Chancellor’s Office Memorandum handed over by taking out.
Putting their point in the meeting, the speakers said that ′′ The ban on students coming to campus on Saturday and Sunday is unprofessional and anti-women. If you want to ban then impose it on everyone. Why only on students?
Speakers remembering International Women’s Day (March 8) said it is the day of hardworking women. On this day, hardworking women had struggled to get the right to work 8 hours and equal pay for themselves. ′′
The procession was conducted on campus after the assembly and a memorandum was also handed over to the Vice Chancellor through Chief Proctor demanding to end the ban on students coming to campus on weekend.
The women involved in the procession had symbolically taken plants of mustard, gram, wheat etc. in their hands. The purpose of this was to tell that women are also farmers. Supreme court has no right to say what women are doing in the farmer’s movement. Some pics of today’s program…
Harsh Thakor is a freelance journalist who has travelled around India and written on blogs like ‘Democracy ad Class Struggle’, ‘Ottos War Room’ and ‘Frontier Weekly.’ Mainly written on politics of mass line in Communist Movement , Maoism, peasant struggles. [email protected]
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