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Report
MAHILA
CONGRESS
For
the whole of February, the Mahila Congress cadres have been
mostly busy in work related to the Vidhansabha elections
in three states. While All India Mahila Congress office-bearers
camped in the states, touring and organizing women workers,
campaigning women's teams from other states also worked
in these 3 states. In Haryana, two AIMC teams were involved
in election work, the first led by Dr. Shobhana Shah (AIMC
state-incharge) and Smt. Renu Poswal Nagar (officiating
state president); and the second was led by Maj. Krishnamohini
(AIMC VP) and Smt. Raj Sachdeva. The first team worked in
Rohtak, Sambhalka, Naultha, Ballabhgarh, Asandh, Jundla,
Karnal, Kalka, Adampur, Mewala Maharajpur, Tosham, Rewari,
Jhajjar and Kalanpur constituencies. The second team worked
in Panipat, Naultha, Asandh, Jundla, Karnal, Ambala City
and Ambala Cantt. Smt. Meera Singh (AIMC incharge of the
state) worked in Jharkhand in Ranchi, Hatia, Dhanbad, Jamshedpur,
Saraikela, Sarsawa, constituencies. Meanwhile, states where
Panchayat level elections are due, the Mahila Congress is
also gearing-up for the same. UPMC started the work with
its office-bearers meeting upto block level, presided over
by its president and addressed by Dr. Jaya Shukla (AIMC
incharge of the state) at Lucknow.
An
emergent meeting of AIMC office-bearers was held on the
11th, where among other things, steps were discussed
to ensure completion of the quota for membership drive for
the states. It was decided to complete 2 lakh pledge forms
for "Each One Teach One" by March 31st.
The Delhi PMC held a Shanti-Yagya and Bhandara
for the Tsunami victims.
The
AIMC president, Dr. Rita Bahuguna Joshi addressed a mammoth
gathering at the Allahabad University on the 24th
where Shri Arjun Singh was felicitated. She also was keynote
speaker on the 25th at the Ch. Charan Singh University,
Meerut. Dr. Jaya Shukla and Dr. Shobhana Shah attended the
AIWC seminar on "Negotiating Spaces: Women In Media",
which included Dr Girija Vyas and Smt. Sheila Dixit among
the panelists.
The
AIMC president has been invited and attended the UN conference
on Women at New York. The Mahila Congress is elated at the
appointment of its ex-president and ex-minister, Dr. Girija
Vyas as the NCW Chairperson, as well as appointment of its
Maharashtra state president, Smt. Rajni Patil as the Social
Welfare Board Chairperson.
-
Dr. Jaya Shukla
Workshop
on Women & Media
Just
before the Women's Week and International Day, the All India
Women's Conference held a very relevant workshop on `Negotiating
Spaces: Women and Media." The workshop with Delhi CM
Smt. Sheila Dikshit as Chief Guest, evolved around a media
research paper by the AIWC. Dr. Girija Vyas, Chairperson
of NCW, was the keynote speaker. Panelists included Smt.
Usha Rai (Press Institute), Smt. Pamela Phillipose (Indian
Express), Smt. Indrani Bahgchi (Economic Times), Smt. Feroze
Mehrotra (UNIFEM), Shri R. Pillai (Vice-chairman, UGC),
Smt. Kumkum Chadha (Hindustan), Dr. George Mathew (Dir.,
Inst. Of Social Studies), Prof. Pushpesh Pant (JNU), Smt.
Abhilasha Kumari (IIMC), etc.
Smt.
Sheila Dikshit felt that while human-interest stories abound,
only those bordering on the bizarre are published. She was
also upset at the language permitted by some channels, which
hurts women's dignity. Dr. Girija Vyas analyzed media-aspects
in 3 parts _ pre-independence, then till 1990, and after
1990. While pre-independence media, like the `Harijan',
had a huge contribution towards the advancement of women,
the woman went to the background in media in the next phase.
Yet, she was not depicted derogatorily due to the then existing
values. Since 1990, the situation has drastically changed,
gradually becoming more and more commercial, till women
are depicted as pure commodities. Some speakers defended
the media as they being a mirror of the times.
Smt.
Dikshit called for education about dignity, rights, aesthetics,
etc. She said that women also have to act as dignified role-models
earning respect, and that Indian women have it in them.
Speakers spoke of the need of more awards like the Chameli
Devi Award. Smt. Usha Rai narrated the incidence when principals
of Sahodaya Schools helped through the PTAs in controlling
certain print publications. Dr. Girija Vyas pointed out
the need to bring together the women related laws, which
are incoherent today. Both she and Smt. Sheila Dixit extolled
Shri Jaipal Reddy's suggesting at a seminar a couple of
days before the workshop, of the need for a formal code
of conduct for the media, which would also keep the proprietors
within certain norms, and his request to the electronic
media for giving 7 min.per hour to social issues.
-
Dr. Jaya Shukla
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