Report

Mahila Congress Report

AIMC workers touring Assam, led by the state incharge Smt. Shikha Kapoor

The Mahila Congress activists, having attended the two-day meeting of the Congress Block and District Presidents from the whole country, and attending the March 30th Congress rally in unprecedented large numbers, went back to their various areas full of enthusiasm for spreading the message of our leader Smt. Sonia Gandhi. 576 women had come from Jharkhand, most of whom were returning to Ranchi by Purushottam Express. On April 1st one bogie full of these women, with only three Congressmen inside, was attacked and looted in a most dastardly manner at Urma. The railway police, upon being asked to file a complaint, instead misbehaved with the already hurt women and lathicharged them. The train was made to leave Urma Station leaving behind some of these passengers but their colleagues stopped the train by chain-pulling. The Saraikela activists got down at Tatanagar, where again their complaint was not filed. Hence, the Mahila Congress and the DCC jointly decided to agitate against the Railway administration and demonstrated on the 3rd, demanding action against the Urma and the Tatanagar station railway and police officials, the police escort party in the train and the officials misbehaving with the victims.

More than 1,000 women, led by the Jharkhand PMC President Pratibha Pande, demonstrated on March 27th in Ranchi, demanding early Panchayat elections, formation of Mahila Court and Women’s Commission, and 33% reservation for women of all castes. The Resident Magistrate was gheraoed in Ranchi by 2,500 to 3,000 women led by the PMC President demanding immediate payment of the Old age pension not payed since one year. They were also addressed by MLAs Shri Niel Triky and Shri Alamgir Alam, PMC general secretary Granscisca Paul. On Birla Chowk effigies of George Bush and Tony Blair were burnt by the PMC on March 28th. Nari Shakti Yatra has been started in Jharkhand by the PMC on the Women’s day, which shall continue for one year. It was flagged off in Dhanbad by AICC general secretary Shri Oscar Fernandes in the presence of AICC secretaries Shri Iqbal Singh, Shri GK Wasan, Shri Shivlal Balmiki. The AIMC Secretary Incharge of Jharkhand Smt. Meera Singh is taking up the next phase of this yatra for more than a month, including 5 km. Padyatra in each district, public meetings, etc., preparing for the Congress Mahila Mahapanchayat in the state.

The first state-level women’s political training camp in Chhattisgarh was organized by the PMC at Bilha (Bilaspur) on April 24th. The meeting, attended by a very large number of women, had AIMC president Smt. Chandresh Kumari and CM Shri Ajit Jogi as chief guests. AIMC general secretary incharge of Chhattisgarh Smt. Abha Sinha, Smt. Saeeda Begum, PMC president Urvashi Devi, and other Congress leaders insisted upon the Women’s Bill. The West Bengal PMC organized a sit-in dharna at Esplanade (Calcutta) on March 20th, led by its President Chandrima Bhattacharya, in protest against the recent increase of atrocities against women in West Bengal. MLA Shri Somen Mitra, PMC VP Shri Manas Bhunia, Shri Debabrata Basu also addressed the gathering. Smt. Raj Sachdeva, AIMC general secretary incharge of West Bengal also attended. Smt. Sachdeva toured the State till the 24th, taking meetings at Calcutta (21st), Burdwan rural (22nd), East Midnapur, and other places alongwith the PMC President, putting special emphasis on work relating to the 3-tier elections. A Mahila "Sammilan" was also organized on March 23rd at Chandipur. Prominent leaders of PMC and DCC, along with PMC president and Smt. Sachdeva, met the Uluberia (Howrah) police officials regarding the Law and Order situation there. Smt. Sachdeva has again left for West Bengal for helping the three-tier elections there.

The AIMC incharge of Pondicherry, Tamilnadu and Andaman and Nicobar Smt. Kamalakshi Sarma toured the states, taking women’s meetings and meeting activists. The Pondicherry PMC demonstrated on March 9th, had a Sammelan organized by its President Smt. Zean Pourany, with CM Shri N. Ranga Swamy as chief guest, also addressed by PCC president Shri V. Narain Swamy. Early Constitution of Women’s Commission was demanded. In Tamilnadu, PMC president Smt. Vimala Ganesha held various District and Block level Mahila meetings, concluding at Ooty. The Andaman and Nicobar PMC organized Sashaktikaran meetings at Bambooflat Gram Panchayat and at Mount Harriyat’s base where the chief guest was an elderly village lady Smt. Samalamma. Demands included the Mahila Bill, payment of equal wages and recording land in joint names of husband and wife which has not yet been done despite the Lt. Governor’s announcement. Smt. Kamalakshi Sarma also addressed these meetings in the states.

The AIMC incharge of Assam Smt. Shikha Kapoor toured the state from April 20th to 29th, taking Mahila Congress meetings at Guwahati, Diphu, Khanapara, Mangaldoi Darrang, Sonitpur, etc. She also attended the EM’s of District Council Diphu’s meeting, the Panchayat Raj Convention of APCC at Khanapara, and was chief guest at the Karbialong Mahila Convention attended by more than 5,000 women. Guests of Honour were Sh. Biren Singh Ex-MP, PMC president Dr. Moloya Burman, CEM Shri Kharsingh Engti, Shri Roopam Singh Ronghang (Min.), Shri Bidya Singh Engleng (MLA & Ex-CEM). It was organised by the DMC president Smt. Kuntila Ronghangpi.

On April 10th the UP PMC president Smt. Lalti Devi led a protest against the wastage of crores of rupees for the Pardafash Rally. The Mahila Congress also protested against shifting of Indira Gandhi Pratishthan land (25 acres) to another place (10 acres). In each district, of the State these agitations were held by the Mahila Congress. A fact-finding committee from the AIMC, led by AICC secretary incharge Ms. Sushila Tiria went to Panipat where a lady was raped by two men. Other AIMC office-bearers in the committee were AIMC Haryana incharge Smt. Alka Lamba, Dr. Jaya Shukla, Dr. Sushma Yadav, Smt. Renu Poswal, Smt. Asha Sharma. Alongwith the PMC president Smt. Anita Yadav, they met the victim, the villagers, Panchayat, the S.P., etc. After the 30th March rally in Delhi, the Bihar PMC, through its President Smt. Usha Sinha printed a pamphlet "March of Congress Under the Leadership of Smt. Sonia Gandhi". The AIMC took up a couple of cases involved with atrocities against women. AIMC general secretary Smt. Varyam Kaur got elected Deputy Mayor of Delhi.

-Dr. Jaya Shukla