Report

Mahila Congress - Dr. Jaya Shukla

The Mahila Congress has been very busy through August & September with activities related to Six month action Plan, training camps, organisational work, Kranti Jyoti Yatras, etc. : Specially with a view of the impending Vidhan Sabha Elections in five states and Lok Sabha Elections in 2004, The aim being to identify atleast 2 Mahila activists per booth who would be trained. The AIMC President Dr. Rita Bahuguna Joshi, has been touring the different states. All Central Office-bearers including Maj. Krishnamohini, Mrs. Manju Hembrum, Shobhana Shah, Krishna Gehlawat, Meera Singh, Dr. Jaya Shukla, Dr. Sushma Yadav, Banarasi Meghwal, Kamlakshi Sharma, Mrs. Nusarat, have also been on extensive tours of the areas of which they are incharge. Given below is a break-up of the various activities.

AIMC Programmes

From Sept. 1-6th , 2003, several Mahila awareness meetings and office bearers' meeting were held 3 Mandals of Eastern U.P. , Varanasi, Gorakhpur & Basti, where East U.P. incharge Dr. Jaya Shukla addressed these, met Senior Congress leaders for proper coordination, and attended Congress Public Meetings/Functions, during her tour of the region. From Sept. 13-15th, 2003, the Rajasthan PMC had several Nukkad Sabhas at Hanumangarh, Ganganagar, Bikaner & Jodhpur, also addressed by Mrs. Krishna Gehlawat & the PMC, President. From Sept.13-17th, 2003, women meetings were held at Ahmedabad & Bhuj, addressed by Dr. Sushma Yadav. The Andhra PMC had its generalbody meeting on Sept. 3rd, 2003, where celebrations were also held to commomorate Dr. Geeta Reddy's completion of 2 yrs as its President. About 3500 women attended the meeting. The APMC also instituted Gold, Silver & Bronze Medals for DMC Presidents as per performance. Dehradun office bearers' meeting on the 1st was addressed by Maj. Krishnamohini, who also presided over the Mahila Sammelan at Kullu (H.P.) on Sep.9th-10th, 2003. The Assam PMC has organised several meetings, in view of the then Municipal Elections. Mrs. Vijaylakshmi Sahu AIMC Secretary addressed some of these.

Training Camps have been held in nearly all states except Kerala, Tamilnadu, Pondicherry, Andman & Nicobar, J & K, and N.E. States. A state office bearers' meeting of Rajasthan (Jaipur) was presided by AIMC President in August, also addressed by various senior leaders including the CM & Dr. Girija Vyas. Training Camps were held in Punjab, Mahila Congress meeting was held in Chandigarh in August, attended by Maj. Krishanamohini.

Training and Awareness Programmes

The AIMC President Dr. Rita Bahuguna Joshi & PMC President Mrs. Prabha Thakur, addressed a large Shashaktikaran Sammelan at Govindgarh (Jaipur) on (Sep. 18th). From 25th _ 15th September, atleast one Mahila meeting was held in each V.S. constituency in Rajasthan. Several district level Shashaktikaran Sammelans were held in Jaipur, Jodhpur, Sirohi, Pali, Barmer, Jaisalmer, Ajmer, Sikar, Alwar & Bikaner in Rajasthan, Each Districts of Delhi have held women awareness meetings in September addressed by the AIMC President & office bearers'. The first of these (Gole Market) was inaugurated by CM, Mrs. Shiela Dixit. In A.P., "Jan Jagran Abhiyan" was before MRO's office in Toopran Mandal (Medak) on Sep. 5th , also held at Nalgonda (10th), Mehboobnagar (11th), & Karimnagar (20th). The APMC held Rasta Roko on NH-7 against Diesel & Petrol price hike. Dr. Jaya Shukla & UPMC Pres. Lalti Devi led "Parda Fash" possessions organised by the DMC's and effigy burning of the corrupt NDA Central Govt., at Varanasi, Gorakhpur, etc. a state level U.P. training camp was held in Lucknow on Aug.25th. In Jind (Haryana) the DMC organised a Mahila Adhikar meeting. From 1st - 14th September, the W.B. PMC President Chandrama Bhattacharya addressed Mahila meetings in several places (More than 22 public meetings), participated in "March to Writers Building" with several thousand women. She also addressed boothwise block conferences of 48 blocks of Howrah, for the November Municipal Elections. Earlier, the M.P. PMC Pres. Mrs. Shobha Ojha organised large Mahila conventions in Indore, Bhopal, Balaghat. The Mumbai training camp was held on Aug 21st with AIMC President as Chief Guest. The Chattisgarh PMC training camp was held in Raipur, with earlier smaller camps at Bilaspur Bhilai & Dhamtari. The Karnataka training camp was held at Bangalore on Aug. 25th , 2003. The Bihar PMC state level camp (Patna) and Haryana state level camp (Chandigarh) are also over. The AIMC President addressed state level camps in Uttaranchal & Goa.

The AIMC sent relief material (Blankets & Grains) for the Uttarkashi land slide victims, distributed by Maj. Krishanamohini & Dr. Jaya Shukla there. A Sewing training centre with four machines has been started there.