Speech

Women Empowerment Key to Progress
- Sonia Gandhi

Congress President's address at the Women Empowerment Conference,
Indore, Madhya Pradesh, on September 29, 2003

NDA Govt A Threat to Secularism : Congress NEW DELHI: Sounding the poll bugle, the Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee led by the AICC in-charge, Shri Ahmed Patel, on September 30 charged the NDA Government at the Centre with all-round failure and the Sangh Parivar with pursuing dangerous and evil designs posing a serious threat to the country's secular character. The local Congress workers held a demonstration in front of Raj Nivas to highlight "the agony of the people and the threat posed to democratic institutions due to the unconstitutional approach being adopted by the Vajpayee Govt. in crucial matters". Hundreds of party workers led by Shri Patel and the DPCC president, Chaudhary Prem Singh, submitted a memorandum to the Lieutenant Governor, Shri Vijai Kapoor, seeking an end to "unlawful and undemocratic ways of the Central Govt.". Addressing the huge gathering, Shri Patel strongly objected to the remarks of Shri Fernandes against the Congress president, Smt. Sonia Gandhi, in which he had held out a threat of initiating a case of sedition against her. Lashing out at Shri Fernandes, the Shri Patel said the Defence Minister had given up all morality in public life, sticking to the chair even after facing serious charges. Speaking on the occasion, Shri Prem Singh said the country was facing a crisis of confidence ever since the BJP-led Govt. had assumed power at the Centre. He charged the Vajpayee Govt. with following anti-poor policies and said due to the indifferent attitude of the Vajpayee Govt., the farmers were faced with terrible problems. Charging the BJP and Sangh Parivar with preaching hate and following a communal agenda, the DPCC president said that never had the country been so sharply divided on caste and religious lines as today. He said the democratic institutions were being subverted and the communal agenda being pursued by the Central Govt. and BJP allies posed a serious threat to the secular character of the nation. The former Union Minister, Shri Jagdish Tytler, said the NDA govt. had to its credit the highest number of scams in the shortest possible time. He said the UTI scam had ruined nearly 2.5 crore families who had lost their entire life's savings in one go due to the indifferent attitude of the present Central Govt. and involvement of some people with vested interest from within the Vajpayee Cabinet. The former MP, Shri Sajjan Kumar, said the Central Govt. had become a big liability on the nation. Prominent among those who took part in the protest included the Delhi Mayor, Shri Ashok Kumar Jain, the Chairman MCD Standing Committee, Shri Ram Babu Sharma, the Deputy Speaker of the Assembly, Smt. Kiran Chaudhary, the AICC secretary, Shri Dalbir Singh, and a large number of MLAs, Councillors and party office-bearers.

It is a matter of joy that the Women's Empowerment Conference is held in a city, which has been for long a centre of education, literature and culture. I am proud to say that the maximum number of great traditions of our society are safe due to women. I know the contribution of our sisters is exemplary in keeping alive the traditions of this city. They participate whole-heartedly in all spheres of life and provide impetus to new generation.

As far as the Congress is concerned, our leaders even understood in initial stages the importance of women's power. This is not a small thing that the women under the leadership of Gandhiji participated in large number during the freedom struggle. This was a revolutionary job at that time of social conditions. There is no doubt that our freedom struggle was further strengthened with women taking part in it shoulder-to-shoulder with men. The Congress' viewpoint has been absolutely explicit in regard to women. It took a lot of time in other parts of the world to give equal rights to women whereas our constitution builders decided that there shall be equal rights for men and women in free India. No other organisation or party can match Congress in regard to the women's participation in all spheres of life. Even today, the Congress is honestly following its stand on giving one-third reservation to women in the State Assemblies and Parliament. Our party is the party of great women like Indiraji, who not only took the leadership of the Indian National Congress and her country but also raised the morale of the women of the entire world by motivating them. I understand, perhaps in the entire world, there is no second person to equal her in women-power. Despite having several laws against social evils, we cannot hide the truth that there still exists several social evils. We also cannot hide the truth that we women also encourage these social evils knowingly and unknowingly. For example, is it not true that even women are harsh in regard to matters relating to women? Is it not true that we discriminate between boys and girls in regard to education and other things? Who is responsible, if we are not, for rift in the relation of the daughter-in-law and the mother-in-law? Sometimes, don't we greed for dowry? There cannot be improvement in society untill such things continue. For this, we women have to take initiative, to start a campaign, to start a struggle. This campaign will be successful only when we ourselves set an example in our families and society.

To empower women, it is most essential that they should get good education, healthcare and social-equality and they should also get economic and political rights. To further this, Rajivji struggled to give one-third reservation to women with the dalit and tribal brothers in the Panchayati-Raj. This is the result of the policy that in Madhya Pradesh alone two lakh women had been elected in the Panchayat elections. Now, their voice has legal power. Earlier, their voices were not heard in their homes. Now they are raising their voices with full force in society and before the law. It is our moral right to see that there should not be any girl in society who does not go to school. It is difficult to use your political rights without education.

The women will not get due and deserved respect in their families and society, satisfaction in their life until they become self-dependent in economy like they get their political rights. I am happy that in Madhya Pradesh under the leadership of Digvijay Singh special attention is given to education of children, specially the girls, through the Rajiv Gandhi Education Mission. Efforts we made for women literacy is an example for the entire country. The women are getting organised through self-help groups, through small savings and loan schemes and are becoming self-dependent in jobs. The women have got opportunities to build their self-confidence through these groups and they can build their future by their devotion and skill.

The women want such a society where there is peace, happiness and cordial atmosphere. Our mental make-up is not to ignite fire but to extinguish it. Love, generosity and sensitiveness are the greatest characteristics of every woman. Today, such characteristics are most needed in society. We have to defend them at all costs.

It is unfortunate that parties and organisations like BJP are leading a campaign for hatred, cruelty in society in place of love and generosity. Due to its deeds, some parents had to lose their children and some children their parents, a wife her husband and a sister her brother. Now the situation has reached such a stage where the crimes are openly committed against women and they are subjected to all sorts of oppression. Some days ago, we had witnessed horrendous crimes in Gujarat. The incidents like the Best Bakery took place. They are blots on society. We have time and again raised our voice against this and now the biggest court of the country - the Supreme Court - has given its ruling against it. Now, is there any room for doubt?

I want to tell my sisters that to protect their honour they should get united and organised in such a way that nobody should dare raise their finger at them. I am confident my sisters in Madhya Pradesh will teach a lesson to the elements which played with the honour of women in Gujarat.

We should understand very well that the women have to bear the maximum brunt of all consequences of violent incidents and the socio-economic destruction. This is also a tragedy that the Central government is in the hands of BJP. All the systems have failed due to its policies. The present Central government is the government of corruption and destruction, the government of unemployment and joblessness, the government of encouraging communalism, the government of weakening national security and the government of destroying the dreams of labourers, youths, women and the weaker sections of society. Therefore, this is our duty to know the reality of BJP and its allies and give maximum strength to the great organisation like the Congress.

The Congress is not only a political party, but a thought-stream, an ideology, a principle, a dream to fulfil the aspirations of every Indian. This dream will be fulfilled with your support.

I thank all of you for taking part in this conference and I convey my good wishes on the occasion of Vijay-Dashmi.