AIPWA’s Seminar in Bihar
A seminar at the state-level on ‘Need for Women’s Commission in Bihar’ was conducted by AIPWA unit of Bihar at Vidyapeeth Bhavan, Patna on 7 August 1997. As the incidents of atrocities on women continue to grow and women having to bear the brunt of attacks due to caste vendetta and class atrocities, the state unit has once again raised the issue along with other Left and progressive women’s organisations and individuals. The struggle for a state-level women’s commission began in 1992. Delegations to the CM, seminars, dharnas and Mahadharna etc. culminated in a promise from Laloo to set up the commission soon. Though the draft of a bill (to be placed in Assembly) was prepared and the constitution framed, the formal process never started. Although it was AIPWA that had taken the lead, the Bihar Mahila Samaj (CPI’s women’s wing) and the Janwadi Mahila Samiti (CPI(M)’s women’s wing) had also joined. A writ had also been prepared to be filed but was rejected on the ground that it was not mandatory for the National Commission for Women or the Government to constitute the commission. The then Chief Minister was content with having a Mahila Nigam (more related to financing various schemes for women at the local level) and a state-level committee for women headed by the chief minister himself which many mediapersons mistook for a women’s commission and gave wide coverage!
After a brief lull, AIPWA’s state unit began to gear itself for the movement once again through this seminar. Com.Shahida Hasan, National Vice-president of AIPWA and Convenor of Tehreeq-e-Niswan inaugurated the seminar. Com.Meena Tiwari conducted the entire programme in which the Chairperson of NCW, Mohini Giri was the chief guest. Kailashpati, Member, NCW, was also a guest at the seminar. The other guests were Basabi, journalist and women activist from South Bihar, Urmila Prasad, President of Bihar Mahila Samaj, Kamlesh Jain (advocate in Patna High Court), Daizy Narain, lecturer in Patna College and Shanti Ojha, Convenor, ‘Jago Bahan’. Manju Prasad, MLA of CPI(M) could not attend due to illness.
The programme began with songs from various cultural teams from Bihar. Saroj Chaubey, President of Bihar state unit placed a paper giving a detailed account of the condition of women in Bihar and the need for a state-level women’s commission. It also dealt with the movement that had gone on in the state for constituting it and the attitude of the state government. Mention was also made of the role of NCW which had raised several issues of national importance like the Sati issue or Bhanwari Devi’s struggle for justice and the issue of the Sathins of Rajasthan or the question of prohibition and providing employment to women of Uttrakhand or even the question of injustice meted-out to Mayawati, but had not taken any action on the half-a-dozen cases of atrocities referred to it by AIPWA — from the Bathani Tola massacre to the gang rape of Muslim women in Chatra by BJP goons. It was demanded that the NCW mount pressure on the state government for formation of a commission as has been successfully done in UP. Among the speakers were Sunita from Jharkhand, Meena Devi from Bhojpur, Shanti Devi from Patna, the guests in the seminar, and Shameema Khatoon (a victim of severe molestation and beating by C.O.) from Siwan. Most of the speakers expressed their deep consternation and anger on the connivance of the Bihar Police with the private armies and the goondas of private landlords. They felt that with Rabri Devi coming to power, the declaration that she would bring to book DMs and SPs of districts where atrocities on women were being committed, should be thoroughly exposed since it was a ministry of criminals and history-sheeters which was being headed by her. The seminar was concluded by the Chief Speaker, Kumudini Pati and a vote of thanks was offered by Dr.Maya Bhattacharya, lecturer in Patna College. Around 300 women participated from various districts.
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West Bengal
AIPWA Convention
Demands 33% Reservation
As part of the week long Mahila Jagran Abhiyan (Women’s Awareness Campaign) for 33% reservation, the AIPWA unit of West Bengal organised a convention on 1 August on ‘50 Years of Independence and the Question of Women’s Political Empowerment’ at Students’ Hall in Calcutta. The main invitees were Janwadi Mahila Samiti, Mahila Sanskritik Sangathan (SUCI), PBMS, Nari Niryatan Pratirodh Manch and the women’s wing of RSP and FB, Nikhil Banga Mahila Sangha and Agragami Mahila Samiti respectively.
The members coming from various parts of the state marched to College Square and held a mass meeting which was addressed by Meena Pal, SCM and Chaitali Sen, State Secretary of AIPWA. The convention was attended by around 100 members and among the main speakers were Vidya Munshi, CPI, Mrinalini Dasgupta, CPI(M), Aparajito Gopi, ex-MLA of FB, Sabitri Sikdar, Mahila Sanskritik Sangathan, Geeta Sengupta, Nikhil Banga Mahila Sangha, Sonali Biswas, West Bengal Provincial Bank Employees Association. A letter was sent to the Prime Minister signed by the various representatives and members, to press for passing of the women’s reservation bill without delay in the present session of the Parliament without any curtailment in the 33% quota.
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Speaking on the occasion, Mohini Giri criticised the Laloo’s government for non-fulfillment of his promise of forming the commission. She said that the home minister of Bihar had not attended the recent meeting of home ministers of all the States convened by her. She said that there was no law and order in Bihar. But women should not merely depend on the government rather they should join the network of the NCW and help in literacy drives, self-employment schemes, banning liquor and putting up family courts. She said that she had already taken up such projects with the women of Uttrakhand. In the end the Chairperson promised to raise the issue of increasing atrocities against women with the IG Police and press for a state-level women’s commission in her meeting with the Chief Minister.
Later, concluding the seminar, Kumudini Pati stressed that the pressure could be mounted on Bihar government not through diverting issues but by greater intervention by the NCW in Bihar in which AIPWA would lend all possible support through mobilising women at grassroots-level campaigns for consciousness raising. She said the Bihar AIPWA had expected a more active role from the NCW, in fact even being party to a PIL to be filed on the issue.
Later, through the press, it was learnt that though the CM did not commit herself on the formation of the commission she promised to set up family courts for providing justice to women.
The AIPWA joined issue with the NCW Chairperson on the point made by her that the women’s commission should not have political women as its members. The AIPWA felt that women leaders from various political streams and representatives from autonomous women’s groups should be included.