New Delhi > All India Democratic Women’s Association Central Executive Committee (CEC) meeting held from March 31 to April 2, in New Delhi took several important decisions to mobilise women in large numbers against the severe attacks on the livelihood of women and against increasing violence and communal mobocracy.
The CEC was greeted by AIDWA Patron Brinda Karat. She elaborated on the violent situation in Tripura after the Assembly elections and how our activists are bravely resisting the assaults and mobilising the people to face these attacks. It is noteworthy that more number of women have voted for the Left Front. She pointed out that the BJP faced big defeats in the Lok Sabha by-elections in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. This is a welcome development.
Militant struggles of the peasants are taking place all over the country. The long march of the Kisan Sabha in Maharashtra was remarkable. The peasants in Rajasthan too are on war path. She expressed concern at the rise in communal mobilisation of women and children as seen during Ram Navami. Riots have broken out in Bihar and West Bengal. How to counter the use of religion in politics is a big challenge for AIDWA. We will have to work at the grass roots level and strengthen our contacts with the mass of women. She explained the importance of sectoral work among women and forming of broader platforms to counter the communal threat.
64 out of 99 CEC members and 6 out of 12 special invitees from 20 states attended this meeting. The central secretariat meeting was held prior to the CEC. President Malini Bhattacharya, along with vice-presidents Susan Kody and Rampari chaired different sessions of the meeting.
Resolutions condemning the violence in tripura, on the Supreme Court order diluting the SC/ST Atrocity Act and supporting the struggle of the JNU students and teachers were adopted. The sub-committee meetings were held during the CEC meeting. The reports of the discussions in the sub-committees are sent to the states. It was decided that the implementation of the decisions accepted by the CEC has to be taken up seriously by the state committees.
The Central Executive Committee also decided to organize the following campaigns and struggles:
Tripura Solidarity Day
AIDWA has decided to hold protests condemning the regime of terror and brutal assaults inflicted by the RSS-BJP hoodlums on the activists of the Left and the people in Tripura. All states will organise these protests on any one day between April 8-10. These protests will be held jointly wherever possible.
Protest Actions on May 23
The Jan Ekta Jan Adhikar Andolan (JEJAA) is a united movement of the Left and democratic mass, class organisations and social movements. State-level platforms of this Andolan will be formed in the coming days. All the AIDWA state leaders will actively participate in the formation of this platform in their respective states.
The RSS-BJP central government will complete four years in power on May 26. The JEJAA has given a call for protest actions on May 23 all over the country. AIDWA units will mobilise women in large numbers.
For Strengthening PDS
Madhu Garg placed this agenda. The BJP central government has totally disrupted the functioning of the public distribution system (PDS). Compulsion of the Aadhaar card and use of the bio-metric machines has excluded a large number of beneficiaries under the PDS. The distribution of sugar has been stopped in ration shops. Now they are trying to introduce the ‘direct cash subsidy’ in the PDS. It was decided to intensify struggles on PDS issues much more vigorously.
Survey
AIDWA will also conduct surveys to expose the sinister plot of the govern-ment to close down the PDS. This survey has already been conducted in Tamil Nadu in 26 districts covering 624 shops. AIDWA will conduct one week protest actions across the country. All AIDWA units will storm the tehsil/block offices from May 2-10, demanding regular supply of good quality food grains to all the beneficiaries.
U Vasuki explained the background and importance of the nationwide survey of single, deserted and divorced women. It will be conducted by July end. This survey aims to bring out the economic dimension, social stigma and sexual harassment faced by these women
For Right to Work
There has been a serious decline in the work participation rate of women. The last three and a half years of the Modi government have caused devastation in the lives of the common people, especially women. It was decided to build a strong movement on the demands of MNREGA workers, majority of who are women. Lack of work, low wages, non-payment of wages, corruption, etc are some of the issues that are raised while campaigning among MNREGA workers. We also demand an Urban Employment Guarantee Act. The CEC decided that all states will submit memorandas to the district collectors and tehsildars on the problems of MNREGA, home-based and domestic workers during the Parliament session in July. A memorandum will also be submitted to the central government. An all India dharna of MNREGA, home-based and domestic workers will be held on September 6, 2018 in Delhi.
Campaigns on Violence
Sexual assaults on women and girl children have assumed alarming proportions. AIDWA has been intervening in innumerable incidents of violence against women and girl children in all states. The need of the hour is to involve society in general in this campaign. It was decided to involve younger women and students and hold various programmes like poster exhibitions, street plays, discussions, etc in schools and colleges as well as in local areas.
