India: 8th March Action

To see a power point presentation:
http://www.mmf2010.info/countries/asia-oceania/india/INDIA.ppt/at_download/file

The women of Chattisgarh chose to remember and pay homage to the women martyrs of the Freedom Struggle and also the martyrs of the Women Movement for justice and liberation, on March 8th, 2010, to mark the 100th year of the International Women’s Day (1910-2010). Represtatives of 18 organizations came together under the banner of National Alliance of Women (NAWO), at Jaistambh Chowk, in Raipur for one hour to pay their respect, this also marked the beginning of an on going centenary celebration of IWD in Chattisgarh. The celebration started with a folk dance “Karma Dance” by the Baiga Adivasis.

More than 1000 women farmers, domestic workers, unorganized workers, child workers, tribal and youth from rural areas came together, along with men, on march 19-20 at the Saheed Samarak Bhavan in Raipur to celebrate the historic struggles of the women in the world, to bring about a change in the world and to assert the rights of the women in the family, communities and in the society .we remembered the struggles and sacrifices of our mothers and foremothers, and celebrated the victories of the Women’s Movement.One special and recent victory was the passage of the ‘Women’s Reservation Bill’ in the Rajya Sabha on march 9th & 10th 2010 after 13 long years of struggle was welcomed by the women , though the Lok Sabha has yet to put their seal of approval on the Bill.

The women recognized the necessity of continuing their struggles at the grassroots with the Women, Dalits , Adivasis ,Child Workers and Youth, as today in the globalized economy ,it is these people who are paying a heavy price and are victims of an economy , where equal distribution of resources and produce is not the guiding principle.These people  are alienated of their resources like land , water ,forest minerals etc in favor of profit.


Bulu Bahan of the “Chattisgarh Visthapan Virodhi Manch”, Jashpur involved in mobilizing the Adivasis against deforestation, shared that “Even though land and forest are not in the names of the women, but they come out of their homes in large numbers to protect their land and forest”. Protecting Adivasis against alienation from their land and forest has been a major challenge for Bulu .She has put in more than a decade of empowering women to protest against being driven out of their villages. Shivrani Gorwani of “Ekta Parishad” , kanker also shared of displacement of the tribes from the forest and their villages.

Asifa of “Bhartiya Muslim Mahila Andolan” vociferously demanded that the government of India should implement the Recommendations of Sachar Committee forth with.

Working against Trafficking of Tribal Girls to metro cities, Shevti Panna , of “Adivasi Mahila Vikas Sanstha”, Jashpur has rescued hundreds of tribal girls from Mumbai , Delhi , Pune and other cities .According to her  trafficking of girls is possible only in connivance with the state administration. “How is that Adivasi girls are bought and sold, without any fear of the law of the country?"

Ramkumari Sahu of “Chandini  Mahila Sangh”, Durg confidently claimed that Chattisgarh earlier known as the ‘Rice Bowl”of the country is now rapidly acquiring the status of a ‘Liquor Bowl’.We may not have drinking water but we can easily buy liquor in the villages. Even though we demand irrigation, schools, hospitals &jobs but the government supplies liquor instead  .Ram Kumari a shy, soft spoken semi –literate woman from village Pauha , in Patan Block in Durg district has mobilized hundreds of women in the anti –liquor campaign and as self help groups.(SHG). The women have taken up cudgels against the liquor shops in their villages.

The presence of the primitive tribes, ‘Baiga Adivasis ‘ contributed to the stature of the celebrations .These Baigas of the Lormi village in Bilaspur district are being displaced by the Achankmar Sanctuary . Their survival depends on the forest and they are being forcefully removed from their homes and environment. According to Rashmi of “Baiga Mahapanchayat” these Baigas enjoyed more freedom earlier but now in Independent India they have lost their freedom. They face hunger and live under the constant threat of being displaced and homelessness.

 Speaking on the plight of the unorganized workers Ghasnin Bai of “Chattisgarh Mahila Mukti Morcha”, Dallirajhara said machines are replacing manual labours at the cost of driving these workers to destitution and hunger.
Sheeba of “Sabla Dal”, Raipur also spoke on behalf of the domestic workers, who stand almost as the least of unorganized workers. They suffer long hours of work with low wages and almost no rights as workers. She shared that there is a demand for a national legislation for domestic workers.

Speaker after speaker raised powerful slogans sang songs that spoke of their courage. They also raised the critical issues that affected the lives of the people. The suicides by the farmers, the increasing numbers of crimes against women, the children at work despite the law prohibiting child labour, the commercialization of water resources.

While on the one hand speakers celebrated the struggles of their mothers and foremothers to build a better world and give a better tomorrow for the future generations, but on the other hand they emphasized their struggles to build a just and humane world for all. Historically, it has been women, who have opposed war, hunger, demanded better conditions at work and equal- distribution of resources. It is a fact that the IWD was declared in 1910 as a result of the struggles of the working class women.

At the celebrations of the 100th year of IWD, we also honored 35 women as “ Brave Women” in recognition of their struggles for justice, dignity and for rights of the people. At this moment, it is important to share that both the State & National Government are pursuing the agenda of globalization with a vengeance. They have thus developed zero tolerance towards social and human rights activists. Social activists and human right defenders are considered a ‘threat’ to the state and are being branded as anti-nationals. These women also face the wrath of the Mafia, they are threatened with rape; they always live with the Damocles Sword hanging over their heads, of being falsely implicated in legal cases. The grit and the courage of such women was celebrated and honored amidst slogans being raised with clenched fists. Their faces reflected pure joy at being recognized and honored.

It must be repeated here that women recognize the fact that the present socio economic systems that is the capitalistic and the patriarchal systems are not the best systems to protect the interest of women and the working class. We need to develop a socio- economic and political system that is pro-people, environment friendly, just and humane for all, we do not wish to live in a world dominated by rich and powerful.

Finally the women marched the street of Raipur displaying banners, placards and posters .The slogans raised spoke of the kind of world women wish to build for all. The contribution of 1-kilogram rice of each woman towards the “Centenary Celebration” also spoke volumes of their determination.