A meeting of the National Executive (NEC) of the All India Progressive Women’s Association (AIPWA) was held on July 5-6 at Vijaywada, presided over by AIPWA National President Srilata Swaminathan, and conducted by its General Secretary Meena Tiwary. The meeting deliberated on the situation facing women after the recent Lok Sabha elections. The meeting took strong note of the hike in prices of fuel, which will increase the already heavy burden of prices of essential commodities and will hit women hardest. The AIPWA NEC also observed that the Budget fails to include any concrete allocations for women. The NEC has called for a nation-wide protest against price rise on 8, 9 and 10 July. The NEC also condemned the state repression in Lalgarh, unleashed jointly by the West Bengal and the Central Government. It observed that the people’s movement in Lalgarh began with police atrocities against 11 adivasi women – and the West Bengal Govt., instead of meeting the democratic demand of punishing the guilty police officials and making an apology, has unleashed a brutal crackdown. Women and children are the worst sufferers of disease and hunger in the refugee camps. The NEC demanded that the repression be stopped, the dignified return of villagers to their villages be ensured and the demands of the People’s Committee against Police Atrocities be met.

The AIPWA NEC expressed deep concern on the situation of Tamils in Sri Lanka and especially the condition of women and children living in the refugee camps which continues to be highly vulnerable. It has expressed serious concern on the Indian Govt’s intent of sending the refugees - mostly women - back to Sri Lanka where the situation continues to be hostile for the Tamils and more for the women and their children. It is well known that the women subjected to displaced life in a war-torn zone are routinely victimized, there is hardly any justice for them and escape from victimization is achieved at the cost of their life.

Hailing the courageous struggle of the poor women alongside poor rural men in Punjab to get their fundamental right to housing, AIPWA condemned the Badal Govt of Punjab for mindlessly jailing the women, children and men along with AIPWA leader Comrade Jasbir Nat, and demanded justice and fulfillment of the demands of the rural poor.

The AIPWA also expressed support for the ongoing struggle of the Kashmiri people for justice in the Shopian rape and murder case, and against the army presence and AFSPA in Kashmir.

The AIPWA observed that after President Pratibha Patil’s speech promising the passing of 33% women’s reservation bill within the Govt.’s first 100 days, followed by shrill cries by the anti-reservationists, the Congress has clearly retreated, saying the Bill will not be tabled in the Budget session. In protest against this delay, yet again, of the Women’s Bill, the AIPWA will hold a March to Parliament on August 3 demanding the Bill be tabled and put to vote without further delay.

The AIPWA noted that while many governments are making tall claims of welfare schemes for women, there is a glaring neglect of basic rights of women. For instance, while many state governments promote liquor out of revenue considerations, and liquor flows freely in rural India, the same cannot be said of drinking water. And basic healthcare – especially for women – is completely lacking in rural India ; most panchayats may not even have any health centre, and those that exist have no amenities for women. As a result, maternal mortalities are high, and women suffer from chronic illnesses. Further, women are denied the right to work and equal wages at work. The NEC called for nation-wide protests at Block HQs on September 2, demanding a health-centre equipped with women doctors and facilities for women’s healthcare in every panchayat ; against the liquor-promotion policies of the govts., work and equal wages for women and housing for rural and urban poor women.

The NEC also welcomed the Delhi HC verdict deeming the criminalization of homosexuals under Section 377 to be a violation of fundamental rights enshrined in the Constitution, and supported the demand that the UPA Govt take speedy steps to amend Section 377 to bring it in line with the verdict.

AIPWA Convention against Violence on Women in Vijaywada

The AIPWA’s Andhra Pradesh unit held a Convention against Increasing Violence on Women at Vijaywada on July 7. The Convention, attended by women from many districts of AP, was held in the backdrop of a disturbing increase in incidents of rape, murder, acid-throwing, etc in AP, and specifically in Vijaywada.

The Convention was presided over and conducted by AIPWA State Secretary R Nagamani. At the outset, Comrade Nagamani from East Godavari along with Ratnakumari, Amala and others, sang rousing songs calling for women to revolt for freedom.

AIPWA National President Srilata Swaminathan, addressing the Convention, noted that the National Crime records Bureau (NCRB) report of 2007-2008, found AP to have the worst record of violence of women in the whole of India. Further, Hyderabad, the AP state capital, was the second among cities (following the national capital of Delhi) in crimes against women. This state of affairs in a Congress-ruled state exposes the Congress’ tall claims of empowering women. Even worse, the YSR Govt of AP has been protecting a Congress Minister’s grandson accused in a rape and murder case, and the AP Women’s Commission has no Chairperson since 2007, when the then Chairperson was caught on camera asking a bribe from a woman victim. The Convention was also addressed by AIPWA National Secretary Kavita Krishnan, who stressed that the struggle against violence on women is not simply a matter of increased ‘security’ and more policing, it is inseparable from the struggle for equality and freedom for women. She noted that while the Sangh Parivar in BJP-ruled states has run amok attacking women’s freedoms in the name of ‘culture,’ the Congress too has often taken a leaf out of the Sangh book on gender. The latest shocking instance is the Congress-NCP Maharashtra Government’s decision to institute a high-level ‘enquiry’ into marriages of Hindu women with Muslim boys – a move that is not only communal but also deeply anti-women.

The meeting was also addressed by AIPWA State VPs Gayathri and Ratnakumari, as well as State Committee member Parvati. CPI(ML)’s Krishna District Secretary Comrade Harinath and State Secretary Comrade N Murthy also expressed solidarity with the women’s movement for justice and equality. The meeting was concluded by AIPWA State President T Aruna, who called for AP AIPWA to observe the National Protest Day called on September 2 by the AIPWA NEC, with a special focus on demanding action on violence against women.

AIPWA Demands statutory wages for NREGA work

In Villupuram in Tamil Nadu, AIPWA held a demonstration on 6 July, against denial of statutory wages of Rs.80 for NREGA work. Dozens of women gathered before the Collector’s office and demanded Rs.80 in wages with retrospective effect, i.e. for the work already done by them under NREGA. Com. Anjugam, AIPWA Dist President led the demonstration. Com. Venkatesan, Party’s Dist Secretary, Com. Thenmozhi, State organizer of AIPWA, addressed the gathering. After the demonstration, a memorandum was submitted to the Collector who promised to look into the issue immediately and also ordered an investigation in to the malpractices in NREGA and other welfare schemes of the TN govt.

AIPWA’s Dharna in Lucknow

On the opening day of the Parliament’s budget session (July 2), the UP unit of AIPWA staged a day long dharna in front of the State Assembly in Lucknow and demanded the long pending women’s reservation bill be passed immediately and in its original form. The dharna was led by Com. Vidya Rajwar, President, UP unit. Com. Krishna Adhikari, Central Committee member of CPI(ML), also spoke on the occasion. About a hundred AIPWA activists hailing from various districts of UP took part in the agitation.