On Tuesday, around 2000 women from across the country marched from Mandi House to the Parliament Street in Delhi, highlighting the cases of violence against women, unemployment, starvation and increasing LPG rates under the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government.
Mobilised by the All India Democratic Women Association (AIDWA), protesters came from 23 states including Odisha, Bihar, Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh, Tripura and Gujarat. The protesters said that they will not be silenced by the “BJP-RSS promoted culture of fear.”
Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader Brinda Karat told NewsCentral24x7, “This is a huge women’s mobilisation and all these women have a common experience that the four-and-half years of Modi rule have been years of betrayal. Instead of getting cheap rations, we have Aadhaar and starvation deaths. Instead of getting free gas cylinders, we have got a free gas connection but price of gas cylinders is so high that nobody can afford it. Instead of jobs we are being pushed back into homes.”
She added, “The worst thing is, where there is such an increase in the atrocities against women, Modi ji’s cadre are always standing in support of the criminals.”
Protesters from Odisha said that the Narendra Modi government has failed them on all fronts, from Aadhar and LPG to introducing 33 per cent reservation for women. A protester said, “Before 2014, he (Narendra Modi) said we do not have majority. He used to say we will bring 33% reservation for women when we come to power. Their term is coming to an end but they have done nothing for women.”
On increased cases of violence against women, she added, “We see BJP today supports violence, be it in Kathua, Unnao or any other state. BJP supports rapists..what kind of a government is this? The panchayat in Orissa where the BJP rules, openly supports the rapists and does nothing for women. We don’t want this government to rule any further.. this government should go.”
Veena Vaidya from Himachal Pradesh highlighted the government’s failure to provide jobs under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA). She said, “So many of us women used to work under NREGA but this government has slashed the budget..we are jobless now..How do we cope up with the inflation?”
Vaidya slammed the government for harbouring criminals. She said, “This BJP-RSS government is protecting the criminals. Rapists roam around freely while our daughters are forced to remain locked in houses. They gave the slogan ‘Beti Bachao Beti Padhao’. But we feel it’s time for ‘Beti Bachao from BJP’.”
A group of women from Amravati, Maharashtra, told NewsCentral24x7 that with their daily wages and high cost of cylinder, it becomes impossible to feed all mouths in their family. “We earn Rs 100 but the monthly cylinders cost about Rs 850-900. No other means of fuel is available and the amount of gas subsidy is also very low. We can’t manage our households like this.”
Hundreds of women from Rajasthan also took part in the agitation. Devi, who struggles to obtain ration for her family, said, “We work day and night. Our hands have knife-cuts. When I go to ration shop to get food, their system fails to verify my fingerprints. I am standing right there but they don’t give me ration.”
Another woman echoed Devi’s concerns, “The Vasundhara Raje government pat their backs and say they have given us so much. But the truth is that our jobs have been snatched away. We are forced to work in unorganised sectors. They ask us to link Nirman card, ration card to Security law and what not. How do we know all this? And then we don’t get ration from shops..We want to tell the Modi government ‘Naari uthi hai ab lalkaar..Nahi sahegi Bhajpaa sarkaar.”
An AIDWA committee member from Tripura raised the issue of old-age pension for women. “Modi Sahab promised Rs 2000 in pension per woman in the Vidhan Sabha. But what has he done? The BJP government has to stop doing this jumlaabji,” she said.
Along with employment and fair wages, the protestors demanded removal of the Aadhaar system because of which they are unable to obtain rations.
Speaking to NewsCentral24x7, CPI (M) leader Sitaram Yechury said, “It is time to protect our girls from BJP. That is the current scenario. We had never before heard of such inhumane behaviour towards women, such atrocities against them..Little girls are subjected to gang-rape and murder. This is an atmosphere of fear and insecurity. They promised women reservation bill if they get single party majority. But nothing has happened. We are here to show our support to women and in solidarity with their causes.”
The protesters will also join the workers-peasants rally on 5th September, organised by All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS).