Women must get united and fight for political empowerment, speakers stressed at a public meeting organised to mark the commencement of four-day 20{+t}{+h}all-India conference of the National Federation of Indian Women (NFIW) here on Wednesday.
“It will take no time for the NDA which enjoys absolute majority in Parliament to make into law reservation for women in legislatures, if it is sincere about it,” general secretary of NFIW Anne Raja said.
Several times the BJP has raised reservation for women issue when it was in opposition but it is now silent, she said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had failed to reduce the prices of commodities even after two years of taking charge and all the reforms he was introducing were benefiting the corporates and investors, she said.
Ms. Anne Raja regretted that women and children were facing the brunt of problems that were caused by the new economic policies.
The NFIW leader said the suicide of Central University research scholar Rohit was actually a murder committed by fascist force and an example of fundamentalists’ intolerance over downtrodden section getting educated through reservations.
Working president of the federation Gargi Chakravarthy said Mr. Modi and Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu were two sides of the same coin and both were prostrating before the major investors ignoring the welfare of common people.
All-India secretary B.V. Vijayalakshmi, vice-president Pramila Lumba, other all-India leaders like Smita Pansare, Akkineni Vanaja, Vayani Baro, State leaders Jayalakshmi, Durgabhavani and A. Vimala and others spoke.
Earlier some thousands of women participated in a rally held before the public meeting, from Gandhiji statue near GVMC main office to Gurajadakalakshetram. Twenty special delegates held NFIW flags to mark the 20{+t}{+h}all-India conference. Praja Natya Mandali artistes sang songs. Delegates from foreign countries also participated.
AIDWA welcomes delegates
Leaders of the All-India Democratic Women’s Association from the city welcomed the leaders and delegates of NIFW earlier in the day and urged them to plan agitations on government’s policies during the conference. The two women’s organisations have jointly conducted many agitations in the past, city president of AIDWA B. Suryamani said.
