AS part of the implementation of the call given by the 8^th all India conference of All India Agricultural Workers’ Union held at Warangal in Telangana recently, the Punjab state unit of AIAWU held a convention of Dalit women agricultural workers on October 4 at Jalandhar. The convention was presided over by Sunita Rani, Kesra Devi and AIAWU Punjab working president Ram Singh Noorpuri.

Inaugurating the convention, AIDWA general secretary Jagmati Sangwan pointed out how Dalit women and agricultural workers were at the receiving end of all the violence and exploitations heaped on women at a society where at the lowest rung of the ladder. This being the case, even where rights existed on paper, neither the administration and the state machinery, nor even the unions dominated by patriarchal males were able to provide adequate sensitivity to deal with the problems of the poorest and most oppressed women. So it was pointless to hope for charity from others to take up one’s wishes properly. They would have to be taken up by Dalit women themselves and fight successfully to the end. She pointed out that this would require not only fighting against oppression but also changing one’s own consciousness about which social norms were acceptable and which one should reject.

Fourteen women agricultural workers spoke at the convention, highlighting how even the legal rights of women were being ignored. Pension, ration cards, dowry schemes, work under MNREGA and relief to widows were never available and had to be fought for.

Suneet Chopra, All India joint secretary of AIAWU, assured the convention that a growing number of their male fellow workers were becoming conscious of the need to fight for equal work for equal wages, self respect and organising resistance. He pointed out how Dalit agricultural worker women suffered both from oppression and exploitation and were the best foundation for a firm resistance. They were present in force in the union’s struggles but were not represented in the committees of the union. This has to be adequately remedied to make our resistance more representative and successful.

The state president of the union, Bhup Chand Channo, placed a resolution for struggle calling for equal wages for equal work and social justice. Concluding the convention, state secretary Gurmesh Singh highlighted the need to change the political and economic structure to ensure the great participation of women as equals in our society. The convention closed on the positive note that struggles must be launched immediately for economic equality and social justice.