Vol. XLIII No. 12 March 24, 2019
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Women’s Parliament

N S Sajith

AFTER the tremendous success of ‘women wall’ on the new year day of 2019, women in Kerala have held series of meetings called ‘women’s parliament’ in almost every assembly constituency in the state. The women gathered in large numbers in ‘women parliament’ and pledged to oppose the anti-women postures of both BJP and Congress.
Leaders of All India Democratic Women’s Association, women leaders of various other democratic organisations addressed the meetings in the assembly constituencies. The unending flow of women folk from the remote villages and small towns to the venue of ‘women parliament’ to reclaim their rights and reassure their commitment towards a secular and democratic India has been the crux of such mobilisations.
All India leaders of AIDWA, Brinda Karat, Subhashini Ali, and Mariam Dhawale were among the main speakers of ‘women parliament’. P Satheedevi, Susan Kodi and N Sukanya, P PDivya were among the other speakers.
Brinda Karat attended the ‘women’s parliament’ programmes in Thrissur, Palakkad and Kannur districts. Addressing the women in Kannur, she praised the interventions of P K Sreemathi in the parliament for raising the issues related to women. A thundering applause started when Brinda talked about how a series of developmental activities happened in Kannur constituency in last five years. She also referred the facelift initiated in Kannur railway station by the sitting MP. The imminent victory of P K Sreemathi in Kannur will strengthen the developmental work of LDF government.
AIDWA leader Subhashini Ali addressed the meetings in Chelakkara and Iringalakkuda assembly constituencies. She ridiculed BJP for treating ‘beef as mummy’ in North India and ’yummy’ in Kerala. BJP failed to find out candidates in Kerala as they are busy in setting a trap forCongress leaders. This election is crucial for women in India. Women will vote for Left parties who always stood for the equal rights of the women. While speaking on the plight of the women in the country she said four rapes occur every hour in our country. A BJP MLA in Uttar Pradesh raped 16-year-old girl, but the police did not mention his name in the FIR. BJP is trying to protect the MLA, she said.