WOMEN activists from the Left progressive parties and movements gathered at Essen, Germany last month in the Feminist Futures Festival organised by Rosa Luxemburg Stiflung to share their experiences about their struggles when combating the right-wing forces in their respective countries and discuss strategies and ideas for an international networking to strengthen this movement. The participants included women from the continents of Asia, Europe, Africa and Latin America.

THE All India Democratic Women’s Association, in a statement issued on September 26, has strongly condemned the force arrest and harassment of the victim in the Chinmayanand case and demanded immediate withdrawal of the alleged extortion case lodged against her. It condemns the role played by the SIT and Uttar Pradesh Police under pressure from the Yogi government. The rape case against Chinmayanand was filed on August 27, 2019 but the accused was arrested only after 14 days after a public outcry. The sections under which Chinmayanand has been arrested have also been diluted.

TO prepare for the 12th AIDWA national conference in Mumbai from December 27-30, 2019, AIDWA district conventions were successfully held in 15 districts of Maharashtra in the months of June and July. They had together mobilised over 2000 women. The last district convention of Thane-Palghar was held on August 23, 2019 at the Comrade Godavari Shamrao Parulekar Bhawan at Talasari in Palghar district. Over 3,000 women from eight tehsils attended. The huge hall was completely jam-packed with women.

THE 12th all India conference of AIDWA will be held in Mumbai, the capital of Maharashtra, from December 27-30, 2019. A reception committee to host the same was formed on July 27 in Mumbai in the presence of five AIDWA central office bearers – national president Malini Bhattacharya, vice presidents Subhashini Ali and Sudha Sundarraman, general secretary Mariam Dhawale and treasurer P K Shrimati.In a special session, all these national leaders unveiled the impressive logo of this conference created by Vijay Patil, managing editor of the progressive weekly Jeewanmarg.

THIS period has been a very challenging time for all the progressive, democratic and secular forces in the country. The results of the 17th Lok Sabha elections have been a great setback. The BJP aroused nationalist jingoism, zeroing in on Pulwama and Balakot, and shifted the poll narrative from the burning issues of the people. The consolidation of the Hindutva vote bank through communally charged campaigns and violent attacks strengthened communal polarisation and helped the BJP.