ON the call of various national women’s organisations – AIDWA, AIPWA, JWP, Purogami Mahila Sanghatan, Pragatisheel Mahila Sanghatan, Swastika Mahila Samiti, Anhad, Janwadi Mahila Samiti, Delhi, Janwadi Mahila Samiti, Haryana, and Sakriya – hundreds of citizens participated in the peoples march in Murthal on March 12. They demanded constitution of an SIT by the Punjab and Haryana High Court to investigate the cases of gang rapes reported in media on Murthal National Highway No: 1 during the Jat reservation agitation.

THE Delhi units of the AIDWA, SFI and DYFI held a demonstration at Haryana Bhawan, New Delhi on February 29 to express their outrage at the mass rape of women in Murthal and the attempts of the Haryana state government to cover up this heinous crime.

THE national women’s organisations – AIDWA,   NFIW, JWP, CWDS, GOS, Bulbul Das, Binodini Moses and concerned individuals, Dr Mohan Rao     (Professor, JNU) and Dr Sabu George (social activist), in a joint statement issued on February 5 have expressed strong condemnation and shock at the suggestion made by the central minister for women and child development, Maneka Gandhi to subject all pregnant women to a sex determination test, record the sex of the foetus, track and monitor the pregnancy, and thereby prevent sex selection.

THE prices of essential commodities have sky-rocketed; no work is available under MNREGA in the villages; the means of livelihood of the peasants have shrunk due to drought; and over and above this, ration grains too are not being distributed. Women face harassment in the government hospital. These factors led to tremendous unrest and anger amongst women in the Dahanu tehsil of Palghar district. Many memoranda were submitted to the officials and discussions held on the atrocious functioning of the PDS. But to no avail.

THE Maharashtra State government has identified 7 crore population, 4.69 crore rural population and 2.30 urban population, as the beneficiaries under the National Food Security Act. The experience of these beneficiaries who have had their ration cards stamped as ‘priority families’ leaves much to be desired.Every beneficiary is entitled to get 5 kgs of food grains at Rs 3 per kg rice and Rs 2 per kg wheat. But not a single shop in any district in Maharashtra is giving the entitled quota of food grains. The quality of food grains that are distributed is very poor.