REPLYING to Congress president, Rahul Gandhi’s letter on the women’s reservation bill, the law minister, Ravi Shankar Prasad wrote: “….the BJP and the Congress, should come together and over a 'new deal' to Indian women to ensure equality and adequate representation. As part of this 'new deal', we should approve, in both houses of parliament, the women reservation bill, the law prohibiting Triple Talaq and imposing penal consequence on those who violate the law, and the law prohibiting Nikah Halala.

A two day sit-in demonstration by AIDWA in downtown Kolkata expressed strong anger of women against TMC government. The sit-in was organized to protest atrocities against women in the state and ‘murder of democracy’ in the panchayat elections.The Sit-in was inaugurated by eminent film director Tarun Majumdar. Arjina Bibi- mother of martyr Taimur Gayen, who was killed on the day of Panchayat elections, urged with deep emotion to steadfastly fight against terror tactics of the ruling party.

UTTAR Pradesh will be crime free – was the much-touted slogan of Yogi Adityanath after he became the chief minister. The illegal method of eliminating crime, aka ‘encounters’, started in 2017. “Thok do” (shoot them) was the dictum given to police officials to gun down criminals. It is a different matter that the chief miniter himself is facing 15 criminal cases and 143 MLAs of the state have criminal cases registered against them, of whom 83 are from the ruling BJP.The policemen are offered promotions in the wake of encounters.

THE huge public outcry and resentment at the increasing incidents of rapes and sexual offences against women today can well be understood and appreciated. In a country where a woman is reportedly raped every 15 minutes (this, despite many rape cases still going unreported), and where a woman is a victim of crime every two minutes, such outrage is a natural reaction, particularly when law makers and law protectors become accomplice to such heinous acts, as demonstrated in Kathua and Unnao rape cases.

THE AIDWA central executive committee (CEC) meeting held on March 31- April 2, in New Delhi took several important decisions to mobilise women in large numbers against the severe attacks on the livelihood of women and against increasing violence and communal mobocracy. 64 out of 99 CEC members and 6 out of 12 special invitees from 20 states attended this meeting. The central secretariat meeting was held prior to the CEC.