Demolition drive off Delhi: Women protest 'eviction, atrocities', pledge to fight it out

By Our Representative
"We will take what is our rightful due through struggle"; "we seek accountability for the jail and unlawful displacement from the government"; "women of the world are all together in their struggle": These were some of the slogans which reverberated at the women’s day programme celebrated at the Khori village, at the Delhi-Haryana border.
Organized at Chungi No. 3 Lal Kuan, Delhi, right on the Delhi-Haryana border on the road to Delhi, with the demolished Khori village in the background, those who spoke about "eviction and atrocities" since July 14, 2021 included Rekha Behen, Samina Khatoon, Sitara, Radha Devi, Najma Khatoon, Sumitraji, Gurdeep Kaur and Usha Behen.
They said, March 8 is a day of respect for women. But they cannot forget how they were forcibly evicted from their homes. They were constantly being attacked. In Faridabad even today there are 122 sites illegally occupied but no action is taken by the government. The inhuman evictions that started from July 14, 2021. The police lathi-charged even on women and girls. Some of them were hit with sticks, caught and put in jail.
According to them, women were tortured by the police. Due to broken houses, pregnant, handicapped, old women and young girls suffered a lot. Forced to defecate in the open, they were bothered every day. The hungry and thirsty people of Khori village were left to fend for themselves in the rain. Nothing was thought about the education of girls. There is a slogan across the country “beti padhao beti bachao”, but for whom? The reality of the slogan in Khori is "deti ujado" (displace daughter).

According to them, they have the right to celebrate the women's day. But how do they celebrate? They have no home, they are homeless. The atrocities committed in Khori village will not be forgotten. They will take account of this from the government and carry forward their struggle, they pledged.
Rekha Bahen sang "Komal hai kamjor nahi -- shakti ka naam hi naari hai" at the end of the programme. The Women also sang the famous struggle song "Isiliye raah sangarsh ki hum chale". The youth of the Team Saathi, which is supporting the struggle, repeated young poet Pash's poem “Hum ladehenge saathi” (We will fight together) by linking it to the demolition of Khori village.

Comments

'Very low rung in quality ladder': Critique of ICMR study on 'sudden deaths' post-2021

By Bhaskaran Raman* Since about mid-2021, a new phenomenon of extreme concern has been observed throughout the world, including India : unexplained sudden deaths of seemingly healthy and active people, especially youngsters. In the recently concluded Navratri garba celebrations, an unprecedented number of young persons succumbed to heart attack deaths. After a long delay, ICMR (Indian Council for Medical Research) has finally has published a case-control study on sudden deaths among Indians of age 18-45.

SC 'appears to foster' culture of secrecy, does not seek electoral bond details from SBI

By Rosamma Thomas* In its order of November 2, 2023 on the case of Association for Democratic Reforms vs Union of India contesting constitutional validity of electoral bonds, the Supreme Court directed all political parties to give particulars of the bonds received by them in sealed covers to the Election Commission of India. SC sought that information be updated until September 2023.

How national chauvinism 'overtook' sport despite cricketing glory of World Cup 2023

By Harsh Thakor* The recently-concluded cricket World Cup was a testimony or manifestation of the thrills, intensity, twists and turns in sport and evolution of the game of cricket. It carried on the trend of the World Cups of yesteryears. Possibly, this was the best ever Indian team in a World Cup, and arguably amongst the best ever to contest a World Cup.

Only 12% of schools RTE compliant: Whither 6% budgetary allocation for education?

By Ambarish Rai* Despite Indian state’s commitment of 6% GDP on education, the Finance Minister completely ignored right to education for children and strengthening implementation of RTE Act which makes education a fundamental right in her budget speech . The Right to Education (RTE) Forum, which is a collective of different stakeholders in education, condemns this neglect of a legal entitlement, which is unconstitutional and demand for overall increase in the budget to ensure improvement in learning outcomes and overall enhancement of quality education.

A Hindu alternative to Valentine's Day? 'Shiv-Parvati was first love marriage in Universe'

By Rajiv Shah* The other day, I was searching on Google a quote on Maha Shivratri which I wanted to send to someone, a confirmed Shiv Bhakt, quite close to me -- with an underlying message to act positively instead of being negative. On top of the search, I chanced upon an article in, imagine!, a Nashik Corporation site which offered me something very unusual.

Swami Vivekananda's views on caste and sexuality were 'painfully' regressive

By Bhaskar Sur* Swami Vivekananda now belongs more to the modern Hindu mythology than reality. It makes a daunting job to discover the real human being who knew unemployment, humiliation of losing a teaching job for 'incompetence', longed in vain for the bliss of a happy conjugal life only to suffer the consequent frustration.

Buddhist shrines were 'massively destroyed' by Brahmanical rulers: Historian DN Jha

Nalanda mahavihara By Our Representative Prominent historian DN Jha, an expert in India's ancient and medieval past, in his new book , "Against the Grain: Notes on Identity, Intolerance and History", in a sharp critique of "Hindutva ideologues", who look at the ancient period of Indian history as "a golden age marked by social harmony, devoid of any religious violence", has said, "Demolition and desecration of rival religious establishments, and the appropriation of their idols, was not uncommon in India before the advent of Islam".

'Ambiguous policy': India late in advocating EVs as energy storage in national grid

By Shankar Sharma* This is regarding the points raised by the Chief Electricity Authority’s (CEA's) advocacy for usage of electrical vehicles (EVs) as energy storage technology, and few associated issues . An objective reading of what he states should reiterate the enormously growing importance of battery energy storage systems (BESS) in our need to transition to a net-zero carbon scenario for the country.

Savarkar in Ahmedabad 'declared' two-nation theory in 1937, Jinnah followed 3 years later

By Our Representative One of the top freedom fighters whom BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi revere the most, Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, was also a great supporter of the two nation theory for India, one for Hindus another for Muslims, claims a new expose on the man who is also known to be the original proponent of the concept of Hindutva.

Is India emulating west, 'using' anti-terror plank to justify state-supported violence?

Fahad Ahmad, Baljit Nagra* Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has accused India of being involved in the assassination of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Canadian Sikh leader, on Canadian soil. Narendra Modi’s right-wing Hindu nationalist Indian government is defiant and denies involvement. Indian officials have instead admonished Canada for being a “ safe haven ” for Sikh “terrorism,” a pejorative for Sikh self-determination .

Search This Blog