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On June 4, 2023, on the occasion of the 70th year of the foundation, a National Convention in solidarity with the protesting wrestlers was organised by the National Federation of Indian Women (NFIW), the pioneering mass women’s organisations of Independent India.The convention tiled ‘From Remission to Wrestler’s Struggle: Challenges before the Women’s Movement and Way Forward,’ Almost 400 members from 20 states participated at Constitution Club of India New Delhi.
It was inaugurated by Aruna Roy, President of NFIW. In her speech she highlighted the wide-ranging rights-based work done by the organisation over the last seven decades for social, political and economic equality. She recounted the history of the movement in standing with the most marginalized the poor, Dalit, Adivasis, Muslims and every other section of society to strengthen struggles for justice and against communal violence of any kind. NFIW has taken battles from streets to courts to secure constitutional rights and justice.
The convention unanimously passed a resolution moved by Annie Raja, General Secretary reiterated to continue NFIW’s solidarity to the struggling wrestlers and to the cause of strengthening and strict implementation of POSH and POCSO Acts related to sexual harassment of women and children respectively.
It also demands the suspension from Parliament and arrest and begin the investigations against Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, under the POCSO Act, as well as begin a judicial enquiry into the processes that were instituted to secure his impunity, including the report of the Oversight Committee, and the absence of an ICC in the WFI and other bodies. The resolution also demanded action on horrific police violence against unarmed protestors and sympathizers a few days ago.
Along with the Veteran leaders of NFIW Ranjana Ray and Gargi Chakravartty, leaders and aactivists from different organisations working with cross-section of women spoke and they all condemned the apathy and anti-women stance of the present Modi led government, as well as pointed to the real challenge today to pull the country out of the bigoted, patriarchal, misogynist, fascist quagmire that it is sinking intoday. The women’s movement needs to make its priority to vote the present BJP and Sangh combine regime out of power, which is aggressively poisoning the country with vicious anti-Muslim propaganda, communal hatred through distortion of history and mis-information at all levels.
The National Convention has given a call of one lakh public meetings demanding proper implementation of woman and child centric Acts like POSH Act, SC/ST PoA Act and POCSO Act, by 15th August 2023.
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