DYFI Anti Dowry meet held in Mangalore

“Commanding dowry or accepting it can never be a question of status. Accepting of dowry is worse than running a brothel,” commented writer, Jyoti Guruprasad. 

She was speaking after inaugurating the Anti-dowry Meet organized at the NGO Hall in the city by Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) on Sunday November 14. She urged the society to realize that the practice of giving dowry along with their daughters, and handing over girls like bonded labourers to the families of boys, is highly inhuman.

“Honour killings are increasingly happening because of the dowry system. The number of murders under the guise of honour killings is increasing, as the families, in addition to being driven to protect the prestige of their respective castes or creeds, are also powered by the anger at the fact that love marriages rob them of the opportunity to demand dowry,” she analyzed.

Lecturer of Vijaya College Mulky, Shailaja, called upon the women to drive away the deep-rooted ideas about morality and traditions from their minds. “We should not get bogged down by our beliefs about ethics and morals in everything we do. The entire lives of women should not be wasted in serving others. They should share the power that is presently enjoyed by men. Shed the mindset of accepting men as more powerful and more prominent members of family. Give birth to a child, only if you are able to care for it and bring it up. There is no need to think that the protection and care of husband is needed for a woman to lead a life of fulfilment,” she advised.

DYFI district president, Munir Katipalla, who presided, felt that dowry system has come to stay because of the support the system receives from women folk. “There are girls who demand gold ornaments and dowry from their parents, on par with their elder sisters. The drive to fight against evils is dying down of late. For example, the student movements are being crushed through semester examination system,” he claimed.

DYFI district women’s sub-committee secretary, Pramila K, city secretary, Reshma Mulky, and DYFI city secretary, B K Imtiaz Kana, were present. 

(courtesy :Dajiworld)

BSNL Employees Union March to Parliament is a grand success

The March to Parliament programme, called on by the JAC, was a grand success. The rally started from BSNL Corporate Office at 1130 hrs.Thousands of workers participated in the rally with banners and flags. The zeal and enthusiasm shown by the participants ii a warning to the government.. They raised slogans against the ant-BSNL policies being adopted by the government. Slogans against disinvestment/privatization, unbundling and VRS were raised. Unhindered equipment supply to BSNL and immediate settlement to the issue off ITS absorption were also demanded by the rallyists. The rally went through Janpath,, Tolstoy Marg and Parliament street.

It was stopped at the Parliament street police station, where a huge meeting was conducted. Com. Basudev Acharya, M..P. and a leader of the CPI(M) group in the Lok Sabha, inaugurated the meeting. Others who addressed the meeting were Com.VAN Namboodiri, Convenor JAC, Com. P. Abhimanyu, General Secretary, BSNLEU,Com. Prahlad Rai,GS (AIBSNLEA), Com. A.A. Khan, AGS (SNEA), Com. K. Valliiayagam, GS (FNTO),Com. V. Subburaman, GS(TEPU), Com.S.P.Sharma (WRU), Com. Hari Singh (BTU), Com. R.S. Yadav (ATM), Com. K.G.Jayaraj, SG, AIBDPA, Com. N.D. Ram (SEWA BSNL), Com. Tapas Kumar Ghosh, SG,BSNL C& CWF and Com. G.L. Jogi GS (SNEA). NFTE BSNL has taken a decision not to participate in the rally. However, it’s General Secretary Com. C. Singh came and addressed the meeting.

BSNLEU has made a huge mobilization for this rally. Many comrades have come with their families. CHQ expresses it’s hearty thanks and congratulations to all the Circle and District Secretaries of BSNLEU for making the rally a grand success. The BSNLEU Circle Unions which are nearer to Delhi, like UP (West), Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan,, Himachal Pradesh, UP (East) and Uttaranchal have made a massive mobilization for the rally. Even far away Circles have made very good mobilization. Tamil Nadu brought 350 comrades, Chennai Circle brought 120 comrades, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh brought 100 comrades each. CHQ warmly congratulates the participants.

CPI(M) holds rally in Himachal Pradesh for Dalit rights

Communist Party of India Marxist today held a protest rally over discrimination being meted out to the dalit community in the state.

Addressing the gathering Comrade Rakesh Sinha, Secretary CPI(M) Himachal Pradesh State committee said that because of religious sanction, social discrimination had become legitimized.

On the basis of a survey of dalit households conducted by the party, he said that more than 50 forms of social discrimination were being practiced in the hill state.

The protester after marching from Panchayat Bhawan to Ambedkar Chowk were addressed by other CPI(M) leaders also.

The party has drawn up plans of submitting a memorandum to the government over implementation of land reforms by seeking allotment of fresh land to the poor, with dalits being the majority among the poor.

The party also sought that 85th constitutional amendment be implemented in letter and spirit and the state draw up a special plan for dalit households and villages with respect to infrastructure development such as roads, education, drinking water and irrigation and MNREGA.

"The party has conducted a comprehensive survey in the state on the different forms of social discrimination being practiced in the state" state committee member Tikender Panwar said, addressing the rally. The survey covered over 35,000 households and more than 50 types of discrimination were identified, he said. Panwar appealed to the the government to implement the constitutional provisions for welfare of dalits and maintain strict vigil to ensure that no atrocities were committed in form of untouchability, denying access to temples, common sources of water and public functions.

The rally also gave a call for holding a massive state level convention at Mandi on February 6, 2011, which would be a more broad based front to fight social discrimination. Speakers also sought extension of reservation to the private sector.

(Courtesy : Himvani)