Youth March for castless and secular society in Kerala begins

Youth march organised by the Democratic Youth Federation of India Kerala State committee with the slogan “Casteless society and secular Kerala” began on 4th January in Kasargod. Com Nilolpal Basu CPIM Central Secretarite member inaugurated the march by giving the white flag to march leaders. The march, led by DYFI State president Com M. Swaraj and DYFI State Secretary Com. T V Rajesh MLA has been organised to highlight the recent developments in Kerala ruled by the Congress-led United Democratic Front, which, the organisation said, had tarnished the cherished secular values of the State and turned it into a hotbed of caste and communal wrangles. The month long march will conclude in Thiruvananthapuram on the 4th of February with a huge youth meeting planned to be attended by 1 lakh youngsters from Thiruvanathapuram district alone. The march will conclude in Thiruvananthapuram after traversing through 13 districts.

 DYFI All India president M.B. Rajesh, MP; P. Karunakaran, MP; P. Sreeramakrishnan MLA and CPI(M) district secretary K.P. Satheesh Chandran were present during the inaugural ceremony. A huge youth rally was organised on behalf of the function in kumbala.

AIDWA condemns statement by RSS supremo

Press Statement
AIDWA condemns the statement made by the RSS Supremo Mohan Bhagwat, reported in some leading newspapers on 4.1.13 that rape is prevalent mainly in cities where Indians are deeply influenced by western values, and not by rural India. The reported comment that such crimes hardly occur in “bharat” - exposes a total disconnect with women’s experience across India, and the extent of sexual violence and assault being suffered by women in rural India. There is sufficient evidence from NCRB data which disproves his assertion, and shows the extent of rapes and sexual crimes across regions, not only restricted to urban India. AIDWA condemns the attempt to trivialize the horrendous degree of suffering especially of poor, tribal, dalit, landless sections who have been victims of repeated onslaughts by the elite and powerful sections of feudal society. Such statements are an added injustice to women who have already been denied their rights and dignity. This attempt to drive a wedge in the popular protest in support of women’s entitlement to a violence free life cannot be tolerated by the democratic women’s movement. We assert that the India versus Bharat divide that is propounded by the RSS, and which has been repeated by Shri Bhagwat will be rebutted by the united voice of the Indian people who have risen up in protest against sexual violence and attacks on women in our country.