Women’s Organizations Symposium in Patna
A symposium was organized on 18 August 2018 at the IMA Hall in Patna against the incidents of rape and sexual violence in shelter homes across Bihar including Muzaffarpur. Delegates from women’s organizations, intellectuals and citizens participated in the symposium. Various facets of increasing violence against women were discussed at the program and strong condemnation of such incidents expressed.
Introducing the topic for the symposium, AIPWA General Secretary Com. Meena Tiwari said that after strong protests by women’s organizations some action is being taken in the cases at Muzaffarpur and other shelter homes, but these actions are still very inadequate. They will neither be able to nab the true culprits nor deter the recurrence of such incidents. Therefore, the women of Bihar must ready themselves for a long and united fight; it is for this purpose that this symposium is being organized.
The symposium was addressed by Nivedita Jha (Bihar Mahila Samaj), AIPWA State Secretary Shashi Yadav, Nilu (Bihar Women’s Network), AIDWA State Secretary Rampari Devi, Anamika (All India Women’s Cultural Organization), Ranjana Das (Sajha Manch), Sohini (Janjagaran Shakti Sangathan), Sister Leena (Nazareth Samaj), Khushbu Mishra (Apne Aap), and others. Delegates from the Bihar Muslim Mahila Samaj and other organizations also participated in the symposium.
Addressing the symposium, economist and former Director of the AN Sinha Institute DM Diwakar said that the incidents of sexual violence have exposed the grave crisis in the shelter homes and the need for systemic changes in their administration. Speakers pointed out that it was only due to pressure from the protests that the TISS report was made public which terms the condition of 17 shelter homes in Bihar ‘extremely appalling’. Along with these 17 shelter homes, all 110 shelter homes should be brought within the ambit of a CBI enquiry. Bihar Social Welfare Minister Manju Verma has been forced to resign but Urban Development Minister Suresh Sharma (BJP) still occupies his post and the BJP is shamelessly defending him.
Women’s organizations believe that this issue which came to light as an issue of institutional sexual violence has now assumed the proportions of institutional murder. The suspicious deaths of two women in the Aasra Shelter Home at Patna and the disappearance of a girl being taken to the Madhubani shelter home are clear indications. Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi appear to be implicated in all these murky dealings. These leaders must resign immediately from their posts so that an unbiased probe can take place.
The symposium concluded with a resolution being passed for a CBI enquiry into all 110 shelter homes in Bihar; immediate removal of Minister Suresh Sharma; resignation of Nitish Kumar and Sushil Modi without delay; and strict action against the perpetrators of mob lynching against Prof Sanjay Kumar at Motihari Central University and Swami Agnivesh in Jharkhand. AIPWA State President Saroj Chaube also addressed the symposium.
Present at the symposium were senior women leader Sushila Sahay and Prof Daisy Narain from the History Department of Patna University. A booklet on rising incidents of sexual violence against women and girls was released on the occasion. Earlier, the symposium started with a song by the Chorus team and 2 poems of Nirmala Putul recited by Mona Jha.
