AISA Organizes ‘Chhatraa Samvad’ (Women Students’ Dialogue)

ABOUT 400 women students from different Districts in Bihar participated in a Chhatraa Samvad (Women Students’ Dialogue) organized by AISA at the IMA Hall in Patna on 29 October 2018. At the meeting the women students demanded every freedom including that of education. The participating students included University students as well as a large number of school students.

The Samvad was addressed by AIPWA General Secretary Meena Tiwari, former Professor of History Dept, Patna University Bharti S Kumar, former JNUSU President Geeta Kumari, AIPWA State Secretary Shashi Yadav and others. Student leaders Shreya Singh, Preeti, Nikita, Ruchi Priya, Poonam Kumari, Prachi Raj and Manita Yadav were among those who shared their experiences and views. The program began with group songs by Hirawal and Chorus.

Addressing the Samvad, Meena Tiwari said that women must fight their own battles today. The slogan we have raised is ‘If daughters are educated, they will be able to fight’. Women students from across Bihar have come to this Samvad, determined to raise their voice for freedom, rights, and dignity. Bihar State is woefully short of schools and colleges, and women students are forced to lead a humiliating life. The time has come to raise our determined voice for more schools and colleges to be opened in Bihar. Geeta Kumari said that important institutions like GSCASH are being shut down by the government which is anti-women and even openly shields rapists. The rape and murder of Dika Kumari and the Muzaffarpur shelter home horror are just two examples of this. Women are not safe on campuses. Women form half the population and they must decide to throw out the patriarchal-communal politics of the BJP government and stand up for their rights. Prof Bharti S Kumar said that organized protest is necessary to fight patriarchy, and this Samvad is an important step in organizing women students across the state.

The women students from various districts of Bihar attending the Samvad passed the following resolutions:

1. In recent times, many Universities such as JNU, DU, HNLU (Chhattisgarh), BHU, Jadavpur and various universities in Bihar have fought for better education, gender equality and against sexual harassment on campus. We oppose different sets of rules for men and women and discrimination against women students and demand that gender bias is totally done away with in schools and colleges.

2. We demand opening of colleges at Panchayat level. We demand better quality education, adequate number of teachers, and better infrastructure (libraries, labs, classrooms, computers etc) in schools and colleges.

3. Superstition and evil social practices like dowry and child marriage are still very much prevalent in Bihar. We demand that instead of spending huge sums of money on advertisements and self-publicity, the government should spend more on education and employment resources.

4. The suppression of women’s freedom in the name of culture and family must end. We demand freedom, dignity, and equal rights for women.

5. We resolve to struggle against and unite women to struggle against discrimination and violence against dalits, minorities and weaker sections of society,

6. We oppose the attempts of fascist-communal forces to curb the freedom of women in the name of ‘love jihad’ and pledge to stand for the constitutional rights of every citizen.

7. We uphold the Constitutional right of everyone (en as well as women) to enter places of worship including Sabarimala, and condemn the regressive statement of Minister Smriti Irani. We demand that BJP President Amit Shah should be arrested for inflammatory speeches inciting people to flout the Supreme Court and the Constitution.

8. We are in solidarity with the #Metoo movement and believe that sexual harassment is being used as a weapon against women of all classes.

9. We resolve to coordinate amongst ourselves and promote a scientific temper and cultural harmony across Bihar. We resolve to fight against body-shaming and victim-blaming and will try to organize physical training to help women become confident and fearless.

10. The Dika Kumari and Triveniganj incidents and the miserable conditions prevailing in Kasturba schools show how neglectful the Bihar government is of justice for women students who come from weaker, dalit, and poor backgrounds. We shall soon conduct a survey of dalit hostels and Kasturba schools and submit a memorandum to the government.

11. We shall sharpen and strengthen our fight for instituting GSCASH in high schools and colleges.