Women

ALL India Progressive Women’s Association (AIPWA) organized a protest in Patna demanding resignation of Bihar CM Nitish Kumar in light of the orders issued by the POCSO court to investigate Nitish Kumar in the Muzaffarpur shelter home case. The march began from CPIML office and reached Dakbunglow Chowraha where it culminated into a public meeting. The march was led by National General Secretary of AIPWA, Meena Tiwari, Patna city secretary Anita Sinha, comrades Samta Rai, Vibha Gupta and others women leaders. Several women participated in the march.

CHAKKA Jam was organised across Bihar on 4 February. The Purushottam Express was stopped at Gaya by Rasoiyas led by AIPWA leader Rita Barnawal and GT Road was jammed at several places. The Vaishali Express was stopped and the track was captured for a long period of time by the Rasoiyas. Officials from Gorakhpur were forced to come to the spot. At Muzaffarpur also, women lay down on the tracks. The Purnea-Ranchi Superfast Express was stopped at Masaudhi. Trains were also stopped at Madhubani and Darbhanga. Roads were jammed at every Block in Bhagalpur.

BIHAR rasoiyas have been on an indefinite strike since 7 January 2019 for a 15-point charter of demands, including minimum wages and regularisation, led by Bihar Rajya Vidyalaya Rasoiya Sangh (AICCTU), Bihar Rajya Vidyalaya Rasoiya Sangh (AITUC), Bihar Rajya Midday Meal Workers Union (CITU), and Bihar Rajya Madhyanha Bhojan Karmachari Union (AITUC).

THOUSANDS of Rasoiyas from across Bihar gathered under the banner of the Bihar State Rasoiya (Midday Meal) Sanyukt Sangharsh Samiti in Patna for a 2-day Mahapadav on 23-24 January with a 15-point charter of demands including government employee status for all Rasoiyas, Rs 18,000 honorarium, maternity and special monthly leave, EPF, ESI, pension and social security.

ON 9 December 2018, AIPWA leader from Bhadohi district in Uttar Pradesh, Com. Gaina Gautam was attacked by goons under the pretext of a goat straying in a field in Umri Gram Sabha. She was stripped half naked and badly beaten. She was severely injured. Subhavti Gautam who came to protect Com. Gaina was also beaten by the goons.

THE Bihar ASHA workers’ strike, which began on December 1, 2018, ended on 8 January after the Government conceded certain key demands including a monthly honorarium of Rs 1000 and an enhanced sum of Rs 2000 for routine jobs like maintaining survey registers etc, which ASHA workers in Bihar had not been getting till now.

CARRYING forward the ongoing ASHA workers movement in Bihar demanding Rs. 18,000 per month honorarium along with several other demands in a 12 point charter of demands, ASHA workers across Bihar organized a massive Rail Chakka Jam on 27 December 2018. Across Bihar, including in Patna, the ASHA workers got down on railway tracks and blocked them thereby bringing the rail transport to halt for nearly 2 hours and taking forward their movement to a more decisive turn.

“THE basic Manuvadi ideology of the BJP and the Sangh parivar is very afraid of independent women. In one of his articles, UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has written, quoting the Manusmriti, that women should always be under the control of her father, her husband, or her son. He said that an uncontrolled woman is a daitya (demon). This Yogi with such regressive notions is the BJP’s star campaigner and the successor to Modi. It is necessary to uproot and throw out the Modi-Yogi governments in order to protect women’s freedom and our democracy”.

THE government ‘Accredited Social Health Activists’ (ASHA) workers in Bihar went on an indefinite strike from December 1 with a 12-point charter of demands. They constitute a formidable contingent of nearly one lakh workers spread over all 38 districts of nine administrative divisions in Bihar. The strike call given by the Joint Struggle Forum (ASHA Sanyukta Sangharsh Manch) comprising of three major ASHA unions in the state met with an unprecedented success and on the very first day on 1 December ASHA workers came on the streets in huge numbers with their banners and slogans.

ABOUT 1 lakh ASHA workers of Bihar started their statewide joint indefinite strike on 1 December 2018. From the morning of December 1, Primary Health Centres at all places in Bihar came to a standstill, including Rohtas, Bhabhua, Naubatpur, Bihata, Motihari, Muzaffarpur, Nawada, Darbhanga, Madhubani, Samastipur, Munger, Bhagalpur. Other than emergency services, all work has come to a stop.