More than 100 women from various women’s organization and social groups gathered at Jantar-Mantar to protest violence against women, especially dalit women on 25 November 2008. The dharna started on 11.30 am with pamphleteering and sloganeering around the venue. Community women and activists from ADHAAR, BARD, and SAFAR, and students from Delhi University took part in the dharna.
Advocate Chandra Nigam, the Legal Coordinator of SAFAR explained the issue and necessity of dharna. Highlighting the importance of the day (Global day for Elimination of Violence Against Women) she said that millions of women are observing the day all over the world, and NFDW has taken the lead in India under the leadership of Ms. Ruth Manorma, and organizing several protest events against the violence against dalit women at various places. Talking to the participants Advocate Chandra also spoke about NFDW, its formation and commitments and outreach plan in the near future. She said that NFDW is going to start its work in North India very soon and it has plan of capacity building programmes among the Dalit Girls in Delhi also. NFDW will train dalit girls to lead the Dalit Women Movement, and also to transform them from a week girl to a strong woman. She also stressed the need of education among the dalit community, especially among the women. At the end of her talk Advocate Chandra encouraged the participant women to share their everyday experiences.
Sharing her experience Ms. Shashibala of ADHAAR said, “Earlier I was teaching somewhere, but after coming into the contact of ADHAAR I got the sense of violation of my own rights every day. One fine day I left my teaching job and joined the organization and now I am one of the para legal workers in my organization.”
Shama Rani, 45, of BARD also shared her experience. She said, “I am working with BARD for almost a decade with its para legal team. The responsibility of para legal worker is quite important as she has to see both the parties and reach at some meaningful solution of the problem. We, mostly deal with family disputes, especially the matrimonial disorders. And entering into court means wastage of time and money, and still it is not necessary that the court order will be satisfactory.”
Later Sunita and Seema from AIDMAM expressed their solidarity with the dharna. Addressing the participants Sunita said, “AIDMAM is an all India network of dalit women rights movements. It is trying to build a strong dalit women movement in India by encouraging the dalit women leadership across the country.”
Addressing to the dharna Dr. Ajeeta Rao said, “dalit women will have to come forward to fight against the violence met by the male in the community.” Dr. Ajeeta stressed the need of coming together of all forces fighting for the rights of dalit women.
Rajni Tilak, representing CADAM said that her organisation is always there for the issue of dalit women. She read a poem explaining the situation of dalit women. Mr. P. K. Shahi, a veteran trade union leader also spoke on this occasion and appealed to the sisters to not to forget the feudal trends emerging in the new dalit movements. He said that without fighting with these forces we can not achieve our goal of equality.
