On 2nd of March 2008 , an enthusiastic public meeting was organized at Worli BDD chawls, by Purogami Mahila Sangathan (PMS) and Lok Raj Sangathan (LRS) to celebrate International Women’s Day.

The representative of PMS, Kusum explained the origin and history of International Women’s Day beginning with the struggle of women workers in capitalist countries in North America and Europe against inhuman capitalist exploitation. The struggle of women for their emancipation has been an integral part of the struggle of the working class for emancipation.

Kusum explained that women of India had a history of struggle for their rights, and against oppression and injustice since ancient times. Today women are facing the multiple burden of capitalist exploitation as well as other forms of exploitation and oppression that women have had to contend with ever since class society was established. She said that today nowhere is the woman free to move around securely without being subjected to physical abuse. She said the problem was compounded by the fact that the police who were supposed to be the protectors were the worst perpetrators of violence against women. She deplored the condition of 5 lakh domestic workers in Mumbai city alone who had to do back breaking household work for a pittance with absolutely no laws to protect them. She said that the problems of women could not be seen in isolation from that of rest of society. She called for building peoples committees in every locality to fight for the solution of the problems of women.

The representative of the CGPI hailed the fighting traditions of Indian women. He said that both in the Ghadar Party, and in society at large, women were in the forefront of the struggle for the new society.. He said the 20th century has shown that wherever the working class established its own rule, it was successful in carrying out far-reaching changes which ensured that the formerly oppressed sections of society including the women were emancipated. He also pointed out that without women taking up the battle for the new society, the working class will never be successful in building this new society. He called upon working women to take up the struggle for building of the new socialist society free from all forms of exploitation of persons by persons.

Further on, he pointed out that the Indian working class could not stamp its imprint on society mainly because it was kept divided by the different political parties of the ruling class The big capitalists had visions of becoming a big imperialist power riding on the backs and on the blood and sweat of a billion people, the majority of them youth. He said the Indian people can never agree to this path. He warned the people against all attempts to divide them and explained that the recent attacks on North Indians was part of the tactic of divide and rule to enable them to convert Mumbai into Shanghai. He called on the people to build People’s Committees everywhere, which would be non partisan, to unite the people and challenge the rule of the big capitalists.

Malan Sonawane, a leader of the Molkarin Kamgar Union, explained that the domestic workers are wage workers like all other sections. They are waging the struggle to force the government to recognize this and to ensure the benefits of minimum wages, leave, PF, Insurance, pension etc. She said all over Mumbai the domestic workers are getting organized and called on the domestic workers of Worli to organize under the banner of LRS.

Dr. Sanjeewani, Vice President of Lok Raj Sangathan, explained why her organisation gives such importance to working among women and organising them with the perspective of ending exploitation, oppression and all types of inequality. Lok Raj Sangathan recognizes that the root cause of the problems that our country faces is that people have no political power. LRS has taken up the challenge to build organisations of people that would be capable of wielding power.

Earlier in the morning a medical camp was organized for the women of Worli BDD from 11 am to 2 pm at the same venue by Lok Raj Sangathan in collaboration with KEM Hospital, Parel. During the camp it became evident that the majority of women were malnourished and suffering from acute vitamin deficiency. This is a glaring indictment of the management-eating capitalist system which keeps the health of the majority of our women in such poor conditions with the government completely abdicating its responsibilities to ensure the welfare of the people.

The IWD celebrations were marked by a militant and moving cultural program. Young girls from Worli BDD sang beautiful songs on women’s emancipation. This was followed by songs from Youth of Joy and Agaaz group of Jogeshwari. Youth from Maharashtra Yuva Parishad sang songs on superstition as well as on caste oppression. Comrades from Parivartan Sanskrutik Manch from Ulhas Nagar sang songs on the emancipation of women to inaugurate and conclude the meeting.