Political power in our hands is the road to our liberation

(Mahila Mukti ka rasta, apne haath mein satta)

Purogami Mahila Sangathan and Lok Raj Samiti, Sanjay Colony marked international women’s day with a grand community celebration on March 9. Hundreds of women and children participated in this with great enthusiasm.

In this slum colony in South Delhi, thousands of working class families live without basic civic amenities such as clean drinking water and toilets. The Lok Raj Samiti in this colony has been waging a consistent struggle with the civic authorities for these, especially for toilet facilities for the women.

Children of the colony gathered in large numbers in the afternoon, to participate in lemon and spoon race, needle and thread race and other competitive games, while the older women enjoyed a game of musical chairs. Purogami Mahila Sangathan and the Lok Raj Samiti of this area have been working with the children, especially the young girls of this colony, assisting them with their studies as well as involving them in theatre and other cultural activities.

At a public meeting held later in the day, Renu Nayak of Purogami Mahila Sangathan (PMS) called upon the women to reject the fraudulent schemes of the government, allegedly for the “welfare” of women. Only by coming together and fighting to end the capitalist system, which thrives on the exploitation of the vast majority of working people, can women create the conditions for their liberation, she pointed out.

A group of children presented a dance and a short play, showing how the netas of various political parties fool the people to get themselves voted into power but never fulfil their promises, and how we need to get organized to teach these netas a lesson. Rekha of PMS who works closely with the children and is herself a college student, spoke of the lack of opportunities for the children of the working class to develop their talents and skills. She congratulated the children for their wonderful performance, which they had prepared all by themselves, with very little guidance.

Youth artists of Rangbhoomi Natya Samooh put up a play on how a woman is exploited as a worker, oppressed by backward social customs in the home and attacked on the streets, how her liberation lies in ending this exploitative system. Militant women residents of the colony spoke of their struggles, while a member of the Lok Raj Samiti highlighted the need to organize and fight for our rights. Birju Nayak, Secretary of the Delhi council of Lok Raj Sangathan, hailed the fighting spirit of the women. He called on women and men to come together in the struggle to end this system of exploitation and for bringing political power in the hands of the working people.

At the end of the program, the winners of the various competitive games joyously came up to the stage to receive their prizes, enthused to carry the work forward.