JAMMU MARCH 8 (KNO) : As we celebrate International Women’s Day, the gruesome rape and murder of an 8-year-old girl Asifa Bano in Kathua by the enemies of humanity remind us of the challenges confronting us. Everybody in Jammu and Kashmir, irrespective of color, caste, creed and religion should have raised their voice against this brutality, but unfortunately some fringe elements are trying to communalise this incident by holding meetings in favour of the accused, which is most unfortunate.
The need of the hour is to build a united platform to ensure justice to Asifa and thwart the designs of communal elements. There is a need for a comprehensive campaign against the obscurantism, exploitation and violence against the women. Women can shape better future only through united struggles and for that every effort by fundamentalists of different hues to divide the ranks of women on the basis of religion, caste and region must be resisted. Due to the rightwing government at the helm of affairs, women are facing an all out attack on their rights, not only as women and citizens, but most crucially, on the Indian Constitution itself.
All over the world, in many countries, right wing forces and regimes are rearing their ugly heads, but at the same time the resistance to them from the working people is also growing apace. There are anti imperialist struggles taking place in different countries. We must stand firmly in solidarity with the struggles of women and people for their democratic rights, the world over. Society can progress and create a liveable social order only when women get equal rights and equal opportunities.
The women activists must unitedly resist the policies of the government which are responsible for not providing enough opportunities to them in the field of education and livelihood. Urging the women to fight for a better world where they would be free from exploitation and gender based discrimination, he stressed that the huge increase in violence against women require sustained efforts to build up broad based resistance through united actions by women organizations and groups. We reiterate our commitment to continue our fight until we achieve our goal of emancipation and a society free from exploitation, carrying on the glorious traditions of International Women’s Day.(KNO)