28 September: Convention On Working Women's Movement

Karmajibi Mahila Parishad would like to invite you/your organization to join a convention on 28th September 2013 at the University Institute Hall, College Square, Kolkata. The objective of the convention is to strengthen the movement of working women and raise their voices against the violence perpetrated against women workers. Karmajibi Mahila Parishad demands the safety and security of working women in their work place and in public places, especially when they commute to their work place. We will use the convention to share the findings of a study the women members of our unions have conducted on sexual harassment, working conditions and public safety of working women and to plan our future strategy on these issues.

Karmajibi Mahila Parishad has emerged from the firm resolve of New Trade Union Initiative (NTUI) to make gender concerns an integral part of the trade union movement. As a central trade union centre, NTUI unionises women in different professions. NTUI works with working women and raises their collective voices through active participation of individuals engaged in various occupations. Since the last three decades, NTUI and many of its affiliates are active in unionising workers in the unorganized labour sector, who constitute 93% of the workforce in the country. NTUI believes that every worker has a right to get organized and to raise their demands be it economic, social, or political. We also support the fight of neglected and marginalised women workers in society who are demanding social security, protection, equity, recognition, respect, equal remuneration for equal work, protection from sexual harassment in the work place, and last but not the least the right to form unions. 

On 8^th March, 2013 to celebrate the International Women’s Day and also to accomplish the objective of the New Trade Union, NTUI organized a rally where 6,000 working women representing 13 different professions (such as agricultural workers, brick kiln workers, bidi workers, sex workers, construction workers, domestic workers, hosiery workers, NREGA workers, midday meal cooks etc.) joined together and raised their demands. Women from other walks of life joined them.  NTUI organized this procession with the understanding that working women and women in general must come together to focus public attention on their issues and to get demands fulfilled. The other objective was to constitute a State level working women's council, through active participation of women belonging to different occupations and walks of life, which we have named the Karmajibi Mahila Parishad.

To raise these issues on 28^th September 2013, the Karmajibi Mahila Parishad has decided to organise a convention to strengthen its movement against violence, sexual harassment and the recent spate of rapes and murders of women with the view to apprise the State Government of appropriate steps to address this issue.

We wish your active presence in the convention and to support our movement.

Roma Debnath   

Astabala Maity

Joint Conveners                                                                                                                                     

Karmajibi Mahila Parishad (Working Women’s Council)

Right To Food & Work Press Conference

Empty stomachs epitomise the situation of hunger in our country. In West Bengal, we have the added problems of a new Government unable to stem the continuing rot in the Public Distribution System (PDS). In such a situation, the National Food Security Act 2012, which has been planned as the new showpiece of the UPA II Government has been passed with doubtful potential to deal with the problems of hunger and malnutrition.  

Mass organizations, trade unions and NGOs have been creating public awareness on this issue and have been struggling for food entitlements for the hungry as part of a National Campaign. On the 5^th of September 2013 we invite you so that we can share with you our assessment of the bill and can give before you our future programme.  

Right to Food and Work Campaign-West Bengal along with other participants is organizing a Press Conference on September 5 at 4 p.m. at Kolkata Press Club to provide information on the present state of hunger and starvation in the state and provide a critique of the National Food Security Act, as well as our future course of action.

Saradindu Biswas

Convenor

Right to Food and Work Campaign-West Bengal 

Press Conference on Food Bill Campaign

Despite 64 years of Independence, hunger remains a living and ever-pressing problem in India. In the midst of godowns bursting with foodgrain, every year there is a recurrence of farmers' suicides, deaths due to hunger and starvation in Amlashole-type situations and in abandoned tea gardens. The UPA 2 has been planning to bring in a Food Security Bill for the past four years. A case on the Right to Food has been ongoing in the Supreme Court for the past 12 years and is now heading for final orders. 

The Right To Food Campaign is organising an Eastern and North Eastern Regional Consultation on 8th June at Proggaloy, Barasat, from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. The members of the campaign plan to discuss two important issues, which are emerging as challenges to a comprehensive Right to Food in the country - one, the plan of the UPA 2 Government to introduce a minimalist National Food Security Bill as an ordinance, with no Parliamentary debate; and, two, the possibility of getting concrete orders from the Supreme Court in the ongoing Right To Food Case (Writ 196/2001) so as to make the right to food a constitutional and comprehensive right. They shall also be planning their campaign actions for the next few months, till the Bill is finalised.

Members of the Campaign from Bihar, Jharkhand, Orissa, Chhattisgarh, West Bengal, Assam and other north-eastern states will address the consultation. We shall also be joined by Kavita Srivastava, National Convenor of the Campaign and Secretary, People's Union For Civil Liberties and Harsh Mander, Supreme Court Commissioner and former member of the National Advisory Council(NAC). 

On 8th June 2011 at 5 PM at Kolkata Press Club (AC Room), Kavita Srivastava, Harsh Mander and state representatives of the Campaign from Jharkhand, Orissa, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Assam and West Bengal will meet the press to give their critique of the the National Food Security Bill, the UPA 2's plan to introduce an ordinance,and the future of the Supreme Court Right To Food case.

Saradindu Biswas                                                              Anuradha Talwar

West Bengal State Convenor                           Member, National Steering Group

North Eastern – Eastern Regional Right to Food Campaign Convention

As per the decision on the 5th of May, 2013, on holding regional meeting with campaign constituents and other friends of Right To Food Campaign, the Eastern and North Eastern Regions will hold the convention on 8th of June 2013 at Proggalaya, Barasat in Noith 24 Parganas, West Bengal.

The convention is being called with a threefold agenda as proposed by the RTFC.

1.      PUCL SC case 197/2001 on the right to food, relating to the constitutional framework and International law to bring Right to food under the purview of Article 19, like in the Olga Tellis case.

2.      The campaign's strategy on ensuring amendments in the NFSB according to the campaign's vision and lobbying with MPs and Parties in States and Nationally

3.      On how to strengthen the state and regional campaigns


 I       Working towards specific and general orders relating to the legal framework on the Right to Food

As you are aware that after a long journey of 11 years since 2001 and more than a hundred interim orders which changed the Right to Food policy and its implementation in the country, the PUCL case is headed towards conclusion. This may take several months still, however, it was planned in one of the case advisory meeting that we must try asking for final orders which must include :

• expansion of the various scheme entitlements like on PDS reform on which discussion is underway, MDMS, ICDS, Pensions and the Homeless question 
• a legal framework on the Right to food developed on constitutional and international principles.

It was decided that it was important to take this issue to our campaign constituents and lawyers and activist friends, in the various State in order to widen our understanding


II        To continue to lobby in States and nationally for a comprehensive food security law.
 
You are also well aware that the NFSB, 2011 along with the amendments placed by the Food Minister K V Thomas, is still far short of a comprehensive food security law. (See attachment) Since the bill was not discussed in the budget session of the Parliament, we are hoping that it will come up for discussion in the Monsoon Session. We have an important chance to still influence the bill if we lobby with MPs and parties at the regional level and then once again come to Delhi and do something when the Parliament will open.

In order to discuss the above and also begin the discussion on strengthening the campaign at the grass roots, it was felt that we must meet in the four regions of the country. It is important that we hear more voices on these issues from the regions as those voices are hardly there in the campaign anymore, with many of the State's not sending any representatives for any of the campaign meetings in the last twelve months. .


III         Initiating the Discussion on strengthening the Campaign

Finally, it is also very important that we start reflecting and analysing as to how to strengthen the campaign, this has to begin from the districts and the blocks. We will also discuss the issues and the modalities related to the forthcoming Right to Food campaign convention, which is over ten months overdue.

These regional meetings are being done on short notice, however we would be very grateful if you could join on behalf of your organisation in your regional meeting.
 
The program schedule:


9:30 am Registration

10:00 Introduction of participants and to the programme

10:30 to 11:15 : On  Supreme Court Order on RTF: Harsh Mander, Supreme Court Commissioner

11.:15 to 11:45 On NFSB: Kavita Srivastava, convener National RTF

12:30 to 1:00 : Discussion and clarifications

1:00 to 2:00:  Lunch Break

2:00 to 2:45: State wise group discussion on ‘strategic planning’

2:45 to 3:15: Learning from each other – presentation

5:00 Press conference


Arrangement have made for those who like to stay back at Proggaloy for the night or for those who come on the previous day. But do inform us immediately.

Fr. Jothi and Saradindu Biswas

Convenors , West Bengal RTF&W Network