Roshni, October to December 2021 by aiwc

Roshni October To December 2021

Children of our Greater Noida Branch prepare drawings for Children’s Day

Prabhat Pheri at AIWC Swadhar Greh, Saharanpur Branch

Smt. Nishi Jain and team perform at the Annual Day function of Sanjeevni Mahila Sanstha, Meerut

At Right:- Smt. Farida Husain at a meeting with inmates of the Charities of Poor Old Age Home in Secundrabad

On the Front Cover- Drawings by the beneficiary children of AIWC East Calcutta Constituency, Kolkata Laketown and AIWC Greater Noida. Printed at : I G Printers Pvt. Ltd., New Delhi-110020

All India Women’s Conference

ESIC Dental college honoured Secretary General Smt. Kuljit Kaur for her extensive services in the field of Prevention of Violence Against Women.

Patron Smt. Shobhana Ranade celebrated her 98th birthday

President Smt. Sheela Kakde with artist Tanushri Varma, who displayed her Tanjore art portrait of our first President Maharani Chimnabai Gaekwad ll at India Habitat Centre, Lodhi Road, New Delhi.

Our Secretary General Smt. Kuljit Kaur has been honoured for her services at AIIMS as the member of the Internal Complaints Committee. She has been giving her expertise since 2008.

Patron Smt. Kunti Paul’s birthday was celebrated at Saharanpur Branch

Smt. Shikha Mitra received the Gender Just Climate Solutions Award in Glasgow

The Gender Just Climate Solutions Award

Vice President Smt. Bhavna Joshipura met Hon. Health Minister Shri Mansukh Mandaviya in New Delhi to discuss Urban Health and the role of NGOs in support schemes

Smt. Sulochana Ramakrishnan of Wayanad branch has been nominated to the District Advisory Board which is meant to oversee implementation of Dowry Protection Act in each District.

In November, SWEDWA organised a one day Awareness Programme on drugs. DCP North Smt. Anita Roy appreciated the work done by the organization at Majnu Ka Tilla.

October - December 2021 Contents

Roshni

ROSHNI

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Journal of the All India Women's Conference

 Editorial.............................................................................................................2

October - December 2021

 Success is Achieved with Truth and Cooperation ......................................3 -by Smt. Sheela Kakde  Smt. Hannah Sen Twenty Second President of AIWC (1951-52).............5 -by Dr. Smita Palit

Editorial Board Editor Assistant Editor Advisor Editorial Assistants

: : : : :

President Secretary General Treasurer

: Smt. Sheela Kakde : Smt. Kuljit Kaur : Smt. Rehana Begum

Patrons

: : : : :

Smt. Chitra Sarkar Smt. Meenakshi Kumar Smt. Supriya Bhalerao Smt. Ranjana Gupta Smt. Sujata Shivya

Smt. Renuka Ray Twenty Third President of AIWC (1952-1954)...........9 -by Smt. Indrani Sengupta

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Smt. Lakshmi N. Menon, Twenty Fourth President of AIWC (1955-57)....................................................................................... 14 -by Smt. Bhuvaneswari Ravindran

 Smt. Raksha Saran Twenty Fifth President of AIWC (1958-1960)......... 17 -by Smt. Sheela Satyanarayan  Allahabad Branch.......................................................................................... 21 -by Smt. Ranjana Gulati  J&K Women Society (AIWC) Branch Jammu (J&K) .............................. 22 -by Smt. Nirmal Padha

Smt. Kunti Paul Smt. Gomathi Nair Smt. Bina Jain Smt. Veena Kohli Smt. Rakesh Dhawan

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Bapnu Ghar Mental Health Awareness Programme.............................. 24 -by Smt. Magdleen Marin

 Christmas at Bapnu Ghar............................................................................. 25 -by Smt. Magdleen Marin  RPM Women’s Welfare Association, Chennai........................................... 26 -by Smt. Preetha Raj

AIWC has Consultative Status with UN Observer's Status with UNFCCC Permanent Representatives : Smt. Sudha Acharya and Smt. Seema Upleker (ECOSOC) (UNICEF) AIWC has affiliation with International Alliance of Women Pan Pacific and S.E.A. Women's Association CONGO Global Water Partnership World Renewable Energy Network

 Akhil Hind Mahila Parishad, Vile Parle Branch....................................... 27 -by Smt. Unnati Hathi  Bhagini Samaj, Mangalore........................................................................... 28  Greater Noida Branch................................................................................... 29 -by Dr. Upasana Singh  Thrissur Branch............................................................................................. 29 -by Smt. Usha Nair  Kakinada Branch........................................................................................... 31 -by Smt. N. Bhanumati

ROSHNI Editorial and Business Office All India Womens Conference 6, Bhagwan Dass Road, New Delhi-110 001 Phone : 011-43389100, 011-43389101 E-mail : aiwc.roshni@gmail.com Website : www.aiwc.org.in

 Greater Noida................................................................................................ 32  Suraksha Centre For Family Health, Nagercoil......................................... 32  Raiganj Mahila Sammilani........................................................................... 33 -by Smt. Kalpana Roy  Komaragiri Branch........................................................................................ 35  SUVARNA - Kozhikode Branch. .............................................................. 35 -by Smt. Bhuvaneswari Ravindran

The views expressed in the articles published in Roshni are those of the authors only and not of All India Women's Conference. Subscription Rates Domestic Yearly Quarterly



 Human Rights Day, A Report...................................................................... 37 -by Dr. Ajanta Dutt  Pilot Project In Sunderbans ........................................................................ 39 -by Smt. Shikha Mitra

Rs. 250.00 Rs. 70.00

 A Webinar by RPM Women’s Welfare Association, Adambakkam, Chennai (Affiliated to the Women’s India Association)........................... 40 -by Smt. Preetha Raj

Printed at : I G Printers Pvt. Ltd., 104, DSIDC, Okhla Phase - I, New Delhi - 110 020

 SUBSCRIBE TO ROSHNI!.......................................................................... 42  Hindi Section................................................................................................. 43

Regd No. 26969/74

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From the Editor's Desktop From: Editor, Roshni To: Members, AIWC The pandemic hit pause in this quarter. One onslaught receded, and another was yet to come. But the detritus left by the last wave revealed disastrous shifts in our social fabric. As usual, the “second sex” had suffered most. Food scarcities arising from lockdown unemployment and supply chain disruptions took their toll on women, especially in respect of nutrition and reproductive health. According to a study conducted by the Tata-Cornell Institute for Agriculture and Nutrition in Delhi, women’s dietary diversity declined significantly. 90% of surveyed households admitted to getting less food and fewer types of foods. In orthodox households, where women eat last, they sat down to meals that were meagre and lacking in essential micronutrients. Reproductive health parameters also declined. In India where abortion often replaces contraception, we have some of the most enlightened abortion laws in the world. In this very quarter, they were further updated. Vide the MTP Act 2021, the upper limit for termination was increased to twenty-four weeks in valid circumstances. Abortion was declared an essential service. But many of these advances stumbled before reaching their intended beneficiaries. Hospitals and care centres diverted medical resources to the pandemic and deferred non-emergency care. The closure of anganwadis shut off the access of 72% of eligible households to medicines, contraceptives and nutrition advice. Although the Government initiated various schemes aimed at reproductive, maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health, like Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram, Rashtriya Kishor Swasthya Karyakram, Shishu Suraksha Karyakram, etc. their effectiveness was reduced due to the closure of the health centres. This issue reflects the extraordinary role that our sisters in AIWC played during such critical times. Their selfless response to shortages in economically weaker areas showed the innate strength and dedication of our organisation. In some cases, there was even a rainbow at the end of the road- Congratulations to East Calcutta Constituency Branch for the Gender Just Solutions Award at COP 26! Chitra Sarkar

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Success is Achieved with Truth and Cooperation By Smt. Sheela Kakde, President, AIWC

you believe in it, you will only want to make it practical.

always feel that you cannot achieve success alone, it comes with TRUTH and COOPERATION. When you are truthful, you are loved and trusted, and your truthful words and actions will become equal. You will then begin to do what you say and say only what you do. Because of this truthfulness, you will receive love and regard from everyone and will be trusted by everyone. Where there is TRUTH there is VICTORY.

COOPERATION comes when there are pure feelings and good wishes of all involved, directly or indirectly, towards each other. It is very important to understand that whatever you are doing is for the benefit of the universe. This understanding will bring cooperation very easily and success will follow. Success in the examination for a child has the contribution not only of his own efforts, but of his parents and teachers, the assistance in taking him to school safely on time, everyone responsible for keeping a peaceful atmosphere conducive to studies and so on. JUST THINK. We take things for granted and very conveniently forget this.

As the saying goes,`The boat of truth may rock but it will never sink!`.The one who has firm faith in this adage is constantly victorious. When you are truthful, you might temporarily experience problems, but you will ultimately attain victory. When you are going through difficult times, you need to make sure that you stand by the truth and remind yourself that it is the truth that will ultimately bring you victory. This faith will make you face all situations with confidence and a cheerful face, which will bring success in all that you do.

When ever you take up a new and important assignment, you need to make sure that there is a benefit for everyone involved in the task. When you take care of this little aspect, you will have good will for every one and they will automatically start cooperating with you. You also need to share detailed information of the task in simple language, to get the fullest involvement and cooperation. When the team feels part of the project or task, they will contribute their best. A word of caution I would like to mention is one should maintain Self-respect but if you have Ego and expect others to recognise your work and appreciate your work then it will create jealousy and competition.

The power of truth is such that it never needs to be proved. It will always be revealed at the right moment and right place. You need not be concerned about proving it. You need only be concerned about being truthful and living it. Trying to prove the truth only reveals your stubbornness. If you find that some one does not believe what you say, ask yourself if you believe in it yourself. If you do then you need not be concerned about proving it to others. Where there is doubt in yourself, you will need to prove it to everyone else. But when

When you find some one not cooperating with you, you need to check within yourself, and see why you are performing that task. If there is 3

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October - December 2021 Dear Sisters, these are words out of my experience of working in society for the past thirty-five years and I felt they might help. Be TRUTHFUL and HELPFUL. SUCCESS will follow.

the slightest feeling that you are trying to prove yourself, you need to remove it. There should be only one thought in your mind, that is, I am performing this task for the success of the task and nothing else.

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Sexual Harassment Awareness Programme conducted by Siliguri Constituent Branch

Awareness programme conducted by Pathankot Kandi Branch

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Smt. Hannah Sen Twenty Second President of AIWC (1951-52) By Dr. Smita Palit, SCM Calcutta Branch, Kolkata

annah Sen (1894–1957) was the twenty second President of AIWC. She was an Indian educator, politician, and feminist. She was a member of the first Indian Rajya Sabha (upper house of Parliament) from 1952 to 1957. Hannah Sen was an eminent embodiment of woman power in yesteryears with a sense of world citizenship, deep intuitive understanding, a charming personality and an intellectual with a clear mind. These valuable qualities made her popular and still fondly remembered for her work towards the upliftment of women in India.

• She was the 22nd past President of All India Women’s Conference (AIWC) between 1951 to 1952. • She was a member of the first Indian Rajya Sabha between1952-1957. • She was an advisor to the Indian Govt. for Rehabilitation of Women & Children Refugees after the partition of India.

Early Life & Family Smt. Hannah Sen was born in 1894 in Calcutta. Her father, Peary Mohan Guha an eminent Bengali Hindu lawyer, later converted to Judaism. Her mother, Seemah Gubbay was from a Bagdadi Jewish family.

Lifetime Highlights • She was the first founder and director of Lady Irwin College in Delhi between 1932- 1947.

During those days, Calcutta was home to a vibrant and dynamic Jewish community from the Middle East, colloquially called Bagdadis. They enriched Calcutta socially, culturally, and economically. The Jewish community at that time established a distinct space by contributing synagogues, schools, hospitals, and many welfare institutions. The existence of the Jews in India under peaceful conditions is one of the paradoxes of Jewish history where Jews have lived unmolested for hundreds of years.

• In 1948 she was an observer at the All-India Conference of Social Work in New York. • She was the leader of the Indian Delegation at The International Union of Child Welfare in London in 1950. • She was a member of The Indian Goodwill mission in China in 1955 and formed friendship between India and rest of the world.

Hannah Sen with her three siblings were raised in the Jewish faith. Her elder sister, Regina Guha was the first women to take up law in Bengal after

• She was Honorary Secretary of the Indian Delegation to UNESCO held in Paris in 1951. 5

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obtaining the first place in first class in her M.A. degree in English at Calcutta university. Regina wanted to practice criminal law and fought against the conservative attitude of the court for barring women lawyers in Calcutta High Court. Regina then became the principal of the Jewish Girls School in Calcutta and succeeded in establishing women’s rights in the court of law in India and abroad

Hannah Sen studied at Pratt Memorial School which was established by Father A.J. Henry who instructed the orphans living in an European asylum attending classes at St. James School. Then six years later the girls’ schools were shifted to an old church building called Pratt Memorial for Girls. Hannah Sen was permitted to sit for B.A. (Hons) after qualifying for Senior Cambridge. She did her Graduation from Diocesan College and completed it with First Class Distinction. After graduation she took up the profession of an educator. Smt. Sen taught at Jewish Girls School, Calcutta and later went to Bombay and took up the post of a Principal (the First Indian Principal) at the New High School for Girls.

Hannah Sen married Dr. Satish Chandra Sen, a Radiologist from Bombay in 1925. They were blessed with their daughter Shanta, who was educated in India and Bryn Mawr College USA

Education Hannah Sen started her education from, Jewish Girls School, Ezra Street, Calcutta. The Jewish Girls School was opened in 1881 by members of the Jewish Community to counter missionary efforts when it was discovered that a Jewish girl was about to be converted to Christianity. The Jewish school was noted for excellent academic performances of its students.

Impact on Society Hannah Sen led a brilliant life and was amongst the circuit of elites and politicos. It was in Bombay where Hannah Sen met many leading personalities. Amongst them the most notable was Sarojini Naidu- India’s greatest female poet. She worked

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to rationalize home life by liberating the power of science at home while adding the beauty of art and by doing so, bringing out the best in Indian tradition. It was then that AIWC`s primary mission was defined with educational reform as its first resolution which was passed in Pune in January 1927. Her enthusiasm and zeal for Lady Irwin College, made it blossom into a major institution in the country. Smt. Hannah Sen with Usha Khanne of Peshawar, NWFP there till 1925 and then married Dr Sen during the same time. Soon after marriage Dr. Sen and Smt. Sen went abroad for further studies. Smt. Sen took her teacher`s Diploma from the University of London, where she later became a research scholar in Psychology. Influenced by Sarojini Naidu, she returned to India to work for the development of Indian women and joined Lady Irwin College, Delhi.

During her lifetime, Hannah Sen met leading personalities like Mahatma Gandhi, Lord and Lady Mountbatten and many more luminaries. She follows the progressive achievements of several unique personalities like Margaret Cousins, Sarojini Naidu, Muthulakshmi Reddy, Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay, Rajkumari Amrit Kaur, Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit, Rameshwari Nehru, Hansa Jivraj Mehta and many more. Hannah Sen was the sole female member of the Indian delegation to the Peoples’ Republic of China (PRC) in 1951 representing AIWC.

Lady Irwin College was for post-secondary education in Home Science. It was established by the founding members, who were the women at the forefront of freedom struggle including Sarojini Naidu, Rajkumari Amrit Kaur, Kamala Devi and many more.

Hannah Sen focused on women’s education, child welfare and the fundamental equality of all citizens. She pleaded for legal rights of inheritance, marriage, divorce, guardianship and influenced the existing system of law by making amendments to accommodate laws protecting women’s rights.

In 1930, All India Women`s Education Fund Association (AIWEFA) was established, and the committee was fortunate enough to garner the attention of Lady Dorothy Irwin, wife of Lord Irwin, the then Viceroy of India. Lady Irwin later became the President of the committee and formed the study of home science and child development. As the first principal, Smt. Hannah Sen promised

She demanded education and employment opportunity for women, which would strengthen women financially and socially. Her suggestion to Central Pay Commission was for "equal pay for work of equal value". When shortages of food arose in 1951, she took guidance from the All-India Women's Council, Delhi and advised branches to popularize the idea 7

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shall affect the nationality of either spouse.

of Family Planning and see that necessary facilities of economic value reach the average woman.

The above is a tribute to her achievement and thoughts which was the seed for women’s empowerment in the country.We are ever grateful to Hannah Sen for being the guiding light and mentor to AIWC. She left for her heavenly abode in 1957.

She pleaded for National Rights of married women, which was adopted by the UN Commission in 1950 and agreed for no distinction based on sex, in law or in practice and neither marriage nor dissolution

Obituaries

Smt. Vijayalakshmi Standing Committee Member, Vanitha Vidya Samate, Bangalore

Patron Nirmalaben Jariwala A modest, loving and soft-spoken personality, her memories will always remain with her colleagues. Bardoli Branch hosted Prantik Adhivesion when she was President of Gujarat Branch. 8

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Smt. Renuka Ray Twenty Third President of AIWC (1952-1954)

By Smt. Indrani Sengupta, MIC- Art and Culture, and General Secretary, Calcutta South Branch eminent educationist and the first Indian Principal of Presidency College. Dr. S. Radhakrishnan and Dr. Rajendra Prasad were among his students. Her maternal grandmother was Smt. Sarala Ray, a pioneer in girl’s education. She was President, AIWC in 1932. She was one of the founders of Brahmo Girls School and the creator of Gokhale Memorial School. Her home was the centre of the intellectual elite in Calcutta. Renuka Ray’s stay with her maternal grandparents showed her a different way of life from the districts- the life in Calcutta

enuka Ray was the President of AIWC from 1952-1954. Her remarkable contribution to social service and her active response to social inequities through positive actions was widely admired and recognized. She was one of the most outstanding women of her times not only in Bengal but also in India.

Family Background Renuka Ray was born on 4th January 1904. She was the first child of Satish Chandra Mukherjee and Charulata Mukherjee. Her mother Charulata Mukherjee was Secretary General of AIWC. She was the Founder President of AIWC Calcutta Branch in 1927. She had two brothers, Shanto and Subrata and one sister, Nita. Her father had a great impact on her life. He had a brilliant academic career, an ICS, well versed in both Indian and European languages and a good sportsman. He encouraged his daughters to take up sports. Her mother was an early feminist and passed on many of her ideals while bringing up her children. Notable among them were gender equality, right to express individual opinion, inclusiveness and independence.

Educational Background Gender equality was taught at home where she and her elder brother were both taught rudimentary domestic work. Equal opportunities were given to boys and girls. Renuka Ray went to Kensington High School when she stayed with her grandparents in England. After her return to Krishnanagar she had her first lesson of tolerance which is wide enough to embrace all faiths. At Loreto School, Kolkata she faced racial discrimination from the Anglo Indian and British boarders. But the nuns were very different and treated all equally. She studied in Diocesan College for Women in Kolkata, one of the two women colleges in Kolkata, Bethune College being the other. She and Lalita Ray were the first two girls to leave college to join the NonCooperation Movement. She went abroad and

The spirit of social service was in the family. Her paternal grandparents were pioneers of the Brahmo Samaj. Members of her family were very patriotic and involved in the Non- Cooperation Movement. Her maternal grandfather was Dr. P.K. Ray, an 9

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October - December 2021 ideas about how societies should function and be governed. She was influenced by Harold Laski who inherently believed in the freedom of thought for all races and all people and was a supporter of India’s independence.

joined The London School of Economics- the centre of progressive and socialist thought at that time. She was one of the initiators of The Indian Society of the London School of Economics in 1924. She began to think about how the economic regeneration of India could be achieved.

Marriage

Influence of National Movement

Renuka Ray met Satyen Roy in London and became engaged to him. He was at King’s College, Cambridge, a tripos in Natural Sciences and competed in ICS. On 26th October 1925, she married Satyen Roy and accompanied him to Bankura, Jhargram and Hoogly and this gave her an insight into the real needs of the villagers.

As she grew up, she became aware of what was happening in India under the British Rule. The unequal treatment meted out to Indians filled her heart with bitter resentment. Renuka Ray was left with a deep impression at the execution of Khudiram Bose. She felt drawn into the freedom struggle and had an admiration for terrorist zeal. Her family’s political ideal to fight through constitutional methods countered her admiration for the extremists. Her meeting with Gandhiji gave her life a direction-- to be involved in the national movement.

Social Activist in the making Renuka Ray’s proximity with rural life after her marriage gave her the opportunity to start projects for villagers which yielded results by reviving some of their dying handicrafts. In towns, she brought about some improvement in the conditions of women. With the help of other women she set up Mahila Samitis (Women’s Groups/Societies) to look into the work of maternity and family welfare, schooling for children and girls, and creches for children of working mothers. With the help of the Maharani of Burdwan, she involved the locals in social work. In Hoogly, a Mahila Samity, which was started by her mother in 1916 was turned into a constituent branch of AIWC

Persons and Factors influencing Renuka Ray Renuka Ray, a very sensitive and impressionable young person was deeply influenced by Deshbandhu Chittaranjan Das, her mother’s uncle who always put his country first. Her meeting with Mahatma Gandhi at the age of 16 had a tremendous impact. She felt the way shown by Gandhi ji to be the best way to serve the nation. She left college to answer Gandhiji’s call for boycotting the British Indian Education System. She followed a strict routine set by Gandhiji- studies, spinning the charkha, learning Hindi and raising national consciousness among women. She later joined the London School of Economics. Her years spent as student in Britain helped her to examine

Influence of Rabindranath Tagore Renuka Ray learnt a great deal from Shanti Niketan. Her husband was very close to Gurudev from his childhood. Gurudev in 1939 nominated her on the Karma Samiti (Syndicate) in Vishwa Bharati University. She joined from 1941 and 10

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was able to obtain a better understanding of the needs of the villagers and the ways through which rejuvenation of rural areas was possible.

succession bill was the recognition of the claim of the daughter to her father’s property on equal level with that of the son.

Renuka Ray and AIWC

The first session of AIWC was held in Pune in 1927. Renuka Ray first attended an annual session in 1930 as a representative of West Bengal Constituent Branch with its headquarters in Bankura, In Bengal, All Bengal Women’s Union came into existence in 1930. In 1952, the Silver Jubilee Year of AIWC, the Pune session was presided over by Renuka Ray. It was during her time that the Central Office was established in Delhi.

Renuka Ray actively involved herself in fighting for equality of women. She joined the campaign for a uniform social code for all women which was undertaken by AIWC and other women’s organizations under the guidance of Mridula Sarabhai and Hansa Mehta with support from Gandhi ji. In this movement Suresh Chandra Majumdar, MD of Ananda Bazar Patrika helped them with publicity. There was tremendous response. Hindu Marriage, Hindu Succession and Adoption were included in the Hindu Code. Government agreed to nominate a representative of women’s organizations to the Central Assembly to watch over the bills and participate in the discussions of social and educational reforms. AIWC made a condition that it would support the Government only in social and educational reform measures. Renuka Ray was selected as the representative of women’s organizations in the Central Assembly. The Hindu Law Bills on Marriage and Intestate Succession were introduced on 23rd March 1943. It was a great occasion for women who came to support the bills. Renuka Ray’s maiden speech against employment of women in coal mines was appreciated by all. She visited the coal mines in Bengal and Bihar with Kamala Devi Chattopadhyay and Kamala Chatterjee, to investigate the conditions of working women on behalf of AIWC. She spoke from firsthand experience. Renuka Ray, a champion of equality played a crucial role in the Intestate Succession bill. The main feature of the intestate

Presidential Address: Renuka Ray presided over the Silver Jubilee Session of the Annual Conference of AIWC in 1952. I quote from her speech: “25 years later we meet again in this historic city where the AIWC had its origin. I am deeply conscious of the great honour you have done me in electing me President on the occasion of our Silver Jubilee Anniversary.” In her Presidential address, she paid tribute to all the former AIWC Presidents and mentioned how each of these luminaries contributed to AIWC in her unique way. She then moved on to mention the reforms initiated by AIWC. To quote her words, “This organization also played a significant part in establishing the distinctive characteristics of the Women’s Movement in India.” She then called upon women to take up the work facing India after Independence, to lay the foundation for future growth. 11

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October - December 2021 from India and abroad. “Save the Children”, an organisation by Smt. Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit in Calcutta at that time started homes in Calcutta, Midnapore, Dhaka, Mymensingh and Chittagong. Renuka Ray visited the interiors with Kamala Devi Chattopadhyay.

“After centuries of domination, we have gained the power to fashion our own destiny”, she said. She paid homage to Gandhiji and Rabindranath Tagore and their view on how women have an important role to play in the development of society. She also spoke of the widening of aims and objectives of AIWC so that it can fulfil the need for all round development of society. She called for organised work to tackle the basic problems of society. She mentioned the need for planned parenthood, disciplined and well-regulated lives and understanding the psychology of children to train them.

Renuka Ray’s Political Life: Renuka Ray played an active role in the preindependence and post-independence political scenario. Her maiden speech in the Central Assembly publicly upheld the conviction that only a free Government could secure complete equality. She was nominated by the Congress for election to the Constituent Assembly from the West Bengal Assembly. She was appointed as Eastern Regional Advisor for refugee rehabilitation after Partition. She was persuaded by Dr. Bidhan Chandra Ray to become the State Rehabilitation Minister in 1952. She was elected from Ratua in Malda in 1952 and worked dedicatedly for her constituency. She went from the State Assembly to Parliament in 1957, winning the Malda Lok Sabha seat as a Congress candidate. During her years in Parliament she noticed the deviation from Gandhian lines. She gradually moved away from political life remaining faithful to her Gandhian belief till the end. Indira Gandhi appealed to her to be a member of the Rajya Sabha which she declined.

Renuka Ray represented India in International Forum. After Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit, Renuka Ray was India’s delegate to the United Nations. The Famine of 1943 was one of the greatest human tragedies that could befall a nation and Bengal was worst affected with the death of 4 million people. When Ray joined the Central Assembly in 1943, reports of widespread distress came in from the branches of AIWC in East Bengal. AIWC was already in the field helping the distressed along with other women’s organizations. Renuka Ray went to Delhi and gave a description of the distress to the members of the Central Assembly. A large amount of voluntarily donated food was collected but the Muslim League in Bengal said that the famine was a myth. Members of AIWC picked up babies from the streets near the bodies of the dead parents begging for food in Calcutta. Later on, Suhrawardi was forced to admit the condition of the state. Vijay Lakshmi Pandit, the then President of AIWC, upon the request of Renuka Ray, visited the temporary homes of the victims. With the help of Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit, donations were received

Renuka Ray and WCC Women’s Coordinating Council was founded by Renuka Ray in 1959. It came into existence as a result of the combined work done by a number of women’s social welfare organizations among the flood affected victims of Murshidabad and Malda in North Bengal. It prevented duplication 12

Roshni of effort and yielded better results. The main focus of WCC was on emergency relief work. Distribution was undertaken through its own members and local workers. WCC pioneered new ventures such as Nabanir, the home for the aged in 1975 and the Consumer’s Action Forum in 1973. Renuka Ray believed that Consumer Education is vital for all consumers who can unitedly change a seller’s market to a buyer’s market. WCC and

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Consumer Action Forum are continuing the notable work.

Conclusion: Renuka Ray, a Padma Bhushan Awardee, has won many prestigious awards and penned a number of books including her autobiography. She was a remarkable lady-- courageous and straight forward in her action in every field. A role model for social activists, she continues to inspire us.

Renuka Ray among the pioneers of the Women’s Movement

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Smt. Lakshmi N. Menon, Twenty Fourth President of AIWC (1955-57) By Smt. Bhuvaneswari Ravindran, Secretary and SCM, Suvarna, Kozhikode

Lakshmi and Professor Nandan Menon, an equally brilliant and accomplished academician, got married in 1930. In later years he was Vice Chancellor of Patna University and later, Kerala University. They were temperamentally different, but totally compatible. Lakshmi Menon was active and exuberant, throbbing with energy, whereas Nandan Menon was gentle and calm, preferring a quiet life. They had forty four long years of married life and had no children.Teaching was Lakshmi Menon’s first love. She wrote an article “Second String to my Bow”, referring to her role of a Parliamentarian as the second string. Her teaching career started from Queen Mary’s College in Chennai and continued in Gokhale Girls High School in Kolkata; Isabella Thebum College, Lucknow and Women’s Training College, Patna as Principal. She was also State Commissioner for Scouts and Guides in Bihar from 1952.

ll India Women’s Conference (AIWC), New Delhi, presented a webinar on Smt. Lakshmi N. Menon, the 24th President, under the series “Ode to Past Presidents”, on 30th November 2022, coinciding with her death anniversary. The webinar was conceptualized and presented by South Zone – B, with contributions from several branches. Preparation and presentation of the first segment on Lakshmi Menon’ s family, early life and education were entrusted to me. We presented interviews with close relatives of Smt. Lakshmi Menon and her husband Prof Nandan Menon, where they shared impressions and threw light upon how lovable and revered both were in family circles. Lakshmi was born on 27 March, 1899 into an aristocratic Nair family of Thiruvanthapuram. She spent her early years, and the final years, in her ancestral home, the “Plane View”. Recalling her childhood days in an interview with AIR, she talked about losing her mother at the age of six years and the upbringing by her grandmother, along with three siblings and one cousin who had lost her mother, which had a positive influence on her life. Her father Shri Rama Varma Thampan, an eminent educationist, encouraged her to take up higher studies in Chennai, London etc., a rarity for girls then. In 1927, she met Pandit Nehru for the first time in London which led to her becoming a Parliamentarian in later years.

Lakshmi’s stint in Chennai paved the way for her long association with AIWC. It was here that she got to connect with several stalwarts from Women’s Indian Association and All India Women’s Conference such as Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay, Muthulakshmi Reddy, Margaret Cousins and Sarojini Naidu. Later, closeness with her mentor Sarojini Naidu and her family, led her to join AIWC in 1928. She herself went on to be a role model for many in the AIWC, as reflected in impressions of her colleagues in the AIWC publication referred 14

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upliftment of women, but she was not a feminist, her objective was upliftment of the Society, with equality for all, including women.

earlier. Articles by contemporaries provide deep insight into the personality of Lakshmi Menon, including her deep commitment to AIWC and the couple’s invaluable contribution in acquiring the land for AIWC at New Delhi.

In the third segment we had Prof. Indira Ramarao from Mysore University, who spoke about Lakshmi Menon’s work as the President of the AIWC (1955-57) - how she was elevated to the post of President and finally Patron, after fulfilling several responsibilities, as Member-in-charge, Secretary General and Editor. In 1957, Padma Bhushan was conferred on her. Even while holding very high and responsible posts at the national and international levels, she took time to serve the AIWC, working for women from the marginalised sections, creating educational opportunities, building skills and striving for their welfare. Smt. Lakshmi Menon’s vision had a relevance far beyond the times she lived in and according to Prof. Indira, the ideas of gender budgeting, gender mainstreaming, value of inclusiveness etc. that gained currency in recent decades, were reflected in her work half a century ago. Prof. Indira portrayed Lakshmi Menon as a leader par excellence who did much, yet did not showcase her work, someone who put others above self, an epitome of human values and a role model whose vision and ideologies went far beyond her times.

The second segment dealt with her career as a Diplomat and Parliamentarian. Smt. Usha Nair, Zonal Organiser gave an overview of Lakshmi Menon’s role with the UN agencies when she was nominated as delegate to several sessions of the UN General Assembly, her work with Human Rights Division of the UN Secretariat,. and other UN organisations. Extracts from a video talk by Shri Shashi Tharoor, MP at a Commemorative webinar last year, highlighted Lakshmi Menon’s active role in changing patriarchal language in the text of the Universal Declaration on Human Rights to secular and gender neutral language for example, changing “men” to “human beings” and substituting “brotherhood” in place of “like brothers” etc. in the final Declaration. The next speaker, Ambassador T.P. Sreenivasan, IFS, spoke about Lakshmi Menon’s career as a Parliamentarian and as Deputy Minister/ Minister of State of External Affairs. He acknowledged the dearth of written records about her work in the Ministry. Some speeches that he could lay hands on helped in bringing to light the very important role she played at a crucial time in India’s history. He referred to her courage of conviction while presenting and projecting the foreign policy crafted by Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, with a sense of pride. Nehru could not have chosen a better person for this role. Sreenivasan spoke of her belief that nobody can guarantee freedom for us and we ourselves have to secure it. She worked for

In the fourth and final segment, Dr. Vijayalekshmy, AIWC Chirayankeezhu Branch, Trustee of the AIWC Health Trust, spoke about the long years of social service in Thiruvananthapuram, stretching from her retirement from active politics in 1967 till she passed away at the age of 95 years in l994. Through a presentation and video interviews, including an interview with Smt. Indira Ramakrishna Pillai, a close associate in 15

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October - December 2021 Alcohol and Drug Information Centre; Amnesty International; Gandhi Smarak Nidhi, etc. She was actively involved with the social welfare activities of Ramakrishna Ashram and Sarada Mission and donated her ancestral home to the Sarada Mission. The programme was highly appreciated. The wellconceived webinar helped in reaffirming the rich heritage of AIWC.

Trivandrum, we got a glimpse of Lakshmi Menon’s dedicated work as key organiser/advisor to Vinoba Niketan; work involving tribal and poor women in Mitra Niketan; with Kerala Association for NonFormal Education and Development (KANFED); passionate and tireless work with the All India Committee for Eradication of Illiteracy among Women (AICEIAW) founded by her; work with

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ROSHNI welcomes your articles! Email us at aiwc.roshni@gmail .com. Writeups should be sent in MS Word format. Please do not send handwritten notes, PDF formats or Power Point presentations. Photos are worth a thousand words – make them well-focused and in JPG format.

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Smt. Raksha Saran Twenty Fifth President of AIWC (1958-1960) By Smt. Sheela Satyanarayan, Asst. Secretary AIWC and Vice President, UWA

Various Institutions Headed by Smt. Raksha Saran

Smt. Raksha Saran was married to Shri Raghunandan Saran, who was an Indian freedom fighter from Punjab. After Independence, he was persuaded by India's first Prime Minister, Nehru, to invest in a modern industrial venture. Ashok Motors was incorporated in 1948 as a company to assemble and manufacture Austin cars from England, and the company was named after the founder's only son, Ashok Saran. Ashok Motors was founded in 1948. The company had its headquarters in Chennai, with the manufacturing plant in Chennai.

Raksha Saran was the principal of Sir Ganga Ram School, Chairman of Delhi Women’s League, President, International Council of Women, Indian Chapter, Founder Trustee of Indian Council for Child Welfare Trust, the first Chairperson of the Women’s Advisory Committee of the Indian Standards Institution (now BIS), Vice President of Federation of University Women, Chairperson of National Council for Women’s Education, Government of India, Chairperson Delhi Social Welfare Board, Member of the Governing Body of Janki Devi Mahavidyalaya and Indraprastha College for Women, Delhi, Member of the Governing Body of Kalavati Saran Children’s Hospital, and she worked on the Social Welfare Rehabilitation Directorate with Smt. Rameshwari Nehru.

mt. Raksha Saran was the daughter of Raizada Hans Raj also known as Mahatma Hans Raj, founder of DAV educational institutions and Hansraj College, Delhi. She was born in Lahore on 1st January 1901 and had higher education in UK. She had specialized in the field of education and social welfare.

Unfortunately, Shri Raghunandan Saran died in an air crash shortly thereafter and the company under the Madras State Government and other shareholders, finalised the deal for an investment and technology partner.Thus, Leyland Motors joined in 1954 with equity participation, changing the name of the company to Ashok Leyland. Smt. Raksha Saran, was on the board of Ashok Leyland for many years

Raksha Saran’s Role in AIWC acquiring a home of their own Smt. Saran’s major contribution to AIWC was collection of funds for the establishment of Sarojini Naidu House and Margaret Cousins Memorial - to make that dream a reality. The focus at that time was to establish the Margaret Cousins Library and to build a hostel for working women.

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October - December 2021 programmes will have value only if supported by economic welfare,wherein women can supplement their family income or earn a living wage.Women should receive specialized training in new and emerging careers such as commercial art, interior decoration, display art, secretarial work and business management.

She was the Convenor and Treasurer of the Fund Committee, and it was also her responsibility to look for an appropriate building or a plot for this. At that time Government was considering the sale of 6, Bhagwan Das Road, which was centrally located and with enough land for expansion. The deal was approved by the Standing Committee for Rs.5,50,000, on down payment of Rs 1 lakh and to pay the rest in instalments by borrowing. Smt. Raksha Saran gave her personal security of Rs 1 Lakh to the bank and Smt. Lakshmi Menon and Smt. Kamala devi Chattopadhyay signed the papers.

Smt. Saran urged members to arrange programmes to draw out educated women from cities into villages by holding short and specific programmes in camps near the villages. AIWC also realized that there were thousands of married women who desired to take up part time jobs and also offer voluntary services to organisations. A National Committee on Women’s Education was appointed with Durgabai Deshmukh as chairperson to find out what the country’s needs were and how many women were required in certain fields for the purpose of Nation building.

She had managed to collect Rs 2,27,384, (including one lakh released from the Ministry) with a big chunk of Rs 15,000 from Smt. Lakshmi Menon, West Bengal Government Rs 20,000, and a small donation of Rs 1,666 from UK. The drive to collect donations continued. Delhi Women’s League organized a Dance programme by Kamala Laxman, which was a huge success. Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru, Prime Minister of India presided over this function, This programme fetched an amount of Rs 21,000. Her own appeal to the people in Delhi had fetched Rs 50,000 as donation, and Smt. Lakshmi Menon’s appeal had collected funds from USA of Rs 8,500, Saurashtra Government Rs 2,500, Rajasthan Government Rs 5,000 and Hyderabad State Rs 1,000.With the cooperation of all including many branches, the All India Women’s Conference finally had a home of its own

Education of women was once again prominent in AIWC programmes and in 1959 an extremely useful seminar was organized on higher education of women. Young and old participated enthusiastically in the discussions. Most prominent and distinguished participants of the seminar were Rajkumari Amrit Kaur, Hansa Mehta, Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay, Dr Muthulakshmi Reddy and Durgabai Deshmukh.Women from all walks of life presented their point of view freely. They discussed the prejudices in Government circles to employ and promote qualified women. The need for co-education was emphasized as equipment for specialized education was expensive, as also the need to make Science subjects compulsory in all girls’ schools at the secondary stage. She made an appeal as President of AIWC, that we will

As President On taking over as President, Smt. Raksha Saran called for a change in the mode of social welfare programmes. She emphasized that social welfare 18

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cooperate with the Central Social Welfare Board in organising welfare activities for women and children.

increase food and forest resources, and to organize Asian handicrafts exhibitions to develop cottage industries.

Role of AIWC in International affairs

It was a proud moment for her as all the delegates were well acquainted with AIWC and aware of the distinguished personalities of AIWC.

She visited Bangkok to attend the Tenth Plenary Session of the World Federation of United Nations Association (WFUNA) as an Observer on behalf of AIWC. WFUNA is characterized as non official United Nations. The Session was being held for the first time in Asia, attended by forty three countries. A large number of decisions taken were of significant importance and covered political, economic, educational and cultural fields. Two historically important decisions taken, sponsored by India, were inclusion of China in the United Nations and principles of Panch Shila -co-operation and coexistence on the basis of international relations and a very decisive and conciliatory role in adjudicating the issue of membership of East Germany into WFUNA.

Smt. Raksha Saran visited New Zealand as a delegate from AIWC to the Pan Pacific Women’s Conference. In her address there, she highlighted the projects undertaken by AIWC for the betterment of women and children. She also thanked the organizers of CORSO (Council of Organisation of Relief Services Overseas) for the wonderful gifts they had been sending to AIWC and other voluntary organizations to help the needy.

Conclusion After a life filled with varied activities for building the newly independent nation, empowerment of women, building International Partnerships and most significantly, helping AIWC to be on sound footing with its own office and building, Smt. Raksha Saran breathed her last on 15th August 1992 at the age of 91.

Two other resolutions sponsored by India at the meeting were to start a movement for the regional exchange of fruit and forest trees to help and

Smt. Saran with Smt. Lakshmi Raghuramaiah and others 19

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Smt. Saran with the stalwarts of AIWC

Participation in International Conferences

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Branch Activities

Allahabad Branch By Smt. Ranjana Gulati, President

n 1st October, International Senior Citizens Day was celebrated at Hotel Kanha Shyam. The day was dedicated to increasing awareness about issues like elder abuse and agerelated deterioration that affect elderly people. On 11th October, International Girl Child Day was celebrated at Jwala Devi School. The girls organised a short program and we conducted a quiz on the same topic. We also distributed gifts to the winners. On 2nd November, utensils were given to underprivileged beneficiaries before Diwali. On 14th November, we celebrated Children's Day at Blaze School to increase awareness about the rights, education and welfare of children; to celebrate the birth anniversary of Chacha Nehru ji and his affection for children. We also celebrated

Children's day at Minto Park with underprivileged children. On 20th Nov we held a discussion at MNIT on Women's Empowerment for all intellectual ladies with the women of the urban area. On 25th November, we celebrated International Day for the elimination of Violence against Women. We also honoured five ladies who are now successfully working independently. On 14th December, an Executive Meeting was held in Golden Apple in which rules of AIWC City Branch Allahabad were passed. On 29th December, City Branch decided to distribute blankets to less privileged people, as the winter chill was turning harsh with each passing day. The purpose of distributing blankets to the needy spreads the message of sympathy, love and sacrifice to society.

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J&K Women Society (AIWC) Branch Jammu (J&K)

By Smt. Nirmal Padha, President.

he Branch conducted the following activities during October- December 2021:

On 18th December we distributed books in Govt. High School, Village Diani Distt. Samba, to 10th class students who are poor and unable to buy books, so that they can continue their education without any financial problems.

We provided financial help to the beneficiaries shown below. 1. Smt.Ayodhya Devi who is patient of throat cancer.

We conducted an Awareness Programme at Village Gazi, Jammu, in collaboration with ISM (AYUSH) to advise people about disease and to take precautions against Covid-19 and dengue fever. Free medicines were distributed among the participants. They were also told about the services of the Family Counselling Centre run by the branch, where needy women can approach for help.

2. Smt. Kanika Rani for her education. She lost her father due to Covid-19. 3. Shri Yashpal Singh for his daughter's marriage. 4. Shri Vivek Shrivastav for his daughter's education as he suffered financial loss due to Covid-19. 5. Smt. Lovely who is facing financial problems due to Covid-19.

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Bapnu Ghar Mental Health Awareness Programme

By Smt. Magdleen Marin, MIC- BapnuGhar, Swadhar Grah

Mental Health Program was organized in Bapnu Ghar on 10th December 2021. The event was organized by Smt. Magdleen Marin. The speaker of the program was Dr. Mamta Gupta. Member- in-Charge, Smt. Magdleen Marin and Smt. Sushila S. Kumar (counsellor) for Bapnu Ghar, Smt. Amrit Gupta (RO), Monika Chaturvedi (Counsellor, FCC), Asha (FCC), Sushma, Priyanka (Help Line, counsellor) and all inmates welcomed Secretary General, Smt. Kuljit Kaur to Bapnu Ghar. This program was arranged so that information could be provided to all the people about how mental health affects them and how it can be safeguarded. Dr. Mamta Gupta told us there were two types of health, physical and mental. Mental health includes our emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It affects how we think, feel, and act. It also helps determine how we handle stress, relate to others, and make healthy choices. She said that we can keep our brain healthy in four ways:

2. Right Behaviour 3. Right Thinking 4. Always Be Positive Dr. Mamta Gupta promised that we have to keep laughing in every problem. General Secretary Smt. Kuljit Kaur gave a lot of information as well as answered some questions from inmates and staff. At the end, she told us to always keep smiling and be happy no matter what anyone tells you. Smt. Magdleen Marin, Dr. Neelu Shrivastav and Smt. Rehana Bagam (Treasurer) expressed their thoughts related to mental health. Dr. Neelu shared her experience with all of us that “your best friend is your pillow”. All participants and inmates of Bapnu Ghar also asked Dr. Mamta Gupta some questions related to mental health. Smt. Magdleen Marin gave the Vote of Thanks to Dr. Mamta Gupta, Dr. Neelu Shrivastav and all the participants.

1. Right Food (Jaisa Ann Vaisa Mann)

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Christmas at Bapnu Ghar By Smt. Magdleen Marin, Member-in-Charge, Swadhar Greh, Bapnu Ghar

n 22nd December of 2021, Christmas Day was made in the memory of Lord God in Bapnu Ghar. All employees of Bapnu Ghar participated in the program. Everyone was very excited. Member-in-Charge Smt. Magdleen Marin manages the organization. It was looking very beautiful. There were lights and balloons all around. The Christmas trees were beautiful too.

The narrator of the play was Monika. Inmates acted very well and all of them looked very beautiful. Music director Francis made the play more beautiful with his beautiful songs. Everyone was very happy and started dancing to his song. Smt.. Sushma prepared Bapnu Ghar for Christmas and it looked very beautiful. Member-in-Charge, Smt. Magdleen Marin sang a very beautiful song remembering Lord God. Smt. Sushila and Smt. Asha also sang songs. it was a beautiful scene. All the staff of AIWC made the ceremony very beautiful with their support. The Member-inCharge gave homemade cake to all the people and expressed happiness by remembering Lord God to all. Santa Claus distributed chocolates to everyone and blessed everyone. At the end, all the people danced very beautifully together. Merry Christmas.

Member in Charge, Smt. Magdleen and Smt. Sushila, Counselor for Bapnu Ghar, Smt. Amrit Gupta, Monika FCC, Asha FCC, Smt. Sushma, Smt.. Priyanka, Help Line Counselor and all the inmates welcomed President Smt. Sheela Kakde, Secretary Smt. Kuljit Kaur and Treasurer Smt. Rehana Begum at the event. President Smt. Sheela Kakde and Member-in-Charge Magdleen Marin welcomed and summoned the Chief Guest, Tilak Marg, Police Station, SHO.

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The inmates and staff of Bapnu Ghar together describe how the Lord took birth

RPM Women’s Welfare Association, Chennai By Smt. Preetha Raj, President Lunch provided at Orphanage

Donations to Old Age home and Destitute Children

RPM Women’s Welfare Association was founded by our beloved leader and President Smt. Preetha Raj, with the whole hearted support of her philanthropist husband Shri Madhukanth. On the occasion of his birth anniversary in December, a special Annadanam (lunch) was provided to the inmates of Good Life Centre ( Home for Children), Chennai. The authorities and children of the Centre profusely thanked us for the sumptuous meal.

n 24th November, RPM Women’s Welfare Association, Adambakkam,Chennai donated `5000/- to Women’s India Association, Chennai, towards their collection drive for contributing to AIWC’s AASHIYANA Mahavan Project.

RPMWWA received another request for donation to help five destitute children abandoned by their parents. We provided groceries for `2000/- to the children. 26

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satisfaction and hopes of doing better and more meaningful projects in the coming year.

Through the above noble deeds, the members of RPM Women’s Welfare Association wound up the year 2021 with a sense of

Akhil Hind Mahila Parishad, Vile Parle Branch By Smt. Unnati Hathi, Trustee Chairperson

ork executed to aid people during the pandemic:

College, Andheri for educational purposes in December 2021.

Sixty-seven girl students at Nanavati College were given financial aid worth `4,15,000/- for educational purposes in November 2021.

In addition to this, Smt. Unnati Hathi is also pursuing a project to provide a yearly supply of Sanitary Napkins to girls in the slum areas. In the past, she has carried out the distribution of the same to two hundred and seventy girls of MBCC branches.

Financial aid of `2,87,000/- was provided to thirty-two needy students of GPM

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Children’s Day

Bhagini Samaj, Mangalore

he programme started with a prayer and a tribute to Chacha Nehru.

Chattopadhyay. Shrinidhi talked on the Noble

Various activities and events were organised by the children of Bhagini Samaj.

reformer who campaigned against child labour

The events that were included are dance, yoga performance, skit and singing. Children exhibited their own drawings, paintings and handcrafts. The chief guest was an inmate from our own ashram, Shrinidhi who is studying in 10th standard. Our President Smt. Vijayalakshmi Bhat briefed about the history of Bhagini Samaj which was established by Padma Bhushan Kamala Devi

President, gave a talk on Padma Shri Sindhu Tai.

Peace Prize holder Kailash Satyarthi, a social and child trafficking. Smt. Vajra Rao, former Mahila Sabha, established by Girija Bai mother of Kamala Devi, was invited for this function. Our aim of this function was to motivate these ladies and of course our children by the talks on these two prominent figures. The programme ended with the National Anthem.

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Greater Noida Branch By Dr. Upasana Singh, President

reater Noida Branch celebrated Children's Day with students at the Literacy Centre. Fun-filled activities were organised i.e games, music, dance and quiz related to this special

day. Prizes were distributed among the winners. Snacks, water bottles and flowers were provided to all the children with the support of Radisson Blu.

Thrissur Branch By Smt. Usha Nair, Zonal Organiser, South Zone B

n 14 November 2021, Children's Day, Kanika - AIWC Thrissur Branch provided new clothes to one hundred and forty children from three Children's Homes in the city and a few

children from homeless families. Smt. Rathi Sivan sponsored the program. We congratulate Kanika and express our deep gratitude and appreciation to Smt. Rathi Sivan for her valuable help.

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South East Calcutta Constituent Branch A Children’s Day Event at Usthi Pre Primary School Kolkata

East Calcutta Constituent Branch, Laketown A Children’s Day event was held in collaboration with Inner Wheel Club

Banerhat Constituent Branch

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Communal Harmony Week

Kakinada Branch By Smt. N. Bhanumati, Secretary

writing and poster preparation competitions. Trees, donated by Indian Red Cross Society, Kakinada branch, were planted in the campus. The Youth wing of Nannaya –AIWC was initiated and will be formed shortly.

akinada Branch celebrated Communal Harmony Week at the instructions of Head Office, New Delhi.We actually planned from November 19th to 25th. But due to heavy rains and cyclone we could not conduct the programs as planned. After rains we started to celebrate from 25th Nov. onwards and continued upto 27th of the same month. We could do for three days only due to certain problems.

The third programme was in Praja VidyalayamKakinada. This school is run by a trust for poorest of the poor children. We invited Smt. Deepti, Chairman of Kakinada Urban Development Authority and Kakinada Municipal Corporation Mayor Smt. Siva Prasanna as Chief Guests. Girls took active part in singing and enacting the theme. We have given safety and hygiene kits sponsored by Stay-fit team to the girls,containing seven items i.e. hand sanitizer, sanitary napkins, mask, deodorant powder, safety razor, hanky. Safety kits distribution was appreciated by the Chief Guests and they promised to give support to distribute some more kits to other girls also. We conveyed our sincere thanks to the donors of the kits.

On the first day we conducted the program in Government Polytechnic College for Women. We held competitions in elocution, essay writing and poster preparation. Secretary Smt. Bhanumathi presided over the meeting. The speakers explained about communal harmony and its importance. The winners also spoke and expressed their views very clearly. Posters represented the opinions of the young girls very effectively. Prizes and certificates were given by A.I.W.C. Kakinada. The whole programme was conducted by youth wing members.

All the three events were conducted by our team with institutions which allowed us to enter and to conduct programs in their campus. Snacks, tea, ORS drinks and water were provided by AIWC, Kakinada. We sincerely thank Head Office and also Smt. Manju Kak for giving us this opportunity to conduct such wonderful and useful events.

The second day’s event took place at Nannaya college campus, Kakinada. Shri Viswanath Rao garu, retired Professor of English of Nannya University was the Chief Guest. Prizes were distributed to the winners of elocution, essay 31

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Greater Noida A Program on Communal Harmony Awareness at Noida Haat Bazaar on 21st November

Suraksha Centre For Family Health, Nagercoil

series of six programs on Communal Harmony were organised on 23-25 November in the following areas: Paruthivilai., Puliyanthoppu, Kottavilai, Therivilai, Parapuvilai, Chanthayadi. One hundred and twenty-five women and ninetyfive children attended. The following topics were covered:

Female Children’s protection and laws

Parenting training

Importance of Yoga

Meditation

The creches contributed Rs. 5100/- for Flag Day Celebration. We sent that amount to National Foundation for Communal Harmony.

1. Domestic Violence against Women and Children

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Raiganj Mahila Sammilani By Smt. Kalpana Roy, Zonal Organiser, Eastern Zone A

e organised a webinar and several meetings on Communal Harmony. On 19th November we organised a meeting at Raiganj Mahila Sammilani with eight speakers and thirty participants. Our speakers were Father Chandran, Dr. Sobha Mandal, Simon Hasda, Sanjib Biswas, Tandra Misra and others. The meeting continued for one and a half hours. The meeting was started by Smt. Kalpana Roy, Zonal Organiser of Eastern Zone A, AIWC who also

hosted the meeting. She introduced the speakers. Our first speaker Father Simon Hasda started with the story of first human being, who was the son of God. God sent his best thing to the world. God doesn’t want to spread hatred. He said that if we follow God then only Communal Harmony can be seen automatically in reality. After him Shri Sanjib Biswas, teacher of Rasakhowa High School delivered his short speech, beginning with the origin of denationalization. He thought 33

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October - December 2021 On 25th November we organised a webinar on observing Communal Harmony Week on Google Meet at 4 pm. In this National Level Webinar, we invited eight speakers with a youth voice to convey awareness among the people. Dr. Mazumdar, Asst. Secretary, NFCH was present at the webinar. A total of fifty-one members joined the webinar. They included Smt. Sanjukta Chatterjee, Associate Prof of Raiganj University, Bitasta Sengupta, a student, and Shri Rahul Sharma, an author, poet and writer. The Welcome Speech was given by Smt. Kalpana Roy, opening speech by AIWC President Smt. Sheela Kakde, purpose of the programme was disclosed by Dr. Manju Kak, MIC National Integration and Communal Harmony, and the Vote of Thanks was given by Smt. Gunkeshri Pradhan, MIC Disaster Management. The webinar was moderated by Smt. Indrani Sengupta, MIC Arts and Culture. The webinar ended successfully.

communal mentality or sentiment comes out from the denationalization. He also pointed out the term cosmopolitanism, an umbrella like concept of Gandhi ji. After him Sister Sobha Mandal, Head Mistress of St Joseph’s School, gave her valuable speech. She talked about heart, love, and life. She also shared the religious views of communal harmony. She showed a candles presentation through which she tried to spread awareness that only hope can help us to bring pure communal harmony all over the world. Our next speaker, Father Chandran began his speech with a song. Though he doesn’t know Bengali, he tried to start his speech with Bengali. He gave a lot of examples with different festivals specifically Diwali, the color festival. He symbolised the candle flame’s dancing in the wind with the power of unity in the fight against communal chaos. Then Smt. Tandra Misra recited her own poetry on Communal Harmony. The meeting ended with a melodious song by Smt. Paramita Roy, Assistant Secretary, Raiganj Mahila Sammilani. We successfully ended the meeting with lots of love from the people.

On 24th November 2021 our Maraikura rural branch organised a meeting on Observing Communal Harmony Week with St. John’s Ambulance Association, Anganwadi workers.

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Komaragiri Branch

n 25th November, the eve of Communal Harmony and National Integration week, we conducted a competition for the Z.P.H. School A.P.S.P Quarters Ramanayapeta gram panchayat pupils. Fifty girls and forty boys participated in quiz and drawing competitions. Compass Boxes

and Pen sets were given to the winners and runners up. HM Sri P. Pullayya of that school passed on prizes to the participants. Smt. M. Bhanuseshu, President, S. G. M. conducted the program. Smt. B. Krishna Kumari, project co-ordinator, conveyed the vote of thanks.

SUVARNA - Kozhikode Branch. By Smt. Bhuvaneswari Ravindran, Secretary and Standing Committee Member

n conjunction with the Communal Harmony Week, 19 to 25 November 2021, Members of Suvarna, AIWC Kozhikode Branch, along with members from other AIWC Branches spent some time with girls from Sukritham Girl’s Home, Kakkoor, Kozhikode. Sukritham Girl’s Home was the brain child of a group of young philanthropists led by Shri Mahadev Prasad, who

founded Sukritham Charitable Trust in 2006. This charitable institution is presently being managed by him along with his better half, Smt. Prathyusha, who is a motherly presence to the girls at the Home. It initially started with one girl child and has currently grown to provide a home to twentyone girls in the age group of 5 to 19 years. These girls come from neglected, deprived

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October - December 2021

and impoverished situations. While most of the girls are single parented, some are abandoned by their parents. The Home provides nutrition for both physical and emotional development of the children. Here, they are taught to nurture their dreams and are given a good education, which will help them to be independent and self-reliant in their future life. Being an institution taking care of girl children, Suvarna and its members have been closely associated with this institution over the past few years, providing financial and other assistance from time to time, and also interacting with the girls residing there. When the advice came from the AIWC Headquarters regarding holding of programmes to propagate the importance of Communal Harmony, members of Suvarna decided to organise an online programme, coopting girls from Sukritham. National Foundation for Communal Harmony, an autonomous institution under the Ministry of Home Affairs had also provided some publicity materials like Flag stamps, Posters etc. which were handed over to the Sukritham Girls Home authorities for distribution among the children.

about Sukritham Girls Home and its management and objectives. Several cultural programmes were presented by the talented girls of the Home, online: Well prepared and nicely rendered speeches on Communal Harmony in Malayalam and English; lovely songs in Malayalam and English; a beautiful Yoga dance; very well executed Hula Hoop dance; and a colourful group dance, all of which were appreciated by those present. It was quite heartening to note that all twenty-one girls had participated in the programme, in one way or the other. In addition to these items, some of the Suvarna members also had got together and prepared a skit – a Mime - which was quite meaningful and apt for the occasion and well appreciated. After the cultural programme, a quiz on general matters relating to our country, festivals, customs and places was conducted for the girls. For the participants, it was a pleasant evening well spent with the children of Sukritham Girls Home, enjoying the beautiful programme and interacting with the happy and innocent children. The programme was uploaded on the YouTube. SUVARNA donated an amount of Rs. 10000/- to Sukritham Girls Home as a gesture of appreciation and as a helping hand to the institution, with the suggestion that a part of it may be used for buying appropriate gifts for all the girls. Accordingly, some Quiz books and General Knowledge Books were presented to those who did well in the Quiz programme and all twenty-one girls were presented with a perfume each. To know more about Sukritham Girl’s Home, please refer to http://sukritham.org/.

In the virtual programme which commenced with a Prayer, Smt. Sheela Kakde, President, AIWC, Dr. Manju Kak, MIC, National Integration, Peace, & Communal Harmony, and Smt. Usha Nair, Zonal Organiser took part and addressed the participants explaining about AIWC and also the concepts of communal harmony and national integration for development in a country with diversities. Shri Mahadev Prasad, fondly called ‘Uncle’ by the children, gave the participants a brief introduction

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October - December 2021

Human Rights Day, A Report By Dr. Ajanta Dutt, Delhi Women’s League

genital mutilation and domestic violence every day. Most often it is women who allow patriarchy to continue within family and community, and alternate sexual choices are vastly taboo. There is immense need to assert gender identity in the work-place. She showed us the film “Disclosure,” where women demand, “I want the outside of me to match the inside.”

uman Rights Day was observed to honour the Universal Declaration of Human Rights adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on December 10, 1948 in Paris. This year’s theme was “Equality—Reducing Inequalities, Advancing Human Rights.” Smt. Kuljit Kaur, Secretary General of AIWC who recently made a presentation to the Parliamentary Committee on the topic “Curbing Atrocities against Women in the Covid Times” opened the Webinar with a brief history of AIWC’s involvement in it. Our first speaker was Dr. Bulbul Dhar-James, Professor of Political Science and Coordinator of the Human Rights Programme at Jamia Millia Islamia. Her excellent power point presentation covered the history of political theory and human rights from the earliest civilizations. She traced its changing concept in the last three centuries--from civil to political, and then socio-economic considerations in the recent decades. She quoted Kate Gilmore of the UN who confirms that rights go along with duties, but usually people often forget that “We all belong to one human family.” Dr. Dhar emphasized that our duties are work-related. They include education for children and the protection of the environment. Yet violations occur constantly in insidious and subtle ways. In India apartheid customs penalize those lower in the caste-hierarchy, especially Dalits. Children are also voiceless in asserting their rights; likewise, women face several kinds of torture related to dowry, child-marriage, female

Rapid strides have been made in science and technology. Nuclear energy, electromagnetic radiation and medical testing throw up puzzles that question the ethics and morals of an individual’s very existence within the community. Cybercrime too throws up the violence embedded in society. A chilling example was boys’ locker room conversations where schoolboys actually talked about “raping” their classmates (March/April 2020). Surrogacy is yet another growing problem in India because cash flow into the villages requires daughters to be given over for assisted parenthood. The role of the mother and the meanings of motherhood are further confused. Dr. Dhar stressed Dr. Amartya Sen’s theory of social justice and gave us the framework for what freedom means. Changes that the pandemic has brought to society suggest that we are falling behind in affirming basic rights for all human beings. Our second speaker Smt. Shoba Koshy, former Chairperson in the Kerala State Commission for 37

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October - December 2021

Protection of Child Rights made us aware that all human rights belong to children too, except the right to vote. Children who are the wealth of the nation often face fractured lives in the family and society. They are totally helpless to begin with and the State must give the child the ability to access what is inherently theirs. Smt. Koshy explained the support a child needs in its first 1000 days-from conception which questions family influences upon the mother, pre-natal care, health care (like essential folic acid tablets to avoid disabilities) and finally, the delivery requiring physical and mental comfort for the mother-child duo. Even Kerala despite its high literacy has pockets with pronounced infant mortality. Domestic violence is an added factor. Smt. Koshy said that C-section is often used because of impatience on the part of the mother and her family. Moreover, only 65% children are breast-fed up to three months of age. Thereafter, rights to development—emotional, mental and physical—are also fraught with tension. The Covid times have not been happy for families; they have often lacked communication to the extent that suicide among children has increased without the parents knowing why. Education is geared towards 100% success where the school uses the child as a means to an end.

girls want to make their own friends and often end making bad marriages. Labour for the girl-child is increasing because of economic instability; even mothers want to expose their children to digital cyber porn. Rarely are children asked what they need. One positive action from a Kerala board did consult children about their exams. Sometimes children simply need a place to wash their clothes and clean drinking water at the bus stop. Often playgrounds, such a necessary part of school-life, are the first space to be swallowed when schools want to expand. Another surprising example relates to children not knowing the value of dal-roti because orphanages are booked up for months with sponsors providing biryani items every single day. Adjustments in later lives can become vastly difficult. Contrarily, Government benefits are always delayed because children do not protest. The question-answer session emphasized there is a conflict between social rights and legal acceptance. Women’s dignity is hampered by police who are supposed to protect them. The latter do not register FIRs and silence is encouraged—in India and in major parts of the world. Ironically what the “Me Too Movement” showed was that sophisticated men also blamed the young women for sexual abuse. The Judiciary has failed women as rapists are often given bail or allowed to come out of jail too soon; or the best solution is for the rapist to marry the girl he has violated to save the honour of the family and society. Hundreds of cases are lying unheard. Finally, women still fall prey to their nonworking husbands as they hand over salaries for their hard-earned money is not their right to keep.

Over-nutrition is alarming as children suffer from obesity, fatty liver and other health hazards. Child abuse and crimes against children have reduced a mere 1.5 percent in the last two years. Almost 95% offenders are known to the victims and come from their immediate vicinity. Protective parents also want early marriages for their daughters as they develop ideas from TV ads. These young 38

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October - December 2021

Pilot Project In Sunderbans By Smt. Shikha Mitra, President, East Calcutta Constituency (Editor’s Note: In our last issue, we reported on the award won by ECC for this prestigious project. We continue our coverage, this time with details of the scheme itself).

forests. Our Pilot Project in Sundarbans is strictly carried out by the indigenous women of the area and the women involved in the mangrove plantation are trained for sapling creation.

he world’s biggest mangrove forest – the Sundarbans – is under the threat of being completely wiped out in the next fifty years. By 2070, it will have submerged under-water due to the rising sea levels courtesy climate change.

A total of one hundred and nine women from the village have been divided for mangrove plantation, inland plantation and organic farming. They were given training for preparing saplings for further plantation and making vermicompost, which they can use for their farms and also sell in the market. They take leadership responsibilities and extend their help to others by training them. The organic nutrition garden ensures nutritional food for the women and their families and in the long run can be a steady source of income.

This vanishing forest protects the coasts—and lives—of two countries. Rising waters and illicit logging are killing the trees of the Sundarbans, the natural wall that protects the India-Bangladesh coast. The Sunderi tree is only found in this mangrove forest. This is the reason the forest is called Sundarbans. The Royal Bengal Tiger and the Spotted Deer are also found in this forest. It is the national forest of Bangladesh. It is also a World Heritage Site and part of the natural beauty of India and Bangladesh. We should all come forward to save the Sundarbans.

All India Women’s Conference, East Calcutta Constituency received the Gender Just Solutions “Mention of Honour” Award in the recently held COP26 at Glasgow. The award was given by Women & Gender Constituency, CTCN and WECF International. This award will motivate us to work more effectively in the future. At present we are able to cover a small area of Sundarbans. We believe that this recognition could bring worldwide support for continuation of this project and we could cover more villages in other islands of Sundarbans. Moreover, Mangrove plantation needs to be carried out every year to cover more areas given the frequent increase of cyclones/super cyclones due to climate change.

In November 2018, All India Women’s Conference East Calcutta Constituency signed an agreement with the Gender CC. Under the Gender Into Urban Climate Change Initiative project funded by Gender CC, we started our pilot project in Achintyanagar village (Hatisur) Pathar Pratima Block, South 24 Parganas, Sundarbans, from August 2020. Sundarbans is vulnerable to climate change. Frequent cyclones have destroyed the Mangrove cover and are endangering the islands and also indirectly the city of Kolkata, which is climatically protected by the Sundarbans Mangroves. This forest is among the most carbon-rich tropical

Everyone should come forward and all collectively take responsibility to protect the Sundarbans which are a UNESCO World Heritage Site. 39

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Dyslexia – A Hidden Disability Or Strength? A Webinar by RPM Women’s Welfare Association, Adambakkam, Chennai (Affiliated to the Women’s India Association) By Smt. Preetha Raj, President

PM Women’s Welfare Association organized a very sensitive Webex meet on 3rd October 2021, to create an awareness on Dyslexia, a learning disorder that involves difficulty in reading due to problems in identifying speech sounds and learning how they relate to letters and words (decoding).

Problems remembering or naming letters, numbers and colors Difficulty learning nursery rhymes or playing rhyming games Dyslexia occurs in children with normal vision and intelligence.

Smt. Bharathi Srinivasan, Secretary, RPMWWA formally welcomed all the speakers, distinguished dignitaries from AIWC and WIA as well as its constituent Branches and RPMWWA Members. She also thanked Smt. Sheela Kakde, President AIWC for being kind enough to offer the Webex Platform for this webinar. The platform was then taken over by our President Smt. Preetha Raj, who gave a short introduction about the speakers of the day, Smt. Jennifer Tavares, Smt. Maria Raj, and Smt. Sharon Hartley.

Most children with dyslexia can succeed in school with tutoring or a specialized education programme. The speakers gave the following tips to help dyslexic children to read and comprehend words: Learn to recognize and use the smallest sounds that make up words (phonemes) Understand that letters and strings of letters represent these sounds and words (phonics)

Smt. Jennifer Taveres explained what is Dyslexia and its symptoms. The causes for Dyslexia could be hereditary, problems in the DNA structures of the parents, malnourishment, environmental toxins etc. The early symptoms include;

Comprehend what he or she is reading Read aloud to build reading accuracy, speed and expression (fluency) Build a vocabulary of recognized and understood words

Late talking, learning new words slowly and a delay in learning to read.

Tips on what parents can do:

Problems forming words correctly, such as reversing sounds in words or confusing words that sound alike

Address the problem early. If you suspect your child has dyslexia, talk to your child's doctor. Early intervention can improve success.

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October - December 2021

your child is old enough, read the stories together after your child hears them. Work with your child's school. Talk to your child's teacher about how the school will help him or her succeed. You are your child's best advocate. Encourage reading time. To improve reading skills, a child must practice reading. Encourage your child to read. Set an example for reading. Designate a time each day to read something of your own while your child reads — this sets an example and supports your child. Show your child that reading can be enjoyable. The very informative and educational session was concluded with the Vote of Thanks by Smt. Preetha Suresh, Vice-President, RPMWWA

Read aloud to your child. It's best if you start when your child is 6 months old or even younger. Try listening to recorded books with your child. When



Smt. Susi of Maitreyi Women Organisation, AIWC Kakinada, won the Naari Puraskar Award for her services to needy women. The award was given by CHEYUTHA, a voluntary organization from Kakinada. 41

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October - December 2021 SUBSCRIBE TO ROSHNI!

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October - December 2021

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October - December 2021

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ESIC Dental college honoured Secretary General Smt. Kuljit Kaur for her extensive services in the field of Prevention of Violence Against Women.

Patron Smt. Shobhana Ranade celebrated her 98th birthday

President Smt. Sheela Kakde with artist Tanushri Varma, who displayed her Tanjore art portrait of our first President Maharani Chimnabai Gaekwad ll at India Habitat Centre, Lodhi Road, New Delhi.

Our Secretary General Smt. Kuljit Kaur has been honoured for her services at AIIMS as the member of the Internal Complaints Committee. She has been giving her expertise since 2008.

Patron Smt. Kunti Paul’s birthday was celebrated at Saharanpur Branch

Smt. Shikha Mitra received the Gender Just Climate Solutions Award in Glasgow

The Gender Just Climate Solutions Award

Vice President Smt. Bhavna Joshipura met Hon. Health Minister Shri Mansukh Mandaviya in New Delhi to discuss Urban Health and the role of NGOs in support schemes

Smt. Sulochana Ramakrishnan of Wayanad branch has been nominated to the District Advisory Board which is meant to oversee implementation of Dowry Protection Act in each District.

In November, SWEDWA organised a one day Awareness Programme on drugs. DCP North Smt. Anita Roy appreciated the work done by the organization at Majnu Ka Tilla.

Roshni October To December 2021

Children of our Greater Noida Branch prepare drawings for Children’s Day

Prabhat Pheri at AIWC Swadhar Greh, Saharanpur Branch

Smt. Nishi Jain and team perform at the Annual Day function of Sanjeevni Mahila Sanstha, Meerut

At Right:- Smt. Farida Husain at a meeting with inmates of the Charities of Poor Old Age Home in Secundrabad

On the Front Cover- Drawings by the beneficiary children of AIWC East Calcutta Constituency, Kolkata Laketown and AIWC Greater Noida. Printed at : I G Printers Pvt. Ltd., New Delhi-110020

All India Women’s Conference

Roshni, October to December 2021

Articles inside

 Pilot Project In Sunderbans

 A Webinar by RPM Women’s Welfare Association, Adambakkam, Chennai (Affiliated to the Women’s India Association

 Human Rights Day, A Report

 Kakinada Branch

 Bhagini Samaj, Mangalore

 RPM Women’s Welfare Association, Chennai

 Smt. Lakshmi N. Menon, Twenty Fourth President of AIWC (1955-57

 Akhil Hind Mahila Parishad, Vile Parle Branch

 Smt. Renuka Ray Twenty Third President of AIWC (1952-1954

 Smt. Raksha Saran Twenty Fifth President of AIWC (1958-1960

 Smt. Hannah Sen Twenty Second President of AIWC (1951-52

 Success is Achieved with Truth and Cooperation