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print versionPress Release - 14 May 2010
Women Reservation Express
“Campaign Reservation Express†in support of Women Reservation Bill, to be passed in its present form in the Lok Sabha and State Assemblies is going to be launched on May 20, 2010 from Jhansi, city with historical significance for Women Struggle.
Initiated by ANHAD the Campaign Reservation Express has already been endorsed by a large number of women networks, organizations and civil society groups across India (list attached).
Three Karvans will be flagged off from Jhansi on May 20th, 2010 and they will culminate in Delhi on June 7th, 2010. The three women Karvans will cover 56 cities and towns covering approximately 15,000 kilometers.
There will be public meetings, press conferences and cultural programmes across India hosted by local organisations. Local activists, women leaders, artists, intellectuals and other civil society members will participate in these meetings. Put together in 25 days from conceiving the idea to implementation of it, this will be the largest campaign ever in support of the women political participation. It acquires special significance as it is being organised in the background of a certain conservative religious section opposing women’s participation in politics.
More than 50% of the Karwan members are Muslim women struggling to get equal citizenship rights and fight against discrimination. Ishrat Jahan’s sister and mother from Mumbra, Mumbai on one hand and Bilquis, Sultana from Gujarat on the other would travel with the karwan. Internally displaced women, Dalit women, ordinary grass root workers to young film makers and senior activists would travel to together. Women from Himachal, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan, Delhi, Karnataka, Assam and other states will represent problems faced by them in daily life and demand the passage of the bill.
More than one lakh leaflets will be distributed during the campaign, 20,000 especially postcards signed, which will be later submitted to the Prime Minister. A website (www.reservationexpress.org/) will update the movement of the Karawans every day.
While it will be the largest campaign for demanding the passage of WRB, it will also be a celebration of thousands of groups coming together and in many places local cultural troupes will perform.
Young filmmakers will document the entire campaign.
[Follow the campaign on: www.reservationexpress.org/]
