People's Democracy

AIFAWH Solidarity Fund for Bengal’s Victim Families

THE members and supporters of CITU and the Left parties, particularly CPI(M) have been under severe attacks in West Bengal during the last few years, particularly after the setback suffered by the Left in the parliamentary elections in 2009. The Trinamool Congress - Maoists combine have been spearheading these attacks. The anganwadi employees, serving the women and children, particularly from poor families also were not spared. Several anganwadi workers and helpers in North 24 Paraganas, Bardhaman and other districts were tortured, stripped naked and paraded in the village; at least four anganwadi employees have been kidnapped and one, Chabi Mahato, an anganwadi helper was gang raped and brutally killed. Almost all the anganwadi employees being targeted by the Trinamool-Maoists goons are tribals and from poor families bearing the entire burden of the family on their shoulders.

As an expression of solidarity of the anganwadi workers and helpers all over the country towards their fighting colleagues, the All India Federation of Anganwadi Workers and Helpers has decided to provide some financial assistance to the families of the anganwadi employees who have been attacked by the TMC-Maoists combine. The AIFAWH delegation comprising Neelima Maitra, president and Hemalata, general secretary of AIFAWH handed over a cheque of Rs One lakh to Deepak Sarkar, president of the West Midnapore district committee of CITU, as the first instalment, in a brief meeting held in Shramik Bhawan in Kolkata on October 3, 2010. Shyamal Chakraborty, president of West Bengal state committee of CITU, Arati Dasgupta and Ratna Dutta, office bearers of the state committee of CITU and several other leaders of the Paschim Banga ICDS Karmi Samiti and CITU were present on the occasion.  The state committees of Kerala and Tamilnadu immediately responded by sending their contributions, while many other state committees including Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Uttar Pradesh have promised to send their contributions at the earliest.

(INN)