The Jamaat-e-Islami Hind, is organising two mass congregations in West Bengal, open to women of all faiths. The issue concerned is to raise a voice for the implementation of women’s rights and protection, the Jamaat has said.
Talking about different types of atrocities faced by women, Shadab Masum, Jamaat’s state secretary, said that the programmes to be attended exclusively by women as audience, are to take place on January 22 and 23. The first programme for southern districts of the state will take place on January 22 in Kolkata. The second programme will take place in Murshidabad on January 23.
Several speakers, including one senior minister from the state government (who has confirmed her presence, says Masum), are expected to participate, and address the first mass gathering in Kolkata, where thousands of women are expected to participate. “We have written to the chief minister. We don’t know if she will come. It depends on her,” said Masum. “The programme is for women, irrespective of their caste, creed, or religion. None such programme for women at such a large scale has taken place in north India before,” he said.
The Jamaat representative, when asked how such a programme fits into Jamaat’s framework, said that the organisation has protection of citizens’ rights as part of its policy, and thus the planned programmes match with its ideology. The Jamaat has around 1,200 core members in the state, besides a large number of cadres.
Published 20 January 2023, 05:36 IST