On January 6th, Trivandrum played host to the opening ceremonies of the All India Democratic Women's Associations (AIDWA) 13th national conference.
Amid chants of "nari mukti" (women's emancipation), AIDWA president Malini Bhattacharya raised the white flag this morning. The flag read, "DEMOCRACY, EQUALITY, EMANCIPATION OF WOMEN," and featured a woman raising her fist.
After the flag was raised, delegates laid flowers and paid tribute to the movement's martyrs.
Thereafter, 12 states' worth of torches were set out at the location, representing the states that hosted the most extensive pre-conference programmes.
Swagatham, a welcome song performed in Malayalam, Hindi, and Tamil, was written and composed especially for the 13th annual AIDWA conference.
P K Sreemathi Teacher, who was in charge of organising the party, gave the opening remarks. She spoke passionately about how the Left Democratic Front (LDF) was instrumental in the liberation of women in Kerala.
Next, AIDWA president Bhattacharya read the resolution of condolence for the women's movement and other democratic struggle fighters who had gone away since the last conference in 2019.
Mallu Swarajyam, who spearheaded the armed revolt of the Telangana peasants in the past, and Mythili Sivaraman, who was instrumental in the formation of the AIDWA, were both honoured. Others in the cast were M C Josephine, K R Gowri Amma, Bhiba Ghosh Goswami, Pramila Pandhe, Ranjana Nirula, Madhuri Barman, and V V Sarojini.
Mallika Sarabhai, an activist in the political and cultural spheres, delivered the keynote lecture. She was pleased to see so many women congregating in a democratic setting rather than a traditional religious building like a temple or mosque. She proclaimed, "We are gathered here to fight for a fair and just world, free of poverty and inequality."
Brinda Karat, a former general secretary of AIDWA, spoke as the keynote speaker and discussed the difficulties facing the women's movement. She noted that American women had achieved great strides as a group, but that some of those advancements were under jeopardy now.
On behalf of the Federation of Cuban Women, Aleida Guevara delivered the conference's opening remarks (FMC). She spoke of the revolutionary actions taken by Cuban women and how they were described in her talk. As a result of the FMC's efforts, she said, the Cuban government now provides for things like creches, day schools, a focus on nutrition, and care for the elderly.
