People's Democracy

GIVING vent to their anger against the appalling remarks of the defence minister George Fernandes, scores of women led by All India Democratic Women’s Association (AIDWA) leaders, Brinda Karat and Ashalata demonstrated at his office in South Block on May 3. Activists from organisations including SAHMAT, Nirantar participated in this action.

Holding placards and shouting slogans, the women marched around the office demanding an unconditional apology from the minister for ridiculing the atrocities against women in Gujarat during his speech in Parliament. The placards read: "Defence minister of India or defence minister of rapists?’ Shame on George Fernandes." Scores of security personnel heard the women who called for their support against the outrageous remarks made by the minister.

The angry protestors called for women all over India to greet the minister with slippers wherever he went.

Earlier on May 1 the AIDWA strongly criticised George Fernandes for ''his outrageous and inhuman remarks'' in a statement issued by its general secretary Brinda Karat. She said the ministers remarks would ''hurt the sentiments and deepen the insecurities of lakhs of victims waiting for justice. Fernandes has set new records of political indecency by ridiculing the grotesque forms of violence that Muslim women and children have been subjected to in the communal carnage in Gujarat.''

She said that Mr. Fernandes had not met any of the victims and heard their terrible stories before ''misusing the floor of Parliament to challenge the veracity of their statements or those of eyewitnesses. A man like him should find no place in any government, even in one as compromised as this one.''