In the context of Women's Day and women's rights
- Kamala Ashu

(Kamala Ashu was a prolific writers who authored more than dozens of articles and published four books on women issue, who took her last breath on March 10, 2006, just two days after Internatinal women's day) - From the old file of Himgiri and Sunchari

After a long history of struggle, March 8 of each year is now celebrated all over the world, including India, as International Women's Day. National Women's Day has a tradition of being celebrated in all countries and states like National Children's Day. Similarly, October 23 in South India coincides with Rani Chenamma's birthday, while in India, the birthday of independent fighter poet Sarojini Naidu is celebrated on February 13 as National Women's Day, inspired by the All India Women's Council.

Now, the women, proudly celebrate March 8 as International Women's Day, with events being held across the country as Women's Day from March 1 to March 8, honoring women who have made significant contributions. But how did women get the opportunity to celebrate this day as Women's Day? We have a long history of struggle in this regard as well. March 8, 1857, is a very special day that we women all over the world should remember. On that day, the exploited, oppressed working women in a New York garment factory staged a spectacular demonstration demanding more jobs and a reduction in working hours from 15-16 hours to 10 hours. At that time women had to work in the factory for 15-16 hours . women were not able to get the required employment. At that time, the condition of the women in those factories was very painful, worrying and horrifying.

Looking back at the history of the women's liberation movement, the demonstration of those women on March 8, 1857, was extremely painful, as well as the first demonstration of such aggression by women in the world. The trade unions at the time also liked the demonstration. The women's movement was suppressed by the police amid any need for support, but the police could not suppress or suppress the movement of women suffering from various diseases and anemia in the darkness of the factory forever. Leaving the world as a gift to Women's Day, we are living and will continue to live. Considering this first organized demonstration as the inspiration of the women's movement, March 8 is also considered the International Women's Struggle Day for ages.

Similarly, in the United States in 1865, Elizabeth Miller, Lucy Stone, and other women-led the women's movement. When a journalist by the name of Amelia Bloomer demanded that women's clothing be kept short, there was a great deal of publicity about the women's movement, which was used as an inspiration to strengthen the movement in other states.

At that time, in the House of Commons in England, when Mr. Stuart Mill spoke in favor of women's suffrage, he was despised and ignored by all. But later, in 1869, tax-paying women gained the right to vote in the municipality. Despite this, all women in England had to struggle for a relatively long time to get the right to vote. The right to vote in elections to the Legislative Assembly and Parliament was granted to women in 1918, even to a limited extent.

At the same time, in England, France, and Germany, a small number of women with higher education came forward and started participating in women's social movements. In 1869, women held an international anti-war conference in The Hague. In 1910, at a conference of socialist women, March 8 was first recognized as Women's Day, thus giving impetus to the women's movement after World War I. Women's anti-war slogans resounded throughout Europe. In March 1923, thousands of women demonstrated on the streets of Paris, setting an example to the world that women can do something. But during Hitler's rule in Germany, women lost their freedom with everyone. Similarly, after the Second World War, the movement gained momentum. In 1945, the Paris Women's International Democratic Federation was founded, and women from all over the world decided to run the movement in an organized manner on a global scale. It also celebrated Assistance Week in 1946 to help war-torn children and women. From 1946 to 1966, 20 years passed in a very tense manner. These voices greatly influenced public opinion.

On March 8, 1913, in Tsarist Russia, women took to the streets and chanted anti-war slogans. In 1914, Parisian women demonstrate in Berlin against the arrest of Rosletzamberg.

In the case of Western countries, women have been aware since 1857. But even today in India, women have not been able to organize for sure. Women should be aware now, this is the demand of the time. The women's organization, the women's committee, should not be just an organization to settle disputes between men and women but should take the lead in eradicating women's problems and women's activism.

The Death of a poet-bureaucrat turned Politician

 

Born on the soil of the former tiny Himalayan kingdom, Sikkim, Bhim Dahal was a poet-bureaucrat-turned politician. He was a sensible person who wrote poems with artistic traits, wrote novels and vast knowledge of Eastern and Western literature, fond of reading the biography of chu Goverey, Leo Tolstoy, and Maxim Gorkhi. He was appointed as an undersecretary of the Government of Sikkim during the erstwhile Government of Nar Bahadur Bhandari, but he was critical of the style of the function of the then government and ultimately, he resigned from lucrative government service and plunged into politics under former Chief Minister Pawan Chamling in 1992. His political career started with his debut entry in politics and electing as a member of parliament thrice during SDF Government.

Although he was a close friend of Pawan Chamling, who struggled with all the difficulties posed by the then ruling government led by Bhandari, he thought it better to support Chamling rising from narrow caste-based politics and regionalism. Being upper-class Bramin, he was accused of disowning the sanctity of Brahmin etiquette and tradition. Dahal was criticized for his living style disobeying his code of conduct of his Brahmin Community, but obtaining from such attacks, he clinked to SDF party, displaying his total loyalty, except once he tried to leave the party out of share frustration out of his independent nature. Overall, he was a person of good statesmanship, ideology, and sensible writers.

He was never afraid of any political person and used to criticize even if it is his party. He sometimes expressed his frustration and outburst in social media or articles and as a spokesperson while talking to media persons.
Whatever may be his personality, he was one of the strong pillars of the SDF party who remained till his death in the only party under the leadership of Pawan Chamling. Despite differences and divergent opinions, he did not leave the party seeking political change over and power. In writing poems and literary articles, he used his free views and expressed opinions.

The Scene of Heavy Snowfall in Sikkim and Darjeeling During Cold season