Mahila Atma Raksha Samiti

The Mahila Atma Raksha Samiti (Bengali: মহিলা আত্মরক্ষা সমিতি, 'Women's Self-Defense Association, abbreviated MARS) was a women's movement in Bengal, India.[1] MARS was a mass organisation linked to the Communist Party of India.[2]

Founding

MARS was founded in 1942, in the midst of the Second World War and on the eve of the Great Bengal famine.[1][3] Calcutta was filled with women fleeing from famine in the country-side, becoming prey for sexual exploitation (either sent to military camps or lured or forced into prostitution in the city).[3][4] The number of women in the brothels of Calcutta doubled.[4] Incidents of sexual abuse or kidnappings of local women by American soldiers were taking place. In reaction to these developments, a group of communist women organised MARS.[3] MARS had its origin in the Congress Mahila Sangha, formed in Calcutta in 1939 with the objective to prepare for defense against a Japanese occupation of Bengal. In 1941 the group had been joined by communist women, some recently released from prison.[4]

Leadership

Rani Mitra Dasgupta, Manikuntala Sen and Renu Chakravartty were key leaders of MARS. But the organisation also gathered prominent non-communist, liberal women like Rani Mahalanobis (wife of Prasanta Chandra Mahalanobis) and Leela Mazumdar.[3] Mahalanobis served as the president of MARS.[5]

Early struggles

MARS supported the struggle for Indian independence, instructed women in self-defense, warned against fascism, demanded release of political prisoners and sought to defend the population from starvation.[1][4] The organisation mobilised relief activities for famine-stricken communities.[6] On March 17, 1943 MARS mobilized 5,000 women to march to the Bengal Legislative Assembly in protest against price hikes on food items.[1][4] The Calcutta march was followed by hunger marches in Dinajpur, Chittagong, Midnapur, Badarganj, Madaripur, Pabna and Bankura.[4] MARS held its first conference in April 1943. It was presided by Mohini Devi and Ela Reid acted as the organising secretary.[4]

MARS branches were set up in every district of Bengal and protests were mobilized across he province. By 1944 the movement counted 43,500 members.[1] MARS would later play a key role in the Tebhaga struggle.[1]

After Partition

In 1947, the name of the organisation was changed to Paschim Bangha Mahila Atma Raksha Samti (পশ্চিমবঙ্গ মহিলা আত্মরক্ষা সমিতি, 'West Bengal Women's Self-Defense Association').[7] On April 27, 1949 MARS organised a rally in Calcutta in support of the hunger strike of political prisoners. Police opened fire on the demonstration at Bowbazar, killing six persons.[8]

By April 1954 MARS claimed a membership of 18,000, out of whom the majority belonged to the peasantry or worked in jute mills.[2] MARS took the initiative for the foundation of the National Federation of Indian Women two months later.[2][9]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Agarwal, Bina. Gender and Land Rights in South Asia. Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press, 1994. p. 439
  2. 1 2 3 Overstreet, Gene D., and Marshall Windmiller. Communism in India. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1959. p. 402
  3. 1 2 3 4 Chakravartty, Gargi. P.C. Joshi: A Biography. New Delhi: National Book Trust, 2007. p. 28
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Johnson, Gordon, and Geraldine Hancock Forbes. The New Cambridge History of India. 4:2. Cambridge: Cambridge Univ. Press, 1996. p. 210
  5. ↑ Sarkar, Sumit, and Sabyasachi Bhattacharya. Towards Freedom: Documents on the Movement for Independence in India. 1946. New Delhi: Oxford University Press, 2007. p. 345
  6. ↑ Bandyopadhyay, Sekhar. From Plassey to Partition: A History of Modern India. New Delhi: Orient Longman, 2004. p. 395
  7. ↑ The Journal of Women's Studies, Vol. 2. Women's Studies Research Centre, Calcutta University, 1997. p. 156
  8. ↑ Desai, A. R. Expanding Governmental Lawlessness and Organized Crime: Violation of Democratic Rights of the Minorities, Women, Slum Dwellers, Press and Some Other Violations. Bombay: Popular Prakashan, 1991. p. 237
  9. ↑ Menon, Parvathi. Breaking Barriers: Stories of Twelve Women. New Delhi: LeftWord, 2005. p. 37
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