A NEWS ON PRATIBHA NAITHANI
The Ladies’ Wing of the Jamaat-e-Islami Hind (Maharashtra)—a socio-religious organisation—has found a partner in anti-vulgarity crusader Pratibha Naithani.
A professor of Political Science with St Xavier’s college, Mumbai, Naithani will join the organisation in its five-day campaign launched on March 4 to highlight the ‘commercial and cultural exploitation of women’.
In the name of women
The campaign coincides with International Women’s Day on March 8.
It involves seminars, group discussions, visits to schools and colleges, meetings with non-governmental organisations tackling women’s issues and a signature campaign.
Over 1,000 workers from 110 units of the Ladies’ Wing will work to organise these events in 21 districts across the state. On Saturday, Naithani and six other speakers will participate in a symposium on the subject at Navi Mumbai. The campaign will conclude on March 8 with a human chain on Marine Drive.
Past campaigns
Naithani’s criticism of television channels for their generous doses of violence and obscenity gained prominence after she filed a public interest litigation in the Bombay High Court.
Before that, Naithani—as she puts it—was ‘ignorant’ and did not know how to approach the issue but continued to address it during her interaction with individuals and groups.
The Ladies’ Wing started taking up women’s issues four years ago.
In her words
‘‘I am joining hands with like-minded people. We have degraded women a lot,” says Naithani.
“There is one small section of society that advocates a free hand for the media and because these people shout to make their point, the layman thinks they are right.’’