Circulating these messages extensively, a number of ladies from Pune are gathering on completely different streets and footpaths through the nights each week as a part of a motion “Meri Raatein, Meri Sadakein ! (My Nights, My Streets!)”
It was these phrases on a banner that stopped Rajashri Bhosale, who works at a non-public organisation, in her tracks.
“I noticed the ‘Meri Raatein, Meri Sadakein’ banner whereas passing by J M Highway and knew I needed to take part. Once I did, I noticed ladies singing songs, speaking concerning the contribution of ladies within the freedom wrestle and creation of the Structure. They had been talking on violence in opposition to ladies. It inspired me and so I went ahead to share an expertise of how I had rebuked a person taking video of my feminine pal whereas travelling in a bus,” she stated.
Alka Joshi, of Abhivyakti, a ladies’s group, explains the rationale behind this motion.
“This 12 months marks the twelfth 12 months of the horrific Nirbhaya incident of December 16, 2012. So we determined to lift our voices in opposition to such incidents by hitting the streets 12 occasions through the 12 weeks from September 21 to December 16, one evening each week, with out worry, ” she stated.
Joshi stated that taking inspiration from an identical initiative by a gaggle in Uttar Pradesh, numerous organisations in Maharashtra got here collectively below the banner of “Mahila Jagar Samiti” and began “Meri Raatein, Meri Sadakein !” in Pune and different places too, with a message to the ladies: “Because the night falls, even the streets begin to discriminate. At evening, they belong to males. The time has come for us to claim that these streets belong to us as a lot as to males.”
“Throughout the first gathering on September 21, over 150 ladies gathered from 9 pm to 11 pm on the footpath close to the statue of social reformer Savatribai Phule on the Sarasbaug street. The participation of younger ladies was overwhelming,” stated Ranjana Pasalkar.
Equally, on the evening of September 28, ladies gathered on the street on the Teen Hatti Chowk in Dhankawadi, between 9 pm and 11 pm and ready posters, work for Rajmata Jijau, mom of Maratha warrior Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.
A musical programme was organised on Koregaon Park avenue on the evening of October 6, throughout Navratri.
Shraddha R R, an activist and co-ordinator of the motion, stated, “We’ve been a part of the protests, agitations to sentence crime in opposition to ladies. On the similar time it is usually essential to offer a message that girls are robust. Therefore we collect on the streets and the footpaths through the evening hours and speak freely, snicker, dance and sing with none worry.”
“It’s not simply concerning the Nirbhaya case. Be it the Kolkata rape and homicide case, the Badlapur sexual abuse incident and in addition the stunning gang rape of a lady on the Bopdev Ghat in Pune on the evening of October 3, which was throughout interval we had been gathering for ‘Meri Raatein, Meri Sadakein’ programmes… We see instances of ladies dealing with harassment at streets, faculties, faculties, bus, market, residence, workplaces. We stand on the streets and discuss it freely,” stated Jivika Uthada of Vichardhan.
On the evening of October 19, as a result of heavy rain, ladies gathered on the Kelkar corridor on Tilak Highway to observe women-centric motion pictures of late actor Smita Patil.
Then, Alka Joshi stated that details about the continued avenue programmes was additionally shared with Olympian wrestler-turned-politician Vinesh Phogat, who was in Pune lately for an election rally.
Additional, on November 30, ladies gathered on the J M Highway footpath between 8 pm and 10 pm. An exhibition of posters giving details about courageous ladies like Rani Lakshmibai and others had been displayed on the footpath.
A gaggle of feminine artists carried out revolutionary songs on the road.
“Each programme concludes with an oath that ‘I might not tolerate violence in opposition to ladies’…”, stated Vishal Bagul of Lokayat.
“Whereas the occasion primarily geared toward involving women and girls, participation of males was additionally welcome. Males too are participating on the street programmes,” stated a participant Sangita Patane.
Activists of the “Mahila Jagar Samiti” stated the road gatherings would proceed and the final occasion would happen on the evening of December 15, the preparations for that are occurring.
