The country’s Constitution is facing the threat of being destroyed and replaced with Manusmriti if communal forces come back to power, activist Shabnam Hashmi has said.
The situation will also lead to an erosion of women’s freedom. She was speaking at a event to promote the Kittur declaration aimed at mobilising women against fascism, held here on Saturday. The declaration was made at Kittur in Karnataka on February 21 to commemorate 200 years of Kittur Rani Chennamma’s revolt against the British empire.
In 1824
Ms. Hashmi said that deliberations on methods to mobilise the larger society against fascist forces led to the idea of developing a movement of women. Rani Chennamma had led a valiant fight against the British in 1824, years before Jhansi Rani fought against them. The “I too am Rani Chennamma” campaign mobilised around 3,500 from in and around Kittur to make the declaration, which sent out a message against fascism, poverty and violence against women.
Activists, politicians, writers and filmmakers were part of the event held at the Kesari Hall in the capital.
