Dear friends,

To impress upon the government and policy makers the urgent need to
address their issues, about 5,000 single women from Himachal, will
undertake a three-day pad yatra (march) from Arki to Shimla, starting
April 1.

This march is being undertaken to draw the government's attention to
the demands of the Ekal Nari Shakti Sangathan (ENSS) and to sensitise
the government to evolve a rights-based policy for single women.
Rather than patronage, ENSS demands a state policy framed on
principles of inclusion for single women across the state of Himachal
Pradesh.

According to Subhash Mendhapurkar of SUTRA, a Jagjit Nagar (near
Kasauli) based NGO, " more than 3,800 women from six districts of
Himachal have already enrolled for the pad yatra and we are sure of
achieving our target of 5,000 women."

All of the enrolled women will gather in Arki (Mandi) on March 31,
2008 and start walking to Shimla on April 1and reach Vidhan Sabha,
Shimla on April 3, 2008 afternoon to present the Memorandum to state
Chief Minister, Prem Kumar Dhumal.

"This gigantic and historical march requires support from all the
readers of HimVani who are interested in development of Himachal
Pradesh, Mendhapurkar said, adding, "I expect HimVani readers to
support at least 500 women pad yatris."

Key demands of ENSS:

a. For the older single women, pension policy should be framed on the
model of the existing policy in the neighbouring state of Haryana.
Pensions should be paid every month without fail.

b. Those single women who are fighting to secure their rights
vis-à-vis their in-laws' family, their cases must be referred to fast
track courts. Also, the spouses of all the single women who are not
paying the maintenance amount, as decreed by either the gram
panchayats or the civil courts, should be legally challenged through
fast track courts.

c. The State should ensure that two acres of land is granted on a
long-term lease (from government's surplus land pool) to all the
economically weak single women who are capable and eager to work as
self-employed farmers.

d. Every single woman should be provided with health care facilities
from the primary to the tertiary level, free of cost.

To organise this pad yatra, ENSS has called upon individuals to make
contributions and make this initiative a mass public movement. A
personal contribution of Rs 600 will help cover the costs of one
participant of the pad yatra, which includes travel, food and
administrative expenses.

"It will also be an expression of your solidarity with this important
cause. In this fight for an individual's rights and dignity, we seek
your support," said Mendhapurkar.

SUTRA is registered under Societies Act 1860 and with Ministry of Home
Affairs, Government of India to receive Foreign Funds. Donations to
SUTRA are exempted from Income Tax under IT Act. Section 80 G.

Donations can be addressed to SUTRA on the following Bank Accounts:

For Donations in Indian currency:
Punjab National Bank, Jagjit Nagar, District Solan, HP.
Bank Account No.: 2197000100018636
Bank Branch Code Neft No.: PULB 0219700

For donations in Indian and Foreign currency:
Oriental Bank of Commerce, Jubbar, District Solan, HP.
Bank Account No.: 02232010003190
Bank Branch Code Neft No.: OBC 0223 .

I hope some members of the group will support ENSS in organising this
massive show of strength. Don't forget to send a mail to
padyatra@... after making the donation. Please do mention your
name and address at which the receipts are to be dispatched.

with warm regards

Varun Rattan Singh
+91 98160 76772

The Voice of Himachal
http://www.himvani.com

To know me better follow this trail http://www.himvani.com/maverick