Ranchi, Sept. 5: All-India Progressive Women’s Association members today pledged to continue their fight for rights and equal opportunity in social, economic and political matters in India.

At a two-day national convention of the association that began here today, it was stressed that any form of “gender oppression” by anybody would not be tolerated. The women leaders also warned the “forces” that do not want to see freedom, equal rights and equal opportunity of women. “Freedom of women is associated with freedom of humanity. If the former is scuttled, the latter would not survive,” said Lata Swaminathan, the association’s national president, addressing at the convention.

Thousands of women from across the world, including Burma, are participating at the convention.

Swaminathan said seven women leaders from Pakistan who were on their way to Ranchi to attend the convention, got stuck on the Indo-Pak border because of lack of regular train service between the two countries. “After reaching the Indo-Pak border, they found out that the train would start from there only on Friday. However, they have sent message saying that they are very much with our struggle for rights and freedom of women,” she added.

Women leaders also expressed concern over the way education had become direction-less.

“Today, even educational institutions offer platform to train women as market commodity by arranging beauty contests and ramp walks,” said Rose Kerketta, a woman leader from Ranchi, expressing concern over the trend.

Burma delegate Tintan Ang — the founding president of Women Rights and Welfare Association of Burma — urged the women of the country to request the Indian government to support their movement in Burma for democracy. “The Indian government had promised us to help in our struggle for democracy against the Burma military regime. We thought it would do another East Pakistan experiment in Burma and restore democracy. But today, we feel betrayed by India,” said Ang.