(Free Press Release) With inconsiderate norms in certain male dominated societies regarding the conduct of a woman, she is bound to lead an overcast existence. There are very few people, let alone from the race of men, who break old age unjust practices to improve the living conditions of women in such a society. Meet Syed Bhai, a women rights activist since 40 years and the general secretary of the Muslim Satyashodhak Samaj, an organization devoted to the rights of Muslim women on Great Bhet, Saturday, 12th November 2011 at 9:30 pm only on IBN-Lokmat.
Syed ji grew up as a young boy watching his own sister‘s suffering. She was set ablaze by her husband and abandoned along with her two children while he got married again. This not only made him stronger but inspired him to fight for the liberation of women in the Muslim society. He founded “The Muslim Satyashodhak Samaj, Pune†on March 22, 1970 with the support of Hamid Dalwai. This organization has garnered a lot of support from women and even men especially belonging to the Muslim society. It all started in 1970, when the first Muslim social conference in Pune was organized by the Muslim Satyashodhak Samaj. It began with a signature campaign amongst Muslims to demand a common civil code. With 2,000 signatures collected, the memorandum was sent to the chief minister of Maharashtra and to the prime minister. In Amravati the first conference of divorced women in 1976 was attended by 800 divorced women and a few men where 113 women from Pune told about their tribulations while striving to earn their daily bread. Even those who had come to oppose which included lawyers were deeply moved and went so far as to offer legal aid to these women.
The Muslim Satyashodhak Samaj works in a simplified way where when a woman complains of being maltreated, her husband is called for a meeting and if he does not come, a group of men and women volunteers goes to his house and call him from the street outside. This makes the neighbors aware of the fact that the man maltreats his wife and pressurizes him to give a written assurance that he won‘t repeat it. This has been very effective in about 100 to 150 cases. If the man does not improve his behavior, the case is taken to court to provide the woman with free legal aid. The organization runs on donations and their own contributions from their salaries.
To know more about Syed Bhai‘s contributions towards the betterment of the plight of women watch Great Bhet on Saturday, 12th November at 9:30 pm only on IBN-Lokmat.
You can also watch a repeat of this episode on Sunday, 13th November 2011 at 12 pm and 5:30 pm only on IBN-Lokmat.