Bista hails Kalimpong seminar for women

SNS, SILIGURI, 3 DECEMBER 2022: A two-day seminar was organised by the National Commission for women (NCW) in Kalimpong town to create awareness among the people on the various government schemes for women and various issues concerning human trafficking. 

"The awareness campaign is important to empower the people of this region, especially women, towards various possibilities offered by the government for their welfare and socio-economic wellbeing. 

It is also important to shed light on the heinous crime of human-trafficking, and make people aware about its perils," said Darjeeling MP Raju Bista, who attended the programme there today. 

"I am most grateful to Commission Chairman Rekha Sharma for her unflinching support and interest in the welfare of our region, and her strong bond with the people here," he added. 

According to the MP the region is home to some of the most inspirational women, like freedom Fighter Helen Lepcha, who helped Netaji Suhash Chandra Bose escape British imprisonment. "Not many may be aware of this, but the first woman parliamentarian from West Bengal was Maya Devi Chettri from Kurseong, and she was elected to the Rajya Sabha in 1952," Mr Bista said. 

He also spoke of "the leading light of anti-human trafficking campaign in the world." Anuradha Koirala of Maiti Nepal, who went to St Joseph's Convent of Kalimpong town. "It is a matter of great pride for us that the first citizen of our nation is a woman, President Droupadi Murmu. 

In Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government, there are 11 women ministers, the highest representation of women in the top posts of government so far. Even the Chief Minister of West Bengal, Mamata Banerjee ji, is a woman," the MP said. 

According to him, given the usefulness of such seminars, he intends to organise them in every block in the Darjeeling Lok Sabha Constituency, in collabration with the WCD, other government organisations, and NGOs.