“Greetings!
I went to Kashmir last month for our Samanbal workshop. I will go again on 27 May. This is going to a historic workshop bringing together grassroots women who do not even understand each other’s language and are from different regions and cultures of the State – Ladakh, Kashmir and Jammu to deliberate on a common social and human rights issue – domestic violence. I am feeling enthusiastic about it, because this is what I had been working towards for so many years. To take on a more political role and by drafting a bill for Domestic Violence Act we will be initiating and addressing structural forms of violence which remain invisible and embedded in the social-political system.
My son Agastya accompanied me on this visit and participated in the workshop and in fact after a voting procedure, the group chose a name of the Samanbal which Agastya had selected. It’s called Navaasha (Nav – means New and Aasha – means Hope. So it is New Hope).
Love,
Ashima”
