Staff Reporter
Rich tributes were paid to late Comrade Shanta Zaibunnisa for her services for the downtrodden society and specially tilling women on the occasion of her 5th death anniversary observed at Arts Council of Pakistan, Karachi. The speakers on the occasion included comrade leaders, intellectuals, law makers, members of teaching community and people from various strata of life. They held Shanta Zaibunnisa Bukhari, as first comrade leader of the sub-continent who struggled her whole of life in advocating the cause of women particularly the downtrodden.
They pointed out that Shanta Bukhari launched her struggle for tilling women in her young age when there “satti” tradition used to be followed in India. The speakers described her role for working and down trodden women as most important, particularly in organising them to get them a respectful place in the society and putting forward the concept of freedom for such women of the subcontinent. She struggled rest of her life in creating awareness and organising the women working in factories, women working in bangles-making units, working in the field of garbage collection and sweeping, home maids and those working in the field of agriculture and domestic units.
The speakers admitted the big role played by Shanta Zaibunnisa and her comrade husband Jamaluddin Bukhari. They said that history will never forget the struggle waged by Shanta for the welfare of women and their rights. Noted intellectual Dr. Jaffer Ahmed recalled that Shanta was a woman who created awareness among working women for carrying out struggle for their rights and stood fast against extortionist forces.
