In a unique initiative to connect with people, leaders of the Trinamool Congress’ (TMC) women’s wing on Saturday used Kolkata’s most iconic mode of transport — trams. Leaders of the All India Trinamool Congress Mahila Committee, led by State Minister Chandrima Bhattacharya, traversed from north and south, chugging in trams, meeting people, distributing sweets, and highlighting the West Bengal government’s welfare schemes aimed at women.
The women leaders took trams from Shyambazar to Esplanade, and from Esplanade to Gariahat, the two key routes left of the 150-year-old mode of transport.
“Through this outreach initiative, we aim to highlight how the Mamata Banerjee government has given importance to women’s empowerment in the State through various welfare schemes…Women in Bengal have always received economic, social, and political respect through the efforts of our CM. No other place in the country has 50% reservation for women at the panchayat level,” Ms. Bhattacharya, State president of the TMC, said.
Trams, powered by electricity and emission-free, principally evoke nostalgia. Ms. Bhattacharya stressed on this and pointed out that trams still enjoy a certain acceptance among people.
“The tram reminds us that, sometimes, we need to stop for a while and gain energy. It holds immense value in terms of heritage as all of us would take trams in our childhood,” the Minister said. The women leaders of the Trinamool Congress distributed leaflets containing details of welfare schemes, including Lakshmir Bhandar, Rupashree, Swasthya Sathi, and Kanyashree.
Scores of Mahila Trinamool leaders interacted with locals across the city while distributing sweets and exchanging Bijoya greetings. Trinamool leaders also raised the issue of reservation for women in Parliament.
While trams are used to highlight different social causes, women make up the core of the Trinamool’s support base. A majority of the 55 welfare schemes of the Trinamool Congress government are targeted towards women, and the idea of promoting welfare schemes for women on trams fetched positive feedback from citydwellers.
Trams in Kolkata completed 150 years in February 2023 and at present, there are only three operational tram routes in the city — Gariahat to Esplanade, Tollygunge to Ballygunge, and the recently reintroduced Esplanade to Shyambazaar. The State government is of the view that trams should be run as heritage mode of transport, and the routes should be limited to four, after adding Esplanade to Kidderpore to the existing routes.
