Girls must have equal opportunities to lead, mere slogans cannot usher change: Mallikarjun Kharge
New Delhi (PTI): Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Friday called for ensuring that girls have equal opportunities to lead and are included in decision-making processes, asserting that mere slogans cannot usher in real change.
In a post on X on International Day of the Girl Child, Kharge said gender equality and justice are essential for achieving social, political, and economic progress.
"This year's theme for #DayOfTheGirl is 'Girls' vision for the future' which conveys both the need for urgent action and persistent hope, driven by the power of girls' voices and vision for the future," he said.
"We must ensure that girls have equal opportunities to lead by placing them at the forefront of change, amplifying their voices, responding to their needs, and including them in decision-making processes," the Congress president said.
Mere slogans cannot usher in real change, he asserted.
Kharge said it is vital to listen to girls, to invest in proven solutions that will accelerate progress towards a future in which every girl can fulfil her potential.
On December 19, 2011, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution to declare October 11 as the International Day of the Girl Child, to recognise girls' rights and the unique challenges girls face around the world.
The International Day of the Girl Child focuses on the need to address the challenges girls face and promote their empowerment and the fulfilment of their human rights.
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TN Assembly elections: Eight-month pregnant homemaker wins Thiru Vi Ka Nagar seat for TVK
Chennai (PTI): Before giving birth, she had already delivered a mandate—a symbol of hope for Thiru Vi Ka Nagar.
Echoing Delhi’s 2013 “common citizen” political churn associated with the rise of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), an eight-month-pregnant homemaker, M R Pallavi, has been elected as an MLA from Chennai’s Thiru Vi Ka Nagar constituency, emerging as one of the notable first-time faces of the Vijay-led TVK in the recently held Tamil Nadu Assembly elections.
In the narrow lanes of Thiru Vi Ka Nagar, a steady stream of media personnel has been making their way to Pallavi’s residence—a scene reminiscent of the result day in Delhi when journalists thronged the modest home of Rakhi Birla, who had won from Mangolpuri on an AAP ticket.
Pallavi, 36, a homemaker educated up to class XII, defeated the DMK candidate K S Ravichandran by a margin of 22,333 votes in the reserved Thiru Vi Ka Nagar Assembly constituency.
Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam emerged as the single largest party by winning 108 seats, while DMK and AIADMK got 59 and 47, respectively.
Pallavi’s victory has drawn attention due to her personal circumstances. She campaigned extensively while eight months pregnant, going door-to-door to reach voters.
According to local accounts, she even fainted once during the campaign but continued her outreach.
She has not spoken to the media following her victory, as doctors have advised her to rest. Her husband, Rajesh, briefly recounted her campaign efforts.
A self-professed admirer of actor-turned-politician Vijay, Pallavi joined TVK soon after its formation and is now among its first-time legislators.
Doctors have advised her to be hospitalised around May 20, as she is expecting her second child. Ahead of that, voters in Thiru Vi Ka Nagar have entrusted her with representing them in the state Assembly.
Political observers say the rise of candidates like Pallavi signals a possible shift in Tamil Nadu’s political landscape, with voters backing a new party and candidates from non-traditional backgrounds.
