Comrade Ahmadi, a popular leader in Uttar Pradesh, breathed her last in a hospital in Varanasi after she took poison. She was district committee member of party’s Mirzapur committee and district President of AIPWA. Born in a middle class Muslim family, she lived her life with exemplary courage amidst innumerable difficulties and intolerable tragedies.
Just after the birth of her child, she was divorced by her husband. Her father later gave her a two-room house and very small piece of land to live. But after the death of her father, brothers started quarelling with her, while few people started occupying the little piece of land. She bravely fought for her rights and during this struggle she came to know Party and joined it. The protests organised by the Party ultimately made the land grabbers retreat, and her brother too stopped harassing her. In this process she crossed the boundaries of the home, and became a dedicated activist of party. But she had to continuously face accusations and opposition from various corners, and sadly, tragedies never parted from her life. Her younger brother was very close to her. He was murdered but this death was reported as an accident. After some time, when she was going to attend a rally in Lucknow, her son was died of a snake bite at Chunar railway station.
Comrade Ahamadi had no formal education. She used to earn for herself and her son through the skilled handicrafts she used to create. After the tragic demise of her son, she denied taking maintenance money from her ex-husband and gradually she became a whole-time activist. She was always ready to go for the party work at any place and at any time. She was capable of organising people in very difficult situations, whenever needed. She used to collect resources from the people themselves for various programmes. She used to be at the forefront in all the struggles in Mirzapur district. Recently she led a struggle against the killing of an adivasi youth in police custody.
Some time back, her brothers snatched away the piece of land under her occupation after producing a fake will, and also locked both the rooms under her possession. Comrde Ahmadi sued them in court. And through the Party’s intervention, the locked rooms again came under her possession. But this again led to the escalation of tension with those brothers.
On 15 August 2013, she was sexually assaulted and beaten up in an auto while returning from some work. The police did not lodge an FIR even after repeated protests , including a dharna that Comrade Ahmadi staged.
This incident led Comrade Ahmadi to take poison on the night of 3 September and left us early morning on 4 September in a hospital. Her body was brought to her village in the evening, covered with the revolutionary red flag. Hundreds of villagers, Party’s Politburo member Ramji Rai, UP State Secretary Sudhakar Yadav, CCM Md. Salim, many leaders of the State Committee and many more comrades accompanied her in her last journey. A condolence meeting was held in her village, and the Mirzapur District Committee held a ‘Sankalp Sabha’ on 14 September in her memory.
The loss of this woman leader exemplifying the spirit of resistance has shocked the whole party. Comrade Ahamadi’s struggle for freedom, for a just and humane society must be carried forward. We must dedicate ourselves to accomplish her goal.
Red Salute to Comrade Ahamadi!
