Brazilian workers’ delegate Ruth Coelho Monteiro lights the inaugural lamp at the G20-Labour 20 Summit in Patna on Thursday. She later read the Preamble to the Indian Constitution, asserting that the document expressed the goals people and countries must pursue.

Monteiro, among the 173 delegates from 28 countries, is the director of human rights of the Brazilian trade union federation Forca Sindical. After reading out the Preamble, she said: “What we are trying to achieve is very well expressed in the Constitution of India. I think this is for all our people and countries to pursue.”

Bihar governor Rajendra Arlekar (hands folded) raised the issue of women’s security, stressing the need to discuss it at all levels, including at the G20. Governor Arlekar said: “Women’s security needs to be discussed at all levels, not only among the labour class. How and why these things are happening and how the other gender is reacting to our mothers and sisters in all parts of the society.”

The L20 summit is being chaired by Hiranmay Pandya, chairman of the RSS-affiliated Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh.