▁fam ine - str icken ▁communities . ▁On ▁ 1 7 ▁March ▁ 1 9 4 3 ▁MAR S ▁mobil ized ▁ 5 , 0 0 0 ▁women ▁to ▁march ▁to ▁the ▁Beng al ▁Legisl ative ▁Assembly ▁in ▁protest ▁against ▁price ▁h ikes ▁on ▁food ▁items . ▁The ▁Cal cut ta ▁march ▁was ▁followed ▁by ▁hung er ▁march es ▁in ▁D ina j pur , ▁Ch itt ag ong , ▁Mid nap ur , ▁Bad arg an j , ▁Mad ar ip ur , ▁P ab na ▁and ▁Bank ura . ▁MAR S ▁held ▁its ▁first ▁conference ▁in ▁April ▁ 1 9 4 3 . ▁It ▁was ▁pres ided ▁by ▁Moh ini ▁De vi ▁and ▁Ela ▁Re id ▁acted ▁as ▁the ▁organ ising ▁secretary . ▁ ▁MAR S ▁branches ▁were ▁set ▁up ▁in ▁every ▁district ▁of ▁Beng al ▁and ▁protest s ▁were ▁mobil ized ▁across ▁he ▁province . ▁By ▁ 1 9 4 4 ▁the ▁movement ▁counted ▁ 4 3 , 5 0 0 ▁members . ▁MAR S ▁would ▁later ▁play ▁a ▁key ▁role ▁in ▁the ▁T eb h aga ▁struggle . ▁" T eb h aga ▁and olan ▁J odi ▁pro deep ▁ho ye ▁ta ah ole ▁MAR S ▁h olo ▁sh ol te ▁pak ano " ▁( If ▁the ▁T eb h aga ▁movement ▁were ▁a ▁lamp , ▁then ▁the ▁Mah ila ▁At mar ak sha ▁Sam iti ▁( MA RS ) ▁represented ▁the ▁rolling ▁of ▁the ▁w ick ). ▁" By ▁the ▁time ▁T eb h aga ▁started , ▁a