Communist Party of India (Marxist) - Violence against Women https://elections2014.cpim.org/tags/violence-against-women en Sitaram Yechury in the Rajya Sabha https://elections2014.cpim.org/content/sitaram-yechury-rajya-sabha <div class="field field-name-field-social field-type-addthis field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><div class="addthis_toolbox addthis_default_style addthis_32x32_style " addthis:title="Sitaram Yechury in the Rajya Sabha - Communist Party of India (Marxist)" addthis:url="https://elections2014.cpim.org/content/sitaram-yechury-rajya-sabha"><a href="http://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=300" class="addthis_button_facebook_like" fb:like:layout="button_count"></a> <a href="http://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=300" class="addthis_button_google_plusone" g:plusone:size="standard"></a> <a href="http://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=300" class="addthis_button_facebook"></a> <a href="http://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=300" class="addthis_button_twitter"></a> <a href="http://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=300" class="addthis_button_email"></a> <a href="http://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=300" class="addthis_button_"></a> </div> </div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-image field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="https://elections2014.cpim.org/sites/default/files/sitaram%20yechury_0.jpg" width="300" height="230" alt="sitaram_yechury" title="sitaram_yechury" /></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-date field-type-date field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><span class="date-display-single" property="dc:date" datatype="xsd:dateTime" content="2013-05-02T00:00:00+05:30">Thursday, May 2, 2013</span></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p>YECHURYS SPEECH IN RAJYA SABHA ON DELHI RAPE INCIDENT </p> <p>‘Lethal Combination of Feudal Patriarchy<br /> and Neo-Liberal Consumerism’</p> <p>Below are excerpts from the speech delivered by CPI(M) Polit Bureau member and leader of CPI(M) in Rajya Sabha, Sitaram Yechury in the House on April 22, 2013. He was participating in the discussion on ‘Situation Arising out of Atrocities and Social Exploitation of Women and Girl Child in the Country resulting in growing sense of insecurity in the society’. </p> <p>The CPI(M) staged a walkout when deputy chairman P J Kurien sat on chair during this debate. The CPI(M) is boycotting Kurien, who himself is facing allegation of rape, until his name is cleared or he resigns. Only when Kurien vacated the Chair under the pressure of this protest did Yechury return to the House to make the speech. </p> <p>WE would not have liked to participate in such a debate with any needle of suspicion on anybody sitting in the chair on a similar case. Therefore, I thank you for creating those circumstances. </p> <p>But, I rise with a very, very deep sense of anger, anguish and agony because the crimes that are committed against women nowadays have seen a manifold rise; and the gruesomeness of this particular crime, words fail me to actually condemn in the worst possible manner that it should be condemned. I can only recollect four lines that Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore wrote when he returned his Knighthood. I quote, </p> <p>"Give me a voice of thunder,<br /> that I may hurl imprecations upon this cannibal<br /> whose gruesome hunger<br /> spares neither the mother nor the child."</p> <p>It is with these words he returned his Knighthood. Today, the entire country will have to hang its head in shame that we are just not able to protect our mothers and children. Why this beastly behaviour against the five year old child? Can you imagine how depraved a society can be? Why is this happening at a time when all of us are considering ourselves to be emerging economy? We pride ourselves being a modern country. We are unleashing the animal spirit, which the prime minister keeps talking of, in this manner. Therefore, it is not surprising while we rub shoulders with high and mighty on the high table of the G-20 Summit, you have The Guardian posing questions. I quote: "Of all the G-20 nations, India has been labelled as the worst place to be a woman. But how is this possible in a country that prides itself as being the world's largest democracy?" </p> <p>TWO SETS<br /> OF PROBLEMS<br /> There is a survey conducted by Thomson Reuters' TrustLaw Women, a hub of information and support for women's rights. It ranks India with Afghanistan, Congo and Somalia as one of the most dangerous places for women. What is happening is that in every three out of four cases of rape registered, forget the unregistered, even in the capital city of Delhi, the culprits went unpunished between 2002 and 2011. The official statistics by the National Crime Records Bureau reveal that between 2007 and 2011, the incidents of rape increased by 9.7 per cent. I agree with Shivanand Tiwari that it is not only a question of policing that is important but there is something seriously wrong in our society that is getting more and more depraved; and that is something that this august House must contribute to try and correct. Therefore, I will say there are two sets of problems involved. One relates to the structural problems of a functioning democracy that is, our law enforcement and justice delivery systems continue to remain pathetic. Unless you have the fear of law, you can't have respect for law. With your law enforcement and justice delivery system being pathetic as they are today, you can generate neither fear nor respect for law. There is the Law Commission, which way back in 1987 drew up a blueprint to raise the judge-population ratio from 1.05 judges for every lakh population to five judges within five years. What is the status today? Twenty five years later, the ratio is still 1.4 judges per lakh population. </p> <p>How can you deliver justice? If you cannot deliver justice, law enforcement, crime enforcement cannot work. If justice is not delivered, why would investigations take place? Why would cases be filed? It goes down the line. There is an important point here, which I want the government to consider that this is not only an isolated case of rape, not only a general larger issue of great concern and anguish to all of us, that is sexual assaults against women, but this is also a larger case of the question of law enforcement and justice delivery system in our country. Unless that is improved and attention is paid to that, this situation cannot be remedied. </p> <p>QUESTION OF<br /> MODERNITY<br /> The second aspect deals with what is our practice of modern democracy. We call ourselves modern. A noted sociologist, Dipankar Gupta, who was my classmate at one point of time, a most noted sociologist in India today, defines modernity. I think it is important that we all realise this. He defines modernity as characterised by an attitude of equality with, and respect for, others. It is not as if in a modern society all are actually equal. Yet, in spite of the many differences that exist among people, modernity demands a baseline similarity so that people can live with dignity and can realistically avail of opportunities to better their conditions of existence. It is on this bedrock of equality that other differences and inequalities can be added on. But the foundational equality cannot be compromised for it is on this that claims of citizenship are made in modern societies. In traditional orders, there were rulers and subjects, but no citizens. </p> <p>We have a social order where there are still rulers and subjects. There are no citizens. We have a patriarchal order that continues to pervade in our society. I can only describe it by invoking a term of an Iranian intellectual who at the time of Ayatollah Khomeini-led Iranian revolution they were talking of the revolution coming from the west; they said this is a westernization of Iran that is taking place -- coined a term called westoxication, not westernization, but intoxicated with the west. I would like to extend this term modernity which we call ourselves in India; it is not modernity, it is modernoxity. It is intoxication with modern things. We can wear Gucci shoes; we can flaunt Mont Blanc pens, but when you want your daughter to be married, it has to be in the same sub-caste. When you want a choice between a son and a daughter, it is the son who is preferred. That is what is modernoxity. We are a toxic society with modern instruments to play with, but we are not a modern society. And that modern society has to be created. I am amazed. Sometimes, my family wonders why I spend so much time looking at the matrimonial columns. On Sundays, I look at the matrimonial columns only to identify the number of people who are NRIs, whose children have never set their foot on the soil of India, but they will put a column looking for a sub-caste match that they want. What is this? Is it a modern society? What we are creating today is a lethal combination. I would say it is a lethal combination; it is a venal cocktail of the hangover of feudal patriarchy and neo-liberal values of consumerism that we are generating, which Ms Mayawatiji has talked about. It is this lethal combination that is destroying our social values. It is this cocktail that is giving rise to all this that we are seeing today. These economic reforms have generated aspirations; they have generated all sorts of things that are shown in terms of TRP ratings in your television sets. That sort of a commercialisation where women are treated as objects of desire, as objects to be shown, but not as human beings, is what feeds the feudal patriarchal values, which continue to coexist. Unless this is shattered, we cannot really control this situation. </p> <p>These are not issues on which we would like to give long speeches, but I would only urge this august House and the government to consider that while the system of administration of our democracy in terms of law enforcement and in terms of delivery of justice is vastly improved; while that needs to be done, I think, as a collective body, the Indian Parliament should rise to see to it that this venal cocktail of lethal combination of feudal patriarchy and the consumerist values that today the neo-liberal reforms are creating, is not allowed to grow further. </p> <p>This is what is happening and unless you are able to identify the subject holistically, you will not be able to solve this problem. After the unfortunate gang rape that happened in December, one may just look at records. The home minister could please provide us the records. The number of instances of rape has increased, not decreased. What have you done? Have you publicised and made it fashionable! How can, after such a national outrage, rate of this sort of a venal crime increases unless the values of neo-liberal consumerism have actually glamourised something like this? Instead of containing that animal spirit, you are unleashing the most deepest depraved animal instinct in our society; it is something which cant be accepted. </p> <p>SLAY THIS<br /> DANGEROUS ANIMAL<br /> Therefore, I would urge this government to not take up these issues -- one case after another -- in a piecemeal manner and tell us that so many have been arrested and so many have not been arrested. Please do that; please enforce law; please deliver justice. But, at the same time, also understand that in the larger context of the economic reforms that you are following, you are unleashing a new animal in India. This new animal in India is the combination of feudal patriarchy along with your neo-liberal consumerism. That is a very dangerous animal. That is why, I would urge the government to accept the recommendations of Justice Verma Committee; please do whatever is required and needful. I am sure, everybody, cutting across every single political party represented in this House, would support any reform that would be brought about to improve our law enforcement and improve delivery of justice. </p> <p>We all have to contribute to changing the society. Shivanand Tiwariji quoted a noted writer. Firaq Gorakhpuri; he suddenly comes to my mind. All of us know that he was a professor of English. He belonged to a traditional Hindu upper caste family. Raghupati Sahai was his name. He taught English but he wrote Urdu poetry. That is India. He would be a Hindu, writing in Urdu and teaching English. That is the greatness of our society. Once, there were communal riots going on all around the country. There was a sher-o-shayari taking place in Allahabad. He was there and was not saying anything because he was very depressed. At that time, everybody insisted that he should say something. On their insistence, he said two lines. I just want to repeat those two lines. You know, in sher-o-shayari, it is to do with love, glamour and such things.<br /> “Haasil-e-husn-o-ishq bas itni<br /> Aadmi aadmi ko pehchaane”<br /> That is what we have to create. That is the basis of humanism one individual recognising the other individual as an individual. Unless we have that respect for each other, we cant solve this problem. So, while combining all other requirements of administration, let us collectively try to change the consciousness in our society that is getting degenerated by the day, by this lethal combination that I was talking of. Let us stop this from happening. I think, that is the biggest contribution we can all do to our own country and our society.</p> </div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/tags/sitaram-yechury" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Sitaram Yechury</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/tags/delhi-rape" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Delhi Rape</a></div><div class="field-item even"><a href="/tags/violence-against-women" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Violence against Women</a></div></div></div> Thu, 02 May 2013 13:23:16 +0000 murali 2398 at https://elections2014.cpim.org https://elections2014.cpim.org/content/sitaram-yechury-rajya-sabha#comments Note to Justice Verma Committee https://elections2014.cpim.org/content/note-justice-verma-committee <div class="field field-name-field-social field-type-addthis field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><div class="addthis_toolbox addthis_default_style addthis_32x32_style " addthis:title="Note to Justice Verma Committee - Communist Party of India (Marxist)" addthis:url="https://elections2014.cpim.org/content/note-justice-verma-committee"><a href="http://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=300" class="addthis_button_facebook_like" fb:like:layout="button_count"></a> <a href="http://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=300" class="addthis_button_google_plusone" g:plusone:size="standard"></a> <a href="http://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=300" class="addthis_button_facebook"></a> <a href="http://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=300" class="addthis_button_twitter"></a> <a href="http://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=300" class="addthis_button_email"></a> <a href="http://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=300" class="addthis_button_"></a> </div> </div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-date field-type-date field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><span class="date-display-single" property="dc:date" datatype="xsd:dateTime" content="2013-01-04T00:00:00+05:30">Friday, January 4, 2013</span></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p><!--break--></p><p>&nbsp;</p><div>Note Submitted to the Justice Verma Committee on Amendments to Relevant Laws and Measures to Deal with Sexual Assaults &amp; Violence Aganst Women</div><div>&nbsp;</div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:14.0pt; font-family:Verdana"><o:p></o:p></span></p><div><b>Some of the main points in the note are as follows:</b></div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>1. In the case of aggravated sexual assault/rape which would include gang-rape, child rape, custodial rape etc. the maximum punishment should be rigorous life imprisonment for the entire life of the person.</div><div>2. In other cases of rape, the maximum sentence should be life imprisonment.</div><div>3. In both the above categories the minimum sentence which is proposed in the draft Bill should be increased.</div><div>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; There should be no provision in the law which will allow courts to reduce the sentence even less than the minimum in the name of “extenuating circumstances”.</div><div>4. There has to be time-bound disposal of all cases of rape in courts. For this the law must provide for special fast-track courts.</div><div>5. In all cases of sexual assault the case must be completed within three months. No bail should be granted to the accused while the hearings are on as the entire process will be time-bound.</div><div>6. Public servants not implementing the law including timely filing of FIR should face punishment. In the proposed amendment on this issue in the Bill, a minimum punishment should be prescribed.</div><div>7. There must be rehabilitation measures including financial help mandated by law for victims of sexual assault.</div><div>8. Acid attacks on women must be treated as a serious crime. The minimum sentence for which must be enhanced and the maximum must provide for life imprisonment.</div><div>9. The law must mandate the setting up of a monitoring mechanism to aid the steps being taken by various agencies to prevent, control and punish those involved in sexual crimes against women including minors.</div><div>10. Clauses in the IPC and other relevant laws concerning sexual assault have to be gender specific and not gender neutral as proposed in the Bill pending before parliament.</div><div>11. Steps have to be taken to prevent the broadcast or publication of demeaning and highly sexist advertisements that commodify women’s bodies and promote aggressive misogynist cultures.</div><div>12. The legal framework against sexual crimes must make it mandatory to include in all educational syllabi in schools and colleges gender sensitization courses for boys and girls and young men and women</div><div align="right">&nbsp;</div><div align="center">****</div><div align="center">&nbsp;</div><div><b>The Full Text of the Note is Given Below</b></div><div align="right">&nbsp;</div><div align="right">January 3, 2013</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div align="center"><b>Note from the Communist Party of India (Marxist) </b></div><div align="center"><b>On Amendments to Relevant Laws and Measures to </b></div><div align="center"><b>Deal with Sexual Assaults &amp; Violence against Women</b></div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>This is in reference to the public notice issued by the Government of India regarding the formation of the Committee under the Chairmanship of Justice Verma to suggest possible amendments in the “ criminal laws and other relevant laws for quicker trials and enhanced punishment of criminals accused of sexual assault of an extreme nature on women.”</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>We believe that a much more holistic approach is required and regret that the terms of reference are limited only to these two issues. The Committee had been set up in the wake of the heinous crime of extreme brutality including gang rape committed on a young para medical student in Delhi. Subsequently, the young woman succumbed to the injuries inflicted on her. This particular case of gangrape and murder would certainly fall in the category of “rarest of the rare” cases. Within the existing legal framework itself the sentence could be the death penalty for the criminals for which there are already legal precedents.</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>However in a situation where crime against women and in particular the crime of rape is the fastest growing crime it is essential for the Government to review the present laws and the proposed amendments so as to cover all the major aspects. In this context we would like to draw your attention to the Bill introduced in the Lok Sabha on October 19, 2012, which seeks to “amend the IPC, the CrPc, 1973 and the Indian Evidence Act” in so far as it concerns rape and sexual harassment of women (henceforth referred to as the Bill). Some of these proposals are flawed. It will amount to the application of double standards to the crime of sexual harassment and assault on women if only clauses pertaining to a particular type of sexual crime are considered for improvement while the law remains weak and ineffective on a range of other issues connected with sexual crimes. We would also like to point out that in a society based on class and caste inequalities, women of the economically exploited and caste oppressed sections, particularly dalits and tribals are even more vulnerable to sexual assault.&nbsp; We therefore seek your indulgence in accepting this memorandum which deals with issues which we consider are germane to the prevention of and punishment for cases of rape and cases of sexual assault and harassment.</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>1. Clauses in the IPC and other relevant laws concerning sexual assault have to be gender specific not gender neutral as proposed in the Bill referred to above. It is a total trivialization of the issue of sexual assault on women to suggest that it is a gender neutral crime. Thus the amendments moved to sections in the IPC namely 375, 376,376A 376B, 376C and 376D to make them gender neutral must be withdrawn. We hope you will make this recommendation.</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>2. The Bill widens the definition regarding sexual assault which is welcome. However it falls short in enhancement of punishment.&nbsp;&nbsp; The Bill proposes amendments in Sec 375.2 (a to l) in the redefined clauses. The perpetrators of the crime in these sections are men who are public servants such as police personnel, management of staff of jails, other institutions etc. This list should be expanded to include army men, paramilitary forces. Sexual assault committed by them should be considered as Aggravated Sexual assault. Aggravated sexual assault should include gangrape, custodial rape, child rape, rape during communal or caste driven violence, rape of a woman suffering mental or physical disability, sexual assault which causes grievous bodily harm or disfigurement.</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>3. In such cases of aggravated sexual assault/rape the punishment should be rigorous life imprisonment till death.</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>(Where the sexual assault is accompanied by other forms of violence leading to the death of the victim, the rarest of rare categories, which could include the death penalty, may be applied by the courts.)</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>4. In other cases of rape the maximum sentence should be life imprisonment. It is found that courts rarely give the maximum sentence.&nbsp; It is therefore essential to increase minimum sentences in all cases of sexual assault from the existing level which are only seven years for rape and ten years for aggravated sexual assault/rape. The present legal framework also permits courts to further reduce the sentence to even less then the minimum in the name of extenuating circumstances. This must be prohibited.</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>5. The critical issue is the requirement for time-bound processes of justice in all cases of rape. The law must specifically mention the formation of special fast track courts for all cases of rape.</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>6. In all cases of sexual assault the case must be completed within three months.</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>7. Since our proposal is for speedy justice, the accused must by law continue to remain in jail till the verdict is pronounced. No bail can be granted to a rape accused while the hearings are on as the entire process will be time-bound.</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>8. Public servants not implementing the law including timely filing of FIR should be punished with a minimum punishment of one year and fine which may extend to three years. In the proposed amendment on this issue in the Bill there is no minimum prescribed.</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>9. There must be rehabilitation measures including financial help mandated by law for victims of sexual assault which should be decided according to the requirements. It is humiliating and insulting to women when so-called rape compensation packages are declared such as 20,000 rupees etc. by some State Governments. The rehabilitation should include medical expenses and also may also include a Government job. Counselling and other help must be mandatorily provided.</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>10. Acid attacks on women are a fast growing crime. A new clause is sought to be introduced in the Bill under Sec 325 B. Depending on the extent of injury the law must provide for life imprisonment while the minimum sentence must also be enhanced. The law must provide for medical rehabilitation.</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>11. Sec 354 and 509, which contains such archaic terms as “outraging the modesty of a woman” must be redrafted to specifically use the term sexual harassment and the punishment enhanced. Sexual harassment has nothing to do with the modesty of a woman and everything to do with impermissible sexual behaviour and assertion of power by the criminals. The sentence should be enhanced to a minimum of one to five years depending on the degree of harassment, whether verbal, physical etc. and also a fine imposed. Serial offenders should be punished with the maximum.</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>12. In this connection steps are required to prevent the broadcast or publication of demeaning and highly sexist advertisements that tend to commodify women’s bodies. With the wide reach of satellite channels these advertisements promote aggressive misogynist cultures. The relevant rules and laws must be amended to prevent such advertisements, since on this count, self-regulation has failed.</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>13. The law must mandate the setting up of a monitoring mechanism to audit the steps being taken by various Government agencies to prevent, control and punish those involved in sexual crimes against women including minors. An annual report of the monitoring mechanism must be made public.</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>14. The legal framework against sexual crimes must make it mandatory to include in all educational syllabuses in schools and colleges, gender sensitization courses for boys and girls, men and women. This is essential to change the thinking of a predominantly male-child preference based society along with culturally sanctioned retrograde male privileges.</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>15. In spite of the surge in so-called honour crimes the Government has failed to bring any stand alone law for the purpose. The illegal fatwas of Khap Panchayats are a case in point. These diktats range from fatwas on dress codes for young women and school girls, to bans on friendships, self choice partnerships, the punishment also ranging from boycotts to public lynching and&nbsp; killings. Narrow vote bank politics has influenced Governments leading to inaction and even encouragement to these self-proclaimed panchayats in spite of repeated instruction for action from various courts including the Supreme Court. We request the Commission to recommend a stand alone law to cover all honour related crimes and to take strict action against the diktats and their enforcement by the so-called khap panchayats including their disenfranchisement.</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>There are other flaws in the Bill and the legal framework which need to be addressed and which have been raised by women’s organisations.</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div><b>Administrative Steps</b></div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>Along with the legal framework, it will also be necessary for the Government to urgently take administrative steps. One of the critical issues is to make public spaces safe and secure for women at all times. This must include all forms of public transport. With the privatisation of&nbsp; transport systems, the accountability of the Government has been diluted and no action is taken against private bus owners. For example even now many buses in Delhi have black tinted windows. Strong regulations for security must be ensured and accountability fixed including punishment for officers guilty of non-implementation. Mapping of vulnerable areas in the city and towns must also be a regular procedure to be followed. Specifically, provision for&nbsp; public toilets for women must be made and the area be properly lit.</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>For fast track courts to be set up, it is essential for the Government to recruit a large number of judges at various levels. Recruitment must go hand in hand with strict standards of the quality of the recruitment. Judges often reflect retrograde social outlooks towards women. Thus gender sensitive standards must be set for such recruitments.</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>It will also be necessary to recruit many more women police personnel to be able to speed up the investigations and be involved in help-lines etc. and training courses are required for this</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>It is essential for the Central Government and the State Governments to work out standard operating procedures which should immediately come into place once a complaint of sexual harassment and/or rape is reported.</div><div>&nbsp;</div><p>We are aware of the far reaching recommendations you had made for legal measures against sexual harassment at the work place. Unfortunately not only has the Government diluted or subverted some of those important recommendations but it passed the Bill without discussion in the lower House while it is yet to be placed before the upper House. We mention this only because of our anxiety that without a comprehensive report on the issues connected with sexual harassment and assault, Government may find a short cut to ignore the issues which will be of great disservice to women and girls in particular and the society at large. It is with the request that the Committee take note of the wider issues&nbsp; involved that we submit this memorandum to you. The urgent requirement is to reform the laws and take urgent administrative steps to do justice to the brave young woman whose life was brutally cut short and also the countless others who have been victims of sexual assault and are yet to get justice.&nbsp;</p></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/tags/violence-against-women" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Violence against Women</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/tags/verma-committee" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Verma Committee</a></div><div class="field-item even"><a href="/tags/sexual-assault" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Sexual assault</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/tags/rape" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Rape</a></div></div></div> Fri, 04 Jan 2013 07:04:25 +0000 murali 1533 at https://elections2014.cpim.org https://elections2014.cpim.org/content/note-justice-verma-committee#comments On Violence against Women https://elections2014.cpim.org/content/violence-against-women <div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p><b><b>Resolution</b><font size="6"><b> </b></font></b></p> <div><b>Adopted at the 20<sup>th</sup> Congress of the CPI(M), Kozhikode, April 4-9, 2012</b></div> <div align="center"><b><font size="6"><b> </b></font></b></div> <div align="center"><b><b>On Violence against Women</b></b></div> <div align="center"> </div> <div style="text-align: justify; ">This 20<sup>th</sup> Congress of the CPI(M) expresses deep concern over the steep escalation in crimes against women, and is alarmed by the barbarity and savagery of the atrocities being  committed at a time when women are entering public life, institutions of learning, and diverse work spheres in increasing numbers. The crude commodification of women and the portrayal of women as sex objects in the mass media is highly objectionable and is not only demeaning to women but creates an environment which trivialises the crime of sexual harassment and violence against women.</div> <div style="text-align: justify; "> </div> <div style="text-align: justify; ">In the period between 2006 and 2010, crimes against women have registered an increase of as much as 29.3%.  While registered cases of domestic violence against women have increased by 5 per cent over the previous year to 94, 041 cases the number of dowry deaths is as high as 8391 in 2010. Yet there is a retrograde campaign to dilute even the inadequate clause 498 A which deals with this issue, which must be resisted.  The  increase in the number of cases of sexual assault and rape show that the safety and security of women is deeply compromised. There were over 94,000 rape cases registered in 2010, in other words in every hour seven women/children became victims of rape. Many cases go unreported because the victims belong to the poorer socially oppressed sections who have little access to justice. In particular sexual assaults on tribal and dalit women are greatly underreported. Shockingly, the conviction rates  in crimes against women is just  26 per cent which means that three fourths of the criminals get away scot-free. The failure to punish the criminals and the long delay in the judicial process is undoubtedly one of the reasons for the increase in rapes and gangrapes being witnessed in several parts of the country.</div> <div style="text-align: justify; "> </div> <div style="text-align: justify; ">This Party congress condemns the failure of the Central Government to make the essential changes in the legal framework even though Bills are pending for several years. India is one of the few countries which does not have a special law against child sexual abuse even though such crimes are increasing. Working women face increased cases of sexual harassment at the workplace, including horrific cases against young women in the IT sector, yet twelve years after the Supreme Court guidelines in the Vishakha case, the Government has still not enacted the required law. Even though crimes in the name of honour have increased the Government has refused to enact a comprehensive legislation because of powerful casteist lobbies.</div> <div style="text-align: justify; "> </div> <div style="text-align: justify; ">This Party Congress protests against the anti- women and utterly insensitive statements made by some political leaders who blame the victim or who call into question the veracity of her complaint. Recent outrageous statements by the West Bengal Chief Minister calling complaints of rape a political conspiracy against her Government, even while the investigation confirmed the truth of the victims’ complaints are an assault on the rights of victims for justice. In Karnataka the ruling party, the BJP has refused to take criminal action against Ministers watching pornographic films during the Assembly session. In Rajasthan, the Congress Government initially did its best to shield a senior Minister and MLAs from charges of sexual exploitation and subsequent murder of a dalit health worker who threatened to expose their misdemeanors. The law gets compromised and victim becomes doubly victimized by such insensitivity and  blatant bias by some political leaders and officials.</div> <div style="text-align: justify; "> </div> <div style="text-align: justify; ">This Congress demands sound, effective legal intervention to enforce timebound punishment of the guilty. The social, political, and economic factors leading to escalating violence against women must also be addressed in a comprehensive and gender sensitive manner.</div> <div style="text-align: justify; "> </div> <p style="text-align: justify; ">The 20<sup>th</sup>  Party Congress of the CPI(M) reiterates its commitment to fight against the increasing violence against women and for stringent punishment to the criminals in all such cases. </p> </div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/tags/violence-against-women" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Violence against Women</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/tags/resolution" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Resolution</a></div><div class="field-item even"><a href="/tags/20th-congress" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">20th Congress</a></div></div></div> Thu, 19 Apr 2012 06:16:53 +0000 murali 93 at https://elections2014.cpim.org https://elections2014.cpim.org/content/violence-against-women#comments