Caste panchayats are not above law: NCW chairperson

National Commission for Women, a statutory body, was established more than a decade ago to fulfill its functions of addressing the grievances and accelerating the socio-economic development of women.

Its chairperson Girija Vyas, a former union minister and Rajasthan PCC president, and chairperson of the AICC’s media wing, has represented Udaipur Lok Sabha constituency in Rajasthan several times. Girija says she is working in the right earnest to improve the lot of women, “we have formulated bills and some of the bills passed by the Parliament such as the one related to ‘Domestic Violence against women’ and ‘ right to a share of a girl in her father’s property’ happened because of our efforts”.

On asking about the validity of caste panchayats passing edicts capriciously against women she said, “Caste panchayats should be debarred from indulging in such acts and they should have no rights to act against the constitutional laws.”

Expressing concern at the rising rate of crime against women, in particular rape cases, she feels there is a need to strengthen the law and review the existing provisions in the Indian Penal Code. “Indian Penal Code has to be reviewed to make the laws more stringent and a national conference in this regard is being organised on October 28 and 29 in the capital. I hope we will have something concrete out of this,” she added.

Showing her concern to the rising sex ratio, she admitted that prosperous families are going for female foeticides, “We are planning massive programmes to spread awareness. It is very strange that selective abortions are taking place in the educated families and economically rich states like Punjab and Haryana.”

When asked about the fate of thousands of bar girls in Maharashtra, who have been rendered jobless following the state government’s ban, she regretted the lack of ample rehabilitation measures for them. “We are upset about the things on the ground reality. Proper homework for rehabilitating the girls must have been done well in advance. We have asked the state government to do the needful for the bar girls”, she stressed.

About the danger of ‘desperate’ bar girls falling into the trap of wrong hands, she said the girls should take right steps in the right direction.

Talking on the pathetic condition of the response of the existing police stations to deal effectively with the women’s issues and the delay in setting up special police stations to dispense with crimes related to women, the NCW chairperson said, “We have suggested various state governments including Delhi and very soon all the police stations will have a separate table for the redressal of the crimes related to the women. The proposed table may be headed by a male or female, but it will solely be devoted for the cause of women.”

“We have also asked the respective state governments to increase the existing strength of women in police to at least 12 to 13 per cent from the constables to the upper echelons of the service.”

Advocating improving the condition of women in work places she said, “We have recommended the government to come up with a law dealing with the sexual harassment at work places and most probably it will be passed in the coming winter session.”

Blaming the constraints of the coalition for the dismal state of women’s bill, despite the Congress government in power at the Centre, she said, “Sonia Gandhi, at the helm of the party, Congress is keen to pass the women’s reservation bill but consensus is required of all the parties. We at the NCW have decided to organise women legislators from all the parties to pressurise all the parties. Hopefully in the coming winter session a new version of the bill will be tabled and passed by the Parliament”.

Expressing her shock at the rising trend of the selective abortions, more so by the affluent families, she said “we are asking the Government to come up with a penal law to discourage such detrimental practices prevalent in the society”.

Reacting to the edicts by the religious fanatics on dress code of rising tennis star Sania Mirza, she said it is entirely her choice or decision as to what she needs to wear. “Sania is a national pride and nobody should come in her way. It was a handful of people, who raised such undesired questions but was rejected by the larger society as a whole.”

Disasters, be they natural – earthquakes and tsunami – or manmade – riots – leave women as the worst sufferers, admits Girija Vyas unequivocally. “Yes we realise that fact and have studied the effect of tsunami and are again going to Chennai in this regard. We are exploring all possibilities to look after the needs of women in this regard and will soon come out with a workable plan.”

When asked about the possibilities of setting up of fast track courts for dispensing justice in cases related to women she said, “We have requested the Supreme Court and the respective state governments to set up such courts, to facilitate easy and timely justice to the women victims.”