Violence against women on the rise: chairperson
Source: Hueiyen News Service

Imphal, June 20 2011: Out of 37 cases related with violence against women and killing of them taken up by the Manipur State Women Commission during the current year till date, only eight cases were able to dispose.

The commission registered 31 cases in the previous year 2010 and disposed off 31 cases.

In an interaction with Hueiyen Lanpao, chairperson Dr L Ibetombi of the Manipur State Women Commission observed a rise in the number of violence against women in the state asserting that the commission received less complaint about violence against women in its initial stage.

Now a day, complaints against domestic violence against women like torture by their husbands and their families are coming up to the commission is increasing.

The entirely different case coming up in the present day was cheating by men who they know each others through mobile phone.

The complaints of women leaving behind after being conceived from their ex-marital affairs, men trying to escape saying the child does not belong to him and refusal to accept the child are coming up to the commission, she asserted.

Reminding that the state women commission was established in 2006 and the commission is dealing with the complaints related with the domestic violence, investigation into the complaints and solve the case if it can be done through counseling and if not investigate into the case to recommend to the concerned authorities of the government for action taken.

To take up action in accordance with the recommendation is upto the authority concerned, Ibetombi said asserting that the commission has no power to conduct trial and give judgments to award punishments to the wrongdoers.

Sometimes, with no power to decide judgment, the commission faces difficulties in discharging duties.

To cope with the problems, there had considerations to devolve more power to women commissions at the national level.

However, the women commission has the power to summon a person involved in a case related with domestic violence registered with the commission and now the police cooperates with the commission in arresting a person who defy the summon serve by the commission, she added.

There was a standing order of the DGP to the police stations to translate into work warrants issue by the commission.

Such cooperation is a must for the commission to solve cases.

The commission is currently conducting hearing twice in a week on Monday and Thursday.

During the hearing sometimes there erupted confrontations between the two rival parties.

To avoid such incident, there fell the need for detailing women police personnel and security personnel on these days.

With the increase in the number of complaint, the work volume of the commission is also increasing.

Compared to the volume of work, the infrastructure of the commission is also needed to upgrade.

Currently, the three members of the commission are working in a room.

The annual budged provision of Rs 40 lakhs is not enough to run the commission, he asserted.

Comment