Interaction programme held
Source: Hueiyen News Service
Imphal, January 21, 2012:
A One Day Interaction Programme on Denial of Women Access to Justice was held today at the Senate Hall of Manipur University.
The Women's Studies Centre, Manipur University organised the interaction programme in association with Human Rights Alert, Manipur.
Executive Director of National Council for Churches of India Dr Rongthong Chungi, Women and Child rights activist Nandini Thokchom, RTI activist M Kamala and Renu Hongjou of Extra Judicial Killing Victim Families Association attended the programme as panelists while Dr Arambam Lokendra as moderator.
Speaking on the occasion, Renu Hongjou said that her husband was killed by security personnel in a fake encounter.
The number of such widows whose husbands were killed by SFs in staged encounters are increasing day by day.
The widows are leading a life full of discriminations and sorrow while trying to raise up their children and educate them well.
Even though such fake encounter killings are happening frequently in the state, people of the state have a tendency to think that the victims might have committed a crime or they might have nexus with UGs.
It is high time for the people of the state to stop thinking like this and strive for a peaceful society where there is no such extra judicial killings.
It is not only the victims who suffered, but also their widows and their children who survived the victims, she added.
Women and Child Rights activist Nandini Thokchom said that violence against women is increasing in the state in the past years.
In order to stop such violence, it is very important to educate the women so that they can defend themselves from such violence.
The Manipur State Commission for Women who stood for women's right can only give directives to concern authority in favour of the victim.
It is also important to give extra power to the commission to provide more justice to women, she added.