Public meet calls for gender budget
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, January 20 2014 : A public discussion programme held today at Uchiwa Junior High School on the rising rate of crime against women and children adopted a strong recommendation for introducing gender budget in the next Budget Session of the State Assembly.

In the absence of gender budget, the State is facing acute shortage of manpower as well as infrastructure needed to control crimes against women and ensure their welfare, opined many of the speakers.

The gathering adopted many other recommendations too including establishment of a special investigation team to probe crimes against women and children that occurred in the State during the past two months.

Disposal of all cases related to crimes against women and children within six months and establishment of a fast tract court were some other recommendations.

It further recommended that the body of Farida Begum who was allegedly killed by her husband Md Siraj Khan should be exhumed for post mortem examination.

Booking all accused involved in the gang rape of a 14 year old girl, rape and murder of a five year old girl, murder of Mema Bibi and Sultana was another recommendation of the public discussion programme.

Later, a memorandum listing all these recommendations was faxed to Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh.

The public discussion programme was jointly organised by Society for Change and Development, Watch Group Uchiwa, Women Action for Development, New Life Foundation, Christian Network of Positive Women, Self Support Group, Khwairamband Keithel Lambi Mataida Potpham Phambi Lup, Domestic Violence Survivors' Forum and Conflict Widows' Forum.

Editors' Guild president A Mobi, Prof Chinglen Maisnam of Manipur University and HRA programme executive Basantakumar Wareppa spoke at the programme as resource persons.

Uchiwa Jr H/S Principal Oinam (O) Bilashini, social worker L Khamba and WAD secretary Sobita Mangshatabam were also present.

A Mobi noted that women in Manipur are subjected to systematic harassment.

Some people have a notion that it is right to suppress women.

This notion is quite misplaced and should be discarded immediately, he asserted.

Saying that gender budget has been already introduced in Tripura, Nagaland and some other Northeastern States, Chinglen Maisnam maintained that Manipur too needs gender budget.

Basantakumar Wareppa said that one needs to take permission from the Government of India if a military personnel accused of raping a woman should be tried in a Court of law as Article VI of AFSPA laid down that prior permission should be obtained from the Government of India if any military personnel should be put on trial in civilian Court.

The public discussion programme was followed by a mass rally.

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