August 7, 2014
Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar makes a passionate appeal in LS to spread awareness against atrocities on women
It is really shocking sometimes – in dismay anddisbelieve I pinch myself – do I breath the same air as men do, and do I treadthe glades as men do in this country because I am still alive. Women are notallowed to be born in this country. The United Nations have sounded an alarm,they have declared emergency on India. The Assistant Secretary General ofUnited Nations has said that “the sharply declining the child sex ratio inIndia has reached an emergency proportion and urgent action has to be taken”.The deteriorating ratio of 977 girls to 1000 boys in 1961 stands today at 918only in the country and Delhi is no better; it is only in the 800s. In Punjabtoday it is 846 per 1000 men, and also 834 in Haryana. It is really shockingthat a little child, a little girl sleeping peacefully in her mother's womb, ismurdered by doctors. These erring doctors should be sent to the jail and iffound to be guilty they should really be hanged, I agree completely with mysister here who was speaking about it.
The sex ratio and the gender-biasedsex selection has really reached such an extent, the falling numbers can beattributed to many reasons which include dowry as already discussed and it istragically ironic that the one who creates life – that is the mother – is notallowed to be born, or not allowed to live, because even after being born, outof the 12 million girl children born every year in the country, one milliondon't reach their first birthday. They are killed even before they reach oneyear of their age.
Our State Government has takenpositive steps towards this. Our hon. Chief Minister Smt Mamata Banerjee hasrespected the reservation for women in the highest body of Lok Sabha byfielding nearly 30% candidates and here we are nearly 32% of our elected LokSabha Members are women. I am proud of her, I am proud of my party. She hasalso started the Kanyashree scheme;she is helping the girl children to study. The Kanyashree II scheme says at the age of 18 if she remains unmarriedand studying she is getting Rs 25000. It not only addresses the issue of education,it not only addresses the issue of empowerment because at the age of 18, if sheis unmarried, that clause, she remains to become a healthy mother and a healthychild is born and that addresses the issue of millennium development goal fine,where she is not killed during child birth.
The hon. Chief Minister startedgirls' hostel in the state, she has recruited women police, and she startedcourts to treat women's issues. So I would again request that we have enoughlaws, today's motion was the need to have stringent legislation to checkincreasing atrocities against women and children in the country. But we havelaws, we have laws against domestic violence, we have laws against sexualharassment; we have the Vishakha judgment and guidelines. It is not stoppingthe happenings that are taking place here. I would like to request this augustHouse that we have to sensitize our citizens, men and women equally. Women areequally to blame; they should have enough courage to stand on their feet andfight the world and then live and let live. Though there are stringent laws, implementationhas to be stricter, vigilance has to be kept, rape rehabilitation has to begiven a very strict thought and the awareness created. I am sorry to say thisGovernment has only Rs 100 crore in the budget for awareness, it is not enough.The citizens have to be made aware, that women should be respected. They arehalf our total population. Though they are doing 85% of the work in the country,they hold only 15% of the assets in the country.
We are three sisters, Mr ChairmanSir. When someone would ask my father aren't you sad you have only threedaughters, he would say, they are my sun, they are my moon, they are my words,they are my tune, they are my future, they are my assets. I know of anotherlady member of the house who is a single child whose father feels the same way.We need more fathers this way. Fathers who will be proud of their girl child,bring them up properly, give them education so that they are empowered.
Our scriptures do not havecontradictory vision otherwise we would not have seen Draupadi in such anempowered position. Our country has had many women who have led the nation towar. This is the best of time because we have the legislation and this is alsothe worst of times because we have the Nirbhaya cases. It is also an era ofregression because we have the khap panchayats, because we have honour killings;a girl cannot love on her own and she is killed because of the decision takenby elders. This has to be done away with. Hon. Minister is here, I wouldrequest the honour killings must stop. This is an age of resilience because wehave women here who are speaking against this social evil.
I would request an awareness becreated in the homes because we know more than 97% of the cases are inside thehouse; it is either the father, very sadly, it is the uncle, it is the cousin,it is the brother, it is somebody in the house who is raping the girl and whenthe girl is really ashamed to talk about it in the public this gentleman getsso much of encouragement that he goes out and does it to other people. So thedomestic violence and what is happening inside the house should be looked at. Itis not possible to have surveillance cameras inside the homes; we need a changeof mindset.
I would request that properimplementation of the legislation be done and also everywhere advertisementshould be put; Doordarshan reaches far and wide, the radio reaches far andwide, talks should be given on this issue so that people can hear and startrespecting women as they should be.
Thank you.
