'Why Is NCW Chief Sitting In Delhi': DCW Alleges Inaction Over Sexual Violence Complaints From Manipur
Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) chief Swati Maliwal criticised the National Commission for Women (NCW) for alleged inaction on complaints regarding sexual violence in strife-torn Manipur.
Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) chief Swati Maliwal on Thursday criticised the National Commission for Women (NCW) over reports alleging that the national body did not take action regarding cases of sexual violence in Manipur despite receiving complaints about rapes and murders of women 38 days ago. Maliwal said she has written a letter to the Manipur Director General of Police and will visit the state day after tomorrow. This salvo comes after reports claimed that the NCW received complaints related to crime and violence against women, including rape and burning of houses of women in the strife-torn state in the past three months, but no response was received from them, an allegation refuted by NCW Chairperson Rekha Sharma.
"The kind of sexual violence that happened with the two girls in Manipur is very shameful. They were dragged naked in the streets, they were molested and gang-raped. The Chief Minister of Manipur has said that this is not an isolated case and hundreds of FIRs have been registered for similar cases in the past three months," Swati Maliwal told news agency ANI.
#WATCH | DCW chief Swati Maliwal on Manipur viral video case, says, "Whatever has happened with the two girls in Manipur is shameful...The CM of Manipur has said that this is not an isolated case & this has been happening over a period of time...such serious complaints were… pic.twitter.com/xZk0ulsRb6
— ANI (@ANI) July 21, 2023
Targeting the national body, Maliwal said: "We also got to know that 28 days ago girls from Manipur sent complaints to NCW where they mentioned the case of women dragged naked on the streets beside other cases... NCW was told a 15-year-old girl was kidnapped and raped. A widowed woman was brutally murdered. Such serious complaints were received by NCW 38 days ago and they haven't taken any action. Till now, the NCW has not reached Manipur."
"I have written a letter to the Manipur Director General of Police and will visit the state day after tomorrow. I appeal to him to help with the same. I want to meet the girls who were subjected to sexual violence and I want to find out what help they have received. Whether they have received counseling, legal help, or compensation along with assurance for justice," she added.
The DCW chief said she wants to visit relief camps to identify the complaints pertaining to sexual violence. She has also asked the Manipur Police to provide her with copies of FIRs registered regarding cases of sexual violence. She said she intends to speak with the complainant women and added that she also wants to know about the complaints filed against the police.
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NCW Chairperson Rekha Sharma Dismisses Reports, Says Manipur Authorities Didn't Respond
According to news agency PTI, NCW Chairperson Rekha Sharma on Friday said that she had reached out thrice in the last three months to authorities in Manipur over incidents of violence against women but did not receive a response.
Speaking to PTI, she denied reports that claimed the commission had on June 12 received a complaint about the incident of two women being paraded naked on May 4 in the ethnic violence-hit northeastern state but had not taken any action.
The NCW chief said she took suo motu cognisance of the incident on Friday after the video surfaced, and sought an explanation from authorities on the matter. According to her, she had received other complaints regarding women's issues and for that, she had reached out thrice to authorities in Manipur but no response was received from them.
"We had to verify the authenticity, and also the complaints were not from Manipur, some were not even from India. We reached out to authorities but no response was received from them but then we took suo motu cognisance when the video (of women being paraded naked) went viral yesterday," Rekha Sharma told PTI.
The letters were written on May 18, May 29, and June 19, PTI reported.
'Why Is NCW Chief Sitting In Delhi?': Swati Maliwal Asks
On this, Maliwal questioned the NCW chief asking why the national body has not visited the strife-torn state so far.
"If there was no response, why did she not go there to meet them (officials)? Why is she sitting here (Delhi)? The NCW needs to be present in Manipur where women have faced a lot of atrocities, but nobody is able to reach them," the DCW chief said.
"Did she ask the Police DGP to present the complainants before her? Did she ask the Home Minister to do so? If she couldn't go there, she should have called for them to come to Delhi. Who will take cognisance of the hundreds of complaints that the Manipur CM spoke about? There is only one, it is NCW." she remarked.
In her remarks to PTI, Rekha Sharma said that the commission did not summon officials because that would have meant that they will be away from the ground where so much is already happening.
"We could not have gone for an inquiry because of the issue of security of the team due to the situation there (Manipur), and if it was like other states, I would have gone there. We repeatedly tried to communicate through the period with the DG Police and the chief secretary but there was no response," she said, as per PTI.
The video of two women from the Kuki-Zomi community being paraded naked and sexually assaulted in Manipur continues to garner public outcry and condemnation. A man who was part of the mob that paraded naked two tribal women in Kangpokpi district of Manipur and was seen dragging one of them was among four persons arrested on Thursday.
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