Fighting crime against women

DICHEN ONGMU, EOI, GANGTOK , 7 Jun 2014: The women’s cell of Sikkim University today hosted a national-level seminar on 'Combating Crime Against Women' here at the auditorium of Tadong Government College.

Prof. Gangotri Chakraborty from the law department of the North Bengal University was among the key speakers along with Sikkim University History department head Dr. V Krishna Aananth.

Chakraborty said, “Crime against women was there in the past and it still is almost on a daily basis, which is a major concern for society. Earlier women in India were worshipped as embodiments of goddesses, but society today looks upon women as vulnerable subjects who cannot fight back.”

She added women are victimised by society and portrayed in pictures and films as objects of pleasure, and only women themselves can stop such an attitude by evaluating by their own role in society. Chakraborty urged the varsity’s students to break stereotyped mindsets that prevail in society.

“We have a number of laws for the protection of women, but they cannot be effective unless society’s mindset changes. Collective protests against crime against women are the need of the hour in Indian society and what is required is a grassroots movement,” said Chakraborty further.

Sikkim University Registrar TK Kaul said the first signs of reform should begin in the family, where the outlook towards women should be transformed. Society has to remain very sensitive on this aspect and there should be zero tolerance towards crime against women, he said.

Meanwhile, Aananth noted India is still battling for democracy and cited the high number of deaths among girls and women even today, adding this too is a major crime against women.