Perturbed by reports of ‘honour killings' in and around the capital, the National Commission for Women (NCW) has asked the media to refrain from “glorifying” such heinous deeds and avoid using the term ‘honour' for them.
“There has been no tradition or custom of honour killings in India. It is a foreign term and needs to be described as barbaric killing,” NCW Chairperson Girija Vyas told journalists here on Thursday.
Supporting proposed legislation to prevent such killings, she said that the victims need to be protected and rehabilitated and awareness against this social evil built up. “The NCW believes that there should be punishment for those who provoke, encourage and support such negative social trends. It is equally important that the cases should be investigated properly and the judiciary should try the cases speedily,” Ms Vyas said.
The legislation should also include steps to sensitise policemen and protect the affected families. The role of civil society in creating awareness on the issue was invaluable.
On her meeting with the News Broadcasters' Association (NBA) and the Broadcast Editors' Association (BEA) on the content of the news and entertainment, Ms. Vyas said she supported self-regulation for news but was in favour of some kind of legal regulation for entertainment channels and advertisements.
She expressed concern over the objectionable and indecent representation of women on television serials and advertisements.
The chairperson said that when a crime is reported in the media, the penal sections and the punishment for it should also be highlighted to create awareness and prevent policemen from weakening the case at the probe level.
