Opposing the Centre’s decision to move an ordinance on criminal law amendments in respect of sexual violence, women’s organisations, civil society groups and women’s rights activists have appealed to President Pranab Mukherjee “not to sign” it.
Arguing that virtually all suggestions of the Justice Verma Committee, hailed as signs of a paradigm shift in understanding violence against women, and all the recommendations that could strike at the heart of impunity seemed to have been dropped, human rights activist and lawyer Vrinda Grover said on Saturday. “An ordinance like this, implemented by stealth, only serves to weaken our democracy and betrays the trust of the citizens.
“We are alarmed at the complete lack of transparency on the part of the government in proposing an ordinance as an emergency measure. We wonder what objective and purpose will be served by such a hasty, non-transparent measure since the proposed law will not retrospectively apply to the Delhi gang rape case,” she said. Addressing a press conference here, women’s rights activist Kavita Krishnan said: “The ordinance… goes against the spirit of the Verma Committee’s report.
“While the Committee had suggested recognition of marital rape, new provisions on the offence of breach of command responsibility, non-requirement of sanction for prosecuting a member of the security forces accused of sexual assault and rape, and provision for trying them under ordinary criminal law for sexual crimes — none of this seems to have found place in the ordinance,” she said.
Keywords: Verma panel recommendation, anti-rape ordinance
First of all, why govt make a panel when they had to implement their own ordinances. Justice verma and his team has done great job by recommending some very good clauses but govt need to have good will to go ahead with the recommendations. Just to make protest die they bought time made panel but see what did they do. In the case of Lokpal also they did the same.Kejriwal and anna were right when they pointed out that all the member are corrupt we need to Flush out those members of parliament who had no interest in people of India but has one and only interest and that is Political career.
The protests against the Ordinance are useful only to the point that they serve to signal to the government and the opposition that the country still wants ALL the provisions of Justic Verma implemented. But otherwise, the protests aimed at showing the government as inactive in this context are thoroughly out of place. Here at least the govt. is showing its intent of acting in this matter. Let us not forget that the opposition has, beyond broad agreement, not specifically pushed for the Verma recommendation implementation with intent. Therein lies the nub of the matter - the govt knows that taking it to parliament will be a long-drawn task requiring delay, hence to signal a strong intent they are at least passing this Ordinance first - WHICH IS LAUDABLE ON THE PART OF THE GOVT SO LET'S NOT DISS THEM. The tougher things mentioned need parliament approval after all, so it's not that the govt is not addressing them, just following due process. I fully support the govt on this action.
The selective non-applicability of the provisions of the Ordinance
to Police,Army and government servants is deplorable and gives one a feeling that it is a tacit approval for these exempted categories to commit this heinous crime with impunity.
Was the dilution of the recommendations meant to protect those involved in the
Suryanelli case? Ours is a government for the government by the government and
the people come as a fly in the ointment.
Rights activists are up to destroy the institution of marriage little realizing that punishment for Rape within in a marriage will wreck the family if the intruding husband is sentenced to imprisonment. Irony is that the wife will herself will suffer from several angles and lose the family bliss No society much less the rights activists will come to their rescue.High talk is OK for high society women who can manage to live on their but not the poor and middle class. It is better to go slow as govt has rightly decided.Yes if sex without consent is to be treated as rape within a marriage it will be a tall and tough task for the law enforcement authorities. Moreover what happens within four walls will be difficult to establish leading to protracted court hearings and so on.There is also a good scope for misuse. In case cruelty or violence during such relationship current laws are adequate provided they are fast tracked.
If political class agrees to Verma committee's recommendation of making a candidate not eligible to contest election until proven innocent then we actually don't need "Women Reservation Bill". But, we know you political class are crazy of power and they don't like any thing coming between them and power. What a nice way to buy time by setting up a committee for eye wash and allowing time to make the protest die down. The political class is too selfish and corrupt that they are not able to take a tough stands against wrong. Govt. is failing to understand the sentiments of the people of this country.
Why do see only the half empty glass when it is half full? Let us implement the present law and go on modifying as & when the Society is matured enough.
Justice Verma report or passing a new ordinance will not deter rapits from what they enjoy to do. There is no teeth in the ordinance to scare the rapists. Teeth means the threat of death. Besides, there are couple of negative will happen with the threat of a death penalty. If maximum penalty is only life imprisonment, it will only help the criminals as well as the prison officials. A criminal with no means to buy food will be honoured with food all his life. The prison officials and the officials above them will have permanent souce of kick back money from government money alloted for the prioner's board and lodging. A permanent solution to the menace of rape can be achieved only if we are willing to study and adopt those succesful systems followed in those countries. Another thing is that if minors are exempt for severe punishment, it will only enourage them to embark on raping adventure.
One wonders if this bill will also go down like Lokpal, where due to
some small issues such as bringing PM under Lokpal, the larger purpose
of defeating corruption itself was forgotten.
Whats the great fuss? Whatever not included in the ordinance, will
be discussed in the parliament before it is made into a bill. Some
items in the verma commission report need to be discussed well.
It is unfortunate women activists are unable to distinguish between sexual assault by unidentified men and post marriage nuptials. It is not possible to club an act of violence outraging the modesty and the sensibilities involved behind closed doors of marriages performed with social approval as per the norms of various religious practices practised over the years. The start of the relationship is best determined by the parties concerned the groom and the bride. Cohabiting post marriage is a very difficult area to address while framing stringent laws for action against perpetrators of sexual assault. The women activists are taking a one sided view of the subject as if they themselves have been subjected to instances of sexual assault. Marital sexual assault would need to be addressed with due sensibility as it not a mere issue of our country but one concerning the entire human universe. Education and social factors have a role to play. Much can be said on the subject from both genders.
Congress Party believes India is still in the "ordinance" era of 1970s.India has moved very far from those times.Congress ,as well as all other political parties living in their 5 star bubble world, should embrace new India with its vibrancy,demand for transparency / openness from all classes,young and old,rural and urban.Otherwise,they will meet disaster in 2014 as would BJP if they continue their obsession with Hindutva when all of India wants progress on cutting corruption,bureaucracy,lower prices of essentials,more steady electric power and water supplies.I know no politician listens and wants to listen as they all want to manipulate voters as they did before.Let us see.
There is no rationale for asking the President not to sign the
Ordinance. It is already late. In fact this ordinance could have been
issued even before setting up the Justice Verma committee. What was
needed as a quick response to the savage brutality by the criminals in
the December gang rape case was the declaration of the govt's resolve
to award death penalty to the rapists. That the Justice Verma
Committee didn't recommend under the mistaken notion of world opinion
against capital punishment, but this government has done that in this
ordinance. The activists would render more valuable service to the
society by placing in public domain their own version of the law, as
the Anna Hazare team did about the Lokpal. We must remember that we
have yet to move from a gender bias to gender neutral view of rape.
The sexual assault in the ordinance covers that gamut.
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