Southern States - Kerala

Protest against dissolution of panel

By Our Staff Reporter

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM April 29. Members of various women's organisations marched to the Raj Bhavan on Monday to protest against the State Government's dissolution of the State Women's Commission and demanding that the Government be directed to recall the Ordinance disbanding the Commission.

The march, led by the All India Democratic Women's Association, Kerala Mahila Sanghom, Kerala Shastra Sahitya Parishad, Theeradesa Mahila Vedi and Kerala Sthree Vedi, was inaugurated by Meenakshi Thampan.

The leaders of these organisations also met the Kerala Governor, Sikander Bakht and submitted a memorandum to him. In the memorandum, they pointed out that the Commission members were neither consulted nor given any notice before the Government unceremoniously decided to disband the outfit.

They pointed out that a sitting judge of the Kerala High Court had been the chairperson of the Women's Commission and that it was unfair that she and her colleagues should be denied natural justice.

It was most surprising that the Government had opted to dismiss the Commission while the Assembly was not in session, by issuing an Ordinance as though it was one of the most pressing administrative and legislative task before the Government, the memorandum said.

The women's organisations also pointed that the Commission was in the process of taking up two cases of sexual harassment against ruling party members, that of K. Achuthan, MLA, on April 29 and that of two Ministers on April 30, when it was dismissed suddenly. The Government had deliberately suppressed these facts from the Governor while presenting the case for the dismissal of the Commission. They also said that the Government's argument that the financial crisis had forced it to dissolve the existing Commission and to reduce its member-strength from seven to three was not tenable. The chairperson was a sitting judge and three of the members were Government servants. The extra expenditure by way of honorarium was applicable to only three members.

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