The Chairperson of Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) Swati Maliwal talks about the issues concerning the crime against women in the national capital in an interview with Zaid Nayeemi. She said that the DCW is always available to help the girls and women of the city.
Excerpts:
What are the challenges you and your team are facing?
Our challenges are manyfold. One is, when I entered the DCW, the previous person handled one case in eight years. There were no systems or protocols and the DCW wasn’t taken seriously. However, things changed when I took over the charge. Right now, we are facing challenges as in lack of resources. There is a lack of coordination as there are two different governments involved. There are also a lot of threats and intimidation. While lakhs of people support us, there are a few politically motivated people who try to troll, give rape and death threats and no action is taken against them. Despite these, the DCW has handled hundreds of cases effectively. We have a very wide scale on-ground network through which we are able to help girls and women who are in distress, within the state as well as outside the state.
You said about the lack of resources. What kind of resources DCW is lacking?
We need more staff from the government, as we are handling hundreds and thousands of cases. We are in need of that kind of staff and funds to handle things more effectively.
What is your view on the issue of crime against women in Delhi?
It is very unfortunate that on a daily basis, six rapes are happening in the capital. There are gruesome murders that have been reported; stalking, molestation, cyber crime and domestic violence cases are on the rise. The people in our country are not scared. There is absolutely no deterrence against crime against women and girls. Until there is certainty and swiftness of punishment, I do not think much will change. A lot of effort is needed for mindset change too.
What are your views on capital punishment in the case of rape cases?
Capital punishment is one of the very important solutions for rape cases because there needs to be deterrence. I support the death penalty for the rapists of children. I had sat on a hunger strike, which lasted for 10 days and on the tenth day the law was passed.
How is the coordination between DCW, Delhi Govt and Delhi Police?
There could have been better coordination between all of them. That is why I have been demanding a higher-level committee for women safety issues in Delhi, in which, the Minister of Home Affairs should head it, with other members like L-G and CM of Delhi, Police Commissioner and DCW. If the police work well, then everything will be fine. I have been asking for such a committee for the last nine years. It is important that we all sit at the same table and discuss what needs to be done for the safety of the women in the city and take those steps. After one month, we can come back and review the steps taken.
You went to Manipur and had closely seen the situations over there. According to you, where did the government fail and what could have been done?
Look, right now, Manipur is burning and it is very unfortunate that while the country is talking about Israel-Palestine (which is also an important issue), I think less focus is given on Manipur. The government of India has to get its act together. The Prime Minister and the Home Minster should visit Manipur and see the affected areas and meet the people because the kind of sexual assault, violence, and burning of homes happened and still happening, is extremely disturbing. When I came back from Manipur, I gave a report on Manipur to the President of the country. One case went viral and some action was taken on that. When I went there for four days, I came across so many cases and till date hardly any action has been taken.
The DCW has received more than six lakh calls in a year on its 181 helpline number and above 40 lakh in the past seven years. How grave is the issue of women's safety?
On a daily basis, we are getting about 2000 calls on our 181 helpline number. It is a matter of great concern because we are getting all kinds of complaints. We have received complaints about an 8-month-old girl getting raped to an 85-year-old woman getting raped. Recently, a chained-up dead body of a Swiss national was found. The level of intensity of the crime and the number of crimes have increased.
Apart from the Nirbhaya case, which was the other case that shook you from the inside?
The Manipur video which I saw, impacted me a lot. In fact, I was not able to sleep for a month. There was a war-like situation in Manipur and neither the PM of the country nor the CM of that state visited that place. That video was the worst nightmare for any girl.
It has been alleged that BJP remains silent when crime against women happens in BJP-ruled states, however, it keeps the opposition on their toes if those incidents happen in opposition-ruled states. Your comment on this?
Right now, the country is facing unprecedented crimes against women and girls, and that should be the focus of all political parties, especially those parties that are in power. People need to rise above petty politics and they need to ensure that the strongest action is taken against the perpetrators. Everyone needs to hold hands and come together. The Centre has a very important role to play in this, along with the State government. I would like to appeal to the PM of this country to immediately call a meeting of CMs of all the states to sit down together and strategize and think of a way how women and girls can be treated equally.
What opinions do you have about the working of the National Commission for Women (NCW)?
NCW is an autonomous body. It is really unfortunate that whether it was the wrestlers’ case or Manipur case or Ram Rahim getting payroll every now and then or the release of convicts of Bilkis Bano case, no action was taken or any statement was made by the NCW. Everyone should rise above politics and work for the women and girls of the country.
Delay in providing justice to the women who survived crimes against them is a major issue. What is the way ahead for this?
I repeat that we need to ensure certainty and swiftness of punishment. The system needs to be changed. Firstly, the accountability of police needs to be set. Second, we need to have more fast-track courts and they should also function in a manner so that justice is served in a speedy way. The other thing is that the forensics needs to be improved and better shelter homes should be set up. I think, if all these things are done together, then the conviction rate will go up.
Take the case of TMC MP Mahua Moitra. Her private photos were leaked on social media. If these things can happen to an MP, how can ordinary citizens feel safe?
In January, after Anjali’s death, I went for an inspection on the streets of Delhi to just try to understand the situation and ensure women were safe after sunset and during night. At 3 AM, I was standing alone on the Ring Road in Delhi and wanted to see what happens if a woman is caught alone. I was also sexually harassed, then I registered an FIR and the person was arrested. When these things can happen to elected MPs and the chairperson of DCW, it can happen to anyone. Now the crimes are happening across the class. It is very important that before it increases to such an extent that no one is safe, it is crucial to make sure that everyone is safe.
What message do you want to share with the women of the city?
It is not easy for a woman to report the matter which happened to her. However, it is important that the women should report their cases. Women should never ever take abuse in any form silently because it actually affects the person badly. If any kind of abuse or assault is happening, immediately call the 181 or 112 helpline number. The office of DCW is always open to help women. Fight, fight, fight! Do not take abuse in any form.