Laws Framed for Women Have Loopholes: Tripurana
HYDERABAD: The interactive session on ‘International Day on Elimination of Violence Against Women’, organised by the State Commission for Women, started on a candid note on Tuesday.
Expressing dismay over persistent atrocities against women, Tripurana Venkata Ratnam, chairperson of the commission, wondered whether there will ever be a day where women’s groups could talk about the decrease in violence against women or do they have to keep harping about the violence to come down. The 16-day long interactive session which started on Tuesday at Potti Sreeramulu Telugu University here, will end on December 10.
Citing newspaper clippings dating back to 2000, she pointed out that it was reported, there are loopholes in laws framed for women and the situation remains the same even till date. She said that there is no hope that laws framed for women would be implemented or get justice when they approach courts.
“There is no need of more laws, but existing laws should be implemented effectively,” Venkata Ratnam said.
The chief guest of the session, B Subhashan Reddy, Lokayukta of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, said that his talk about the atrocities might sound repetitive only because the laws are not being implemented. “If I am called next year, I will say the same if the laws are not implemented,” he said. He stressed on how the ‘Compulsory Registration of Marriages Act-2002’ is not implemented by the departments concerned. Withholding the name of a principal secretary of Women Development and Child Welfare department, he said that the official did not know about the Act.
“We got a copy of the Act from internet and showed it to him. He acknowledged it and said rules are not framed. And then we had to show him the rules under the Act,” said Subhashan Reddy, adding a district marriage officer also asked if at all such an Act exists. Stating there are loopholes in implementation of laws, Subhashan Reddy said people should be educated about the laws. State Social Welfare Board chairperson R Sujatha Yadav was also present.