KANGPOKPI, August 9: It is the need of the hour for all sections of the society to unite together and protect the rights of the people by remaining inside the Constitution of India and address the tremendous increase in crime rates against women, opined Senapati deputy commisioner Jacintha Lazarus.
She recommended a strong perspective to make the society free of all forms of crimes.
The deputy commissioner was speaking after launching a one-day workshop on International Humanitarian Law and Right to Life organized jointly by the United NGOs Mission Manipur (UNMM) and Naga People’s Organization (NPO) at Conference Hall, DRDA, Senapati HQ today.
The workshop was also attended by leaders of CSOs, tribe unions, youth bodies, apex women organizations like Senapati District Women Association, students, academicians, intellectuals, NGOs, human rights activists, social activists and students of the district and the State.
Advocate Basanta Wareppa, advocate L Sevananda, advocate Sagolshem Subharani Devi, and social activist Majabung Gangmei attended the function as resource persons.
While Basanta Wareppa emphasized on “International Humanitarian Law and its applicability in the Society” Sevananda and Majabung Gangmei stressed on “Laws and its contradiction to, right to life”.
The lady resource person advocate Sagolshem Subharani Devi sought attention from the public to crimes against women and it’s remedies.
Women form half of the population even then they have always been discriminated both by men and women and resultantly have suffered denial of rights and privileges entitled to them under various provisions of law including the constitutional rights, she said.
Women also suffered discrimination in silence asserted the advocate Sagolsem Shubharani before adding that self-sacrifice and self-denial are women nobility and fortitude and yet they have been subjected to all kinds of inequities, indignities, incongruities and discrimination.
The lady advocate continued that the principal of gender equality is enshrined in the Indian Constitution in its preamble, fundamental rights, fundamental duties and directive principles.
The Constitution of India itself not only grants equality to women but also empowers the State to adopt measures for special treatment and development of women in every sphere of life she averred.
Social activist D Dailord also shared on the present human rights violation in the district and gross human rights violation in the district.
Meanwhile, the consultative workshop recommended and urged the government to protect the right of civilians particularly article 21 of Indian Constitution; to follow the norms of International Humanitarian Law in the armed conflict zone; to repeal AFSPA, 1958 immediately without any condition as it Violates Rights to Life and other civil and social rights; to bring justice to the Oinam incident (operation blue bird 1987) and punished those security forces involved in the incident and compensate all the victims of the incident; to stop harassment/torture of civilians by security forces and to protect women and girls from all forms of crimes and abuses.
The consultative workshop also urged the non-State actors/armed political groups to stop inter-fractional fight and reconcile the differences and respect and implement the Geneva Convention, 1949 common article 3 and additional protocol-II of 1977
It also urged all community leaders of various ethnic groups must work unitedly instead of differences in high alarming conflict zone for restoring peace and development in the state under one platform and common vision as well as common goal for future generation while protecting the natural resources and also in the meantime protect and promote women rights in the community.
