In an exclusive interview with The Pioneer during a road trip from Ranchi to Khunti, Rekha Sharma, Chairperson of National Commission for Women (NCW), Delhi talks about the women related issues in Jharkhand, the plan of amendment in the NCW Act and much more. Excerpts:
What are the most common types of cases you get from Jharkhand?
The most common type of cases from Jharkhand is of domestic violence. We also take suo motu cognizance, the last being Kochang rape case of Khunti district. Our two member team visited the spot after the incident and submitted our findings to the State as well as Central government. We found several loopholes in the case and also found involvement of the priest, which was later confirmed by the local police.
How many cases do you get from across the country?
Last year we got around 31,000 cases, almost 50 percent of them from Uttar Pradesh. However, many case from UP turn out to be fake too. The other states from where we get high number of cases are Delhi, Haryana, West Bengal and Bihar.
Do you get fake cases from Jharkhand too?
No, all of them are genuine but the number of cases is less as the people are not very aware. If there are cases which need counseling we forward them to the State Commission as they are doing a good work and it will also be easier for the victim to contact the local commission on a regular basis.
Human trafficking is a major problem in Jharkhand. What does the commission plans to do to solve the problem?
We cannot work on the ground level so we have to coordinate with the local police. We have found that there is a lack of will in the police of Jharkhand to deal with such cases and the gender sensitivity is also less. We organize sensitization programmes for the police regarding such issues. We have already organized two big seminars in Jharkhand and are planning to organize more.
Are there any plans of organizing seminars exclusively on the issue of trafficking?
Yes, we are planning to organize seminars in the source states because if trafficking is contained at source states, this will not be a problem in transition and destination states.
What should be the role of police in curbing trafficking?
The police needs to crackdown against the placement agencies. Also there is a need to work at the grass root level as most of the traffickers end up being relatives of the victims.
What are the major reasons for trafficking from Jharkhand?
Domestic work, prostitution, surrogacy and organ trade are some of the major reasons.
How do you think social issues like witch hunting and trafficking be solved?
The change can happen only at the ground level through awareness and education. We have to get people talking about these issues to bring a change. The government can only help if they take up these issues like a challenge and work on war footing.
How does the NCW help State commission?
A number of legal awareness camps are being organized at State level. Already around 16 to 18 camps have been organized and we have asked for an estimate for the next year. We provide financial assistance to the local commission and also provide resource persons as and when required.
Are there any plans of amending the NCW Act?
Yes, we are pushing toward amending the Act. It’s 26 years old Act in which no changes have been made till date. The commission does not have enough power. We want to get a number of amendments, the major one being able to spend on providing market opportunities to women entrepreneurs to make them self dependent.