New Delhi: A group of civil activists,
including those representing the Northeast, met Delhi Chief
Minister Sheila Dikshit on Friday to raise concerns over safety of
women in the capital and register their protest on police`s
lack of proactive action.
The delegation also asked the chief minister to make a
statement on the latest case of abduction and rape of a Mizo
BPO employee that shook the capital last week.
Dikshit has called another meeting with the activists
and NGOs at her residence tomorrow in which she will be joined
by Delhi Police representatives to discuss the issue of safety
of women in the city.
"We have a list of concerns and suggestions which we
want to raise in tomorrow`s meeting," said Madhu Chandra, of
the North East Support Centre after the meeting.
The main issue the delegation raised today and will
again figure tomorrow is the fact that the Delhi Police though
genuinely concerned is only reactive in its actions rather
than being pro-active, he said.
"Whenever such incidents happen, they raise the bar
and are seen taking measures but they tend to forget it after
some time," Chandra said.
He welcomed the police`s move to check the functioning
of BPO vans but said the checking should be on a regular basis
throughout the year, rather than for a fixed period of time.
Police yesterday announced that they have nailed the
culprits of the Dhaula Kuan rape incident and said they would
ask BPOs to enforce strict safety measures while dropping
their women staff.
The delegation members said there was also a need to
publicise the dedicated helpline number for women.
They said that their pending demand for a dedicated
helpline for women from the Northeast is also yet to be
addressed.
Chandra said they will also ask the CM to ensure that
the culprits in the Dhaula Kuan case are booked under the
SC/ST (Prevention of) Atrocities Act of 1995 which will not
only ensure a stricter punishment, but will also make the
victim eligible for a compensatory government job.
The delegation today comprised of representatives of
the North East Support Centre, Jagori, and the Northeast
Network, among others.
PTI
