Saharanpur, Mar 30: Indu Rani comes close to tears as she narrates the ill-treatment meted out to her by her husband as the court listens patiently. Her narrative is jotted down carefully and the six-member panel of judges extract more details from her. The judges set the date for the next hearing of the case, promising Indu that they will solve the case expeditiously.
This is no ordinary court, as can be judged by the promise of a speedy resolution and the empathy shown by the judges. This is one of the three `Nari Adalats' being run by the women of the villages in the Saharanpur district of Uttar Pradesh.
Basera, a small village in the district, is where the Nari Adalat was initiated in 1996 under the UN-funded `Mahila Samakhya' programme whose aim is to empower women though education.
Now there are two more Nari Adalats in the district which are hearing cases ranging from child marriage to eve teasing to violence against women and even dowry and are fast becoming popular as a cost-effective and less cumbersome option.
Last year alone, the Nari Adalats in Saharanpur, covering more than 100 villages, heard a total of 243 cases, 70 of which were decided and the rest were sub-judice.
Bureau Report