Fear of honour killing? Approach Mediation Centres

New Delhi, Jun 15 (UNI) At a time when honour killings are a shock not only to Haryana but also the national capital, Delhi government's Mediation Centres today reminded people that they are here to provide counselling and enable mutual settlement.

An initiative by Delhi Dispute Resolution Society (DDRS) in the Department of Law, Justice and Legislative Affairs of the Delhi government, the Mediation Centres are a forum in which an impartial and neutral mediator tries to bring the disputant parties to arrive at a mutually agreeable solution.

''In times when children and parents are not able to convey their feelings to each other in a right manner, these centres can provide an opportunity to ventilate their feelings and grievances and thereafter work out the solution to meet their interests,'' Principal Secretary (Law, Justice and LA) M L Mehta told UNI today.

He said both the parents and the children can be counselled thereby increasing the possibility of settlement.

Mr Mehta, who is also the Chairman of DDRS, detailed that mediation was done in a very neutral and friendly atmosphere.

''The mediator establishes communication between the parties and also listens to both the parties separately to generate options for amicable settlement,'' Mr Mehta said.

However, to a query, he noted that even in such counselling sessions, the mediator could not impose anything on the parties. ''The cases are solved through settlement but not by passing orders,'' he said.

He added that these centres could not take up the cases of honour killings as ''they are very serious ones''. The kind of cases enlisted in the rule-book of such centres
include family disputes, domestic violence, parent-child disputes, human rights, cross-cultural and religious disputes, among others.

At present, there are three such centres working in three different districts of the national capital located at Kasturba Gandhi Marg, Patparganj and IP Estate. Four other centres are coming up at Parliament Street, Rohini, Nand Nagri and Rajpur Road.

In addition, sub-centres will also be set up in public places like hospitals and markets.

The reminder comes a day after a girl and a boy, allegedly in a love relationship, were brutally killed by the former's family as the two belonged to different castes.

Online campaign to ban honour killings launched

New Delhi, May 18 (UNI) Responding against honour killings, a women's institution working on social action has launched an online campaign requesting the President of India to ban verdicts by Khap panchayats that justify cruelty and murder.

Launched by the Centre for Social Research(CSR), the campaign urges the citizens to support the initiative against the panchayats who have been dictating ruthless verdicts and operating as parallel courts, becoming a social challenge.

''The so-called 'preservers of the Indian tradition' are surpassing the Panchayati Raj Institution and Indian Judicial System thereby violating the rights of individuals in a democracy,'' CSR director Ranjana Kumari said.

The tyranny unleashed by the Khap panchayats on the pretext of safeguarding tradition needed to be quelled under threat of severe punishment, she added.

People can join the campaign by clicking on the following link, http//www.ipetitions.com/petition/bankillingsinthenameofhonor/.

Dr Kumari noted that the petitions will be sent to President Pratibha Devisingh Patil almost every day.

The social activist added that by creating the false impression that all marriages of choice between young couples are incestuous, ''the Khaps are actually opposing the right to choose a marriage partner.''

Referring to the Khap Panchayats in Haryana who are now seeking legal sanction for verdicts, she said, ''Lawyers and public representatives are backing such self-imposed caste-based dictators, mainly emboldened by the political patronage they
receive.''

She alleged that such self-styled counsels were common in the interior areas of several states mainly Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Rajasthan.

Condemning the gruesome acts of killings in the name of 'honour', Dr Kumari asserted that every adult has a right to marry a partner of his or her choice and no self-styled council have the right to impose their choice on them.

''There is a strong need to ban such panchayats and councils,'' she added.

Are you being stalked? Call Delhi Police's new helpline

New Delhi, May 15 (UNI) Delhi Police today launched an anti-stalking helpline for women to help them against the menace.

After the success of its anti-obscene calls cell, an initiative against obscene calls, the Delhi Police has taken this decision to help women in Delhi from such anti-social elements.

Various forms of media including newspaper and radio today carry the police advertisements regarding the helpline passing on the message ''Do not bear this silently!'' to the womenfolk.

The advertisements adds, ''Our anti-obscene calls cell has redressed 14301 complaints so far. We intend helping you against stalkers too.''

Delhi Police Commissioner Y S Dadwal announced it here yesterday and said, ''We intend to start an anti-stalking helpline from May 15, which we had set up last month. We hope that the helpline would go a long way in helping women against stalkers.''

Women can call the helpline by dialling 1096. They may also call the number 27894455, send their complaint through fax on 27292523 or send an SMS to 9911135446. They may also send an email regarding their complaint to acp-sit-dl@nic.in .

Delhi police to establish Anti Stalker Cell

New Delhi, Apr 23 (UNI) Extending their efforts to safeguard women in Delhi, the Delhi Police is going to launch an Anti Stalker Cell soon.

Talking to mediapersons here today, Delhi Commissioner of Police Y S Dadwal said the scope of the Anti Obscene Calls Cell in Crime branch will be expanded also to address complaints of stalking.

''Complaints of women in Delhi being harassed or stalked are often received by the police. The cell will record and take action to such calls,'' the Delhi police chief said.

He further said the helpline number, e-mail address and fax numbers will soon be declared through advertisements in newspaper and other media.

Referring to the Anti Obscene Calls Cell, he said the cell had received 12333 calls last year out of which 12103 were redressed to the satisfaction of the caller.

''This year also, the cell has recieved a tremendous response and so far, 14171 calls have been received,'' the Commissioner said.

Delhi women join protest against price rise

New Delhi, Apr 1 (UNI) Hundreds of women in the national capital today took to the streets in protest against the sky-rocketing prices while blaming the Congress-led state government for playing fraud with people.

Wearing garlands made out of vegetables around their neck and holding placards against price rise in their hands, women from various walks of life, including both housewives and working ladies, assembled at the famous Jantar Mantar and proceeded
towards Parliament Street.

''It is we who have to manage the house expenses. We become the biggest sufferers when the prices increase,'' Sujata Sharma, a houswife said.

All the protestors expressed their anguish over the increased price of LPG cylinders, along with other essential commodities, affected after the announcement of Delhi Budget 2010-11 recently.

''Proposing heavy increase through the Budget and making small concessions afterwards is like playing fraud on the people of Delhi by the Congress Government,'' BJP Mahila Morcha Delhi Pradesh President Sarita Chaudhary alleged.

The demonstrators were accompanied by BJP Delhi Pradesh President Om Prakash Kohli, Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Assembly Vijay Kumar Malhotra, National General Secretary Vijay Goel and many others. Many party councillors had
also joined in.

They alleged that the government usually takes the excuse of Commonwealth Games to cover up its failure to curb the price rise and sometimes revenue deficit.

''Why does not the government control administrative expenses and desist from wasting money on advertisements?'' they asked.

Karat confirms support for Women's Reservation Bill

New Delhi, Mar 10 (UNI) Communist Party of India (Marxist) general secretary Prakash Karat today affirmed the party's support for Women's Reservation Bill that was passed in the upper house of the Parliament yesterday.

''Our support to the Bill is as much clear and consistent as since beginning and will sustain that till it get passed,'' Mr Karat told UNI.

Replying to a question if the party would withdraw its support after the unprecedented ruckus created over the Bill yesterday in Lok Sabha and it had to be deferred till today, the leader asked, ''Where is the opposition that will lead to any withdrawal?''

He asserted that the party wanted to get it passed in the Lok Sabha in the same way it did in the Rajya Sabha yesterday after due discussions and debates.

The historic Bill, which would reserve 33 per cent seats for the fairer sex in Lok Sabha and state assemblies 186-1, was passed in the upper house after witnessing unruly scenes following which marshals were called into the House to bodily lift the seven MPs who were earlier suspended from the House for the Budget session.

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Women's Day coinciding with C'wlth Day an opportunity for women

New Delhi, Mar 8 (UNI) As the International Women's Day coincided with the Commonwealth Day today, it is an opportunity to further the Commonwealth's agenda on women's welfare, Dr Angeli Qwatra, Member of Medical and Health Services Committee for Commonwealth Games 2010 said today.

Calling it an opportunity for the women of India, Dr Qwatra said, ''Co-occuring of the two important days would help highlight the actions needed against practices derogatory to Indian Women and their status including gender inequality and discrimination.''

Dr Qwatra is a Safety and Rescue Management expert who is training more than 1500 individuals volunteering for Commonwealth Games 2010 on ''Disaster Management and Emergency Preparedness'' in and around Delhi.

''My mission is to empower all the women in our country with the basic life saving skills. A trained woman can be a saviour in case professional medical aid is unavailable,'' Dr Qwatra noted.

Referring to the significance of International Women's Day, she said, ''This day can be significant in highlighting the crucial role women can play in saving lives of others. This will promote the cause by creating a movement for safety preparedness.''

Dr Qwatra, who is also the chairperson of Philanthrope, an NGO that provides training on emergency aid measures to the masses, emphasised that the organisation gave priority to womenfolk as they happen to be the primary caretaker in the family who needed to be empowered to handle emergency situations.

''Out of our training database, about 60 per cent candidates have been women. Our focus remains more on safety related to daily life at home,'' she said.

Terming it as the biggest challenge Indian women are facing at present, Dr Qwatra asserted that even after being educated they ''are not prepared to handle the daily life emergencies which could make a difference between life and death of their
near and dear ones.''

The theme of the Commonwealth Day this year is ''Science, Technology and Society''. The public safety expert feels increased advancement has brought with it serious risks and challenges.

''We try to train people how to be prepared for handling victims of technology-related accidents and other man-made disasters like terrorist attacks,'' she said.

Dr Qwatra is an active member in implementing UNESCO projects on AIDS awareness in association with NACO, Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

As the Chairperson of Institute of Technology Dissemination and Environmental and Social Development, she has worked in association with Mewat Development Agency, Haryana, for the health education and empowerment of women in the backward and underdeveloped Mewat region.

She has also been on the editorial board of the journal ''Indian Anthropologist'' since 1996 and has to her credit research on 'Tribal Naga Students in Delhi', 'Gadulia Lohars', 'Economic role of women in Pauri Garwal', 'Chipko Movement' and 'Values, Options and Constraints of Educated Urban Women'.