Dimapur, June 30 (MExN): The Joint Action Committee for Women Reservation (JAC) has demanded an inquiry into the reported June 19 spate allegedly between women leaders and counsels of the Nagaland government in Guwahati outside the Gauhati High Court. The committee issued a press release today expressing shock that the government and its counsels would justify and disclaim harassment of women leaders during the incident which, the JAC said, was witnessed by many other lawyers and leaders in the court premises that day.
Irked that the Nagaland government would not order an inquiry as would any proper government normally have done in such situation, the JAC has appealed to the Nagaland Women Commission to undertake an impartial probe to trace out the facts.
The Joint Action Committee informed today to have deliberated on the press release issued by the Nagaland Government through the Chief Secretary of Nagaland Lalthara on June 25. The committee objected to what they called the ‘defamation and derogatory remarks’ of the Nagaland government on the abuse and harassment meted out to the Naga women delegation by the Advocate General of Nagaland outside the Gauhati High Court in Guwahati.
The JAC stated – “We are shocked that we have a government and a chief secretary, who is the executive head of the State, who defines public abuse and harassment of Naga women as ‘flimsy grounds’ to seek the removal of the Advocate General. The fact that the JACWR had submitted the serious representation to the highest authority in the state – the Governor of Nagaland and the Chief Minister of Nagaland, on the incident of abuse and harassment by the Advocate General on Naga women which has resulted in the shocking, callous and defamatory statement from the State Government , is highly questionable and objectionable.”
The committee said that the government has failed to set up any impartial inquiry into the incident but condemned the demand of the JACWR, based only on the version of the office of the Advocate general’s office.
“The State government’s stand of fully supporting the Advocate General Mr.Balgopal, who committed the abuse and harassment on the women leaders, in full view and as witnessed by many lawyers and women leaders themselves, speaks volumes on the total disrespect and lack of political will to protect women against violence, even outside the state,” the committee stated.
“High level Inquiry committees have been set up to inquire into cases of violence by the government, however, when it is committed on women leaders from different tribes, it is highly questionable that the government has taken a partisan stand to protect the Advocate General and compounded the abuse and harassment suffered by the women leaders, the committee stated. The JACWR has sought the attention of the Nagaland Women Commission to take “suo moto notice” of the case and instate an immediate impartial inquiry into the incident.
