First time, spoke in a press meet. Thanks to Sri N.S.Mukunda, Working President, Loksatta Party Karnataka , Smt Rohini chandrakanth, Smt Meenakshi, veteran leaders of the party, for giving me this opportunity. Loksatta is committed to work on the cause of Child and women safety, not a mere assurance. Please go through the press release to understand our stand on this issue. LOKSATTA PARTY Karnataka State Unit Media Release (Bengaluru, 21/07/2014) Karnataka Legislature doesn’t have the right set of people to ensure safety of women, children: N.S.Mukunda Loksatta Party Working President Sri N.S.Mukunda, Secretary Sri CN. Deepak, Bengaluru President Smt. Rohini Chandrakant and Ms. Maithreyi Nadapana, Ward Leader, HSR Layout addressed the media today at Press Club on lack of safety for women in children in Bengaluru. Initiating the press meet Mr. CN Deepak said that “Today, women are not safe in broad daylight in Bengaluru, Mahatma’s dream seems so distant. Loksatta Party has been working for systemic changes at grassroots level by conducting safety audits in various wards across the city, training BMTC staff on gender sensitivity and improving public sanitation” Sri N.S.Mukunda said “We believe the law and order situation is due to complete failure of the Government of Karnataka and our legislature has many legislators with dubious criminal records – how can one expect the policy makers to ensure the right laws are in place?” “Police are not equipped with the right information – many of them unaware of Nirbhaya act. It is unacceptable for this city to be unsafe and perceived to be unsafe for 50% of the population. We need to address the problem and address the perception. We see NO ACTION despite many such incidents” Ms. Rohini Chandrakant, President, Loksatta Party Bengaluru City, demanded that Government take immediate steps to install CCTVs at all public intersections and crime prone areas and mandate that all educational institutes install them within a stipulated period of time. Ms. Rohini also highlighted the need for online submission of FIRs. Maithreyi Nadapana, Loksatta Party Ward leader from HSR Layout and a parent that raised her voice via online petition that went viral and received support from more than 35,000 citizens in a few days described her feelings as a mother of two young girls and how she decided to cope with the tragedy by fighting for justice, not just for this incident but for every child and every woman in Bengaluru and elsewhere. Maithreyi said that “woman’s right of movement, right to education and right to livelihood is constantly at threat while going to school, with campus rapes, acid attacks, and harassment in public spaces. A day doesn’t go without rape cases being reported from various parts of the country. There has been a remarkable increase in crimes against women and in particular rape in the past few days. These heinous offences have left most of us shocked. Making laws in itself is not enough unless we bring in accountability and increased responsibility from the law and order system and especially the police to take rapid and punitive action against these crimes. Any crimes against women should be dealt with in a strict and speedy manner with more serious offenses like rape resulting in severe punishment.” Loksatta has always demanded stricter laws for rape offences and plausible long-term solutions •Establish a permanent commission for women’s safety with no more than half the members from government, whose recommendations shall be binding on the government. •Create necessary monitoring infrastructure, like CCTVs across Bangalore’s public spaces, buses, bus-stands, institutions, educational campuses, parks etc. •Increase the number of women only police stations and recruit more women in police force within a strict timeline. In 2012 it was determined that of the 510 all women police stations in India, there were 10 in Karnataka of which there are 2 in Bangalore. •Setup, publish and operate functional 24x7 help line numbers. Opt for a PPP model to run these help lines professionally. •Ensure mandatory gender sensitization programs are conducted annually across all public offices including the BMTC, Police, BBMP etc. •Mandate parent teacher committees in every school, the recommendations of which are binding on the school. •Amend the POCSO Act to ensure that every school/educational institute management is brought under the ambit of the law and is made accountable & responsible for safety of students and staff in the premises. •We want swift delivery of justice. Bring stringent laws, establish fast track courts to try rape cases. Exemplary punishment & sentence must be sought under POCSO Act for those convicted of crimes against children. Give us a time line. •Ensure gender sensitization and self-defense techniques are taught in schools and colleges, both public and private. We at Loksatta believe that it is as much the citizen’s responsibility to work towards a safer society as it is the government’s. Thousands of parents coming out to the streets shows that there is no dearth of people who want to get actively involved. Loksatta Party provides the platform and direction with its group of eminent leaders who provide direction and to drive reforms in the public sphere. Media Contact : CN Deepak 9449559451 Loksatta Party 1677 17th Main J.P Nagar Bangalore 560078
Posted on: Tue, 22 Jul 2014 06:06:55 +0000