Saahil Suhail
SRINAGAR, July 9: Against Jammu and Kashmir Health department's nurse molestation case, students, activists, nurses and other youth forums today held protest demonstration at four major cities including in national capital-New Delhi.
Reports said that rights activists and nurses held strong protest demonstration against the lapses in J&K Health Department molestation case and increasing harassment of women at work places.
Protest demonstrations were held at Nirman Bhawan Delhi, Dadar Station Mumbai, Thrissur Kerala and Sri Pratap Park, Srinagar.
Raising slogans against Jammu and Kashmir Health Department, protesters said that in spite of punishing the accused- Director Health Dr Salim-ul-Rehman, state Government promoted him.
"It is ironic that the director who is accused of molesting a nurse was promoted on the same day," protester alleged.
In Mumbai, New Delhi and Kerala rights activist told that they are witnessing increasing instances of sexual violence against women in Kashmir, especially by close acquaintances such as teachers, employers and relatives.
They said that they have also witnessed blatant violations of the rule of law, flouting of legal procedures, denial of justice and character assassination of complainants with an intention to subvert justice.
The most glaring example of this is the case of a nurse employed in J&K Health Department who complained of serial harassment over years by several Health Department officials.
Under media pressure, an illegally constituted one-man committee called the complainant for "investigation" but her statements was not recorded. The committee was in complete violation of Supreme Court guidelines which require that the committee should be headed by a woman, at least half of the members should be women and that an external member who has understanding of these issues should be on the committee.
When the illegal, one-man committee gave a "clean chit" to the Director, the J&K Health Minister, Taj Mohi-ud-Din said, on record, that, from day one he knew that the Director Health was innocent. This statement is nothing but a blatant admission of bias.
Furthermore, on the 18th of June, 2014 when the so-called "enquiry" was still underway, the accused Director who had been an Assistant Director till then was promoted to the post of Deputy Director; (he continued to hold the post of 'Incharge Director', as earlier). Interestingly, the person who issued the order is none other than the person who headed the one-man enquiry committee! Under such circumstances, can it really be said that the departmental enquiry was fair?
To top it all, there is a case of perjury (Sec 182 RPC) against the complainant. The same police which displayed extraordinary reluctance in giving her case a fair treatment is now displaying extraordinary zeal in prosecuting her for having made a complaint!
Protesters demanded a committee under Vishakha guidelines be constituted and a fresh, High Court monitored probe should be initiated in the J&K Health Deptt case.
They also demanded workplace anti sexual harassment committees in Jammu and Kashmir and State Women's Commission should overlook the formation of the same within a reasonable time frame. |
