EARLY TIMES REPORT
JAMMU, Mar 8: On International Women’s Day, shocking details about the women’s safety in Jammu and Kashmir are coming to the fore with figures revealing that on an average more than three women are assaulted in the erstwhile state every day.
As per the details available with the Early Times, there were 1385 cases of sexual assault recorded in one year in Jammu and Kashmir against the women, recording at a rate of 21.6 percent. These cases were registered under the head of Assault on ‘Women with Intent to Outrage Her Modesty’. Similarly, 244 cases of sexual assault on women were registered under Section 354A. Furthermore, there were 140 cases related to use of criminal force with intent to disrobe women, registered under Section 354B IPC. Six deaths related to dowry demand were also registered in the state in one year. Though as per experts the number of such incidents could be higher but due to social stigmas, such cases of heinous crimes go unreported. On the contrary, there were just 198 cases of assault against women registered in the otherwise infamous state Bihar. Bihar is often projected as a place with a greater number of crimes. However, as Bihar received 192 cases against women assault, JK recorded the number as 1385. In Arunachal Pradesh, such cases were 55. Jharkhand had 923 such cases. 39 such cases were recorded in Manipur. In Uttrakhand, there were 358 of such nature registered.
Interestingly, 40 percent of women in Jammu and Kashmir are physically or mentally abused by their husbands or in-laws. Most cases of domestic abuse are usually over demands for dowry, interference from in-laws, misunderstandings between the couple or birth of female babies. The administration of Shri Maharaja Hari Singh Hospital (SMHS) claims to have started registering an increasing number of cases of female torching as well as an alarming increase in the rate of female suicides.
Also, the officials here had claimed that the Total Fertility Rate (TFR) in J&K has come down from 2.3 in 2006 to 2.2 in 2009, a decline of 0.1 per cent in two years, but it is still much higher than the targets set by Government which is 2.1 per cent.
It has also been revealed that the figure of infant death was 48 per 1000 children whereas it fell to 41 per 1000 children in 2011. At national level, Neonatal Mortality Rate (NMR) is 28. Officials said that a high level monitoring committee on Infant Mortality Reduction (IMR) granted Rs 15.36 crore to reduce the death rate of infants across the state.
As per data, the state has 20, 27, 907 of the total child population. Of this; 20, 08, 642 are from the age group of 0-6 years. According to the census of 2011, this population includes 12, 30, 133 child population of districts Srinagar. Officials added that different strategies have been adopted for child health to reduce IMR in the state. |
