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ITEM 1: The Hindu, July 18, 2004, Sunday `Dowry rules need more teeth' By C. Maya THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, JULY 17. While the newly amended Kerala Dowry Prohibition Rules have found general acceptance among social activists as a `positive first step', the dowry system has become so deep-rooted in society that much stronger measures would be required to tackle this menace, it has been pointed out. While some important recommendations put forth by the State Women's Commission (SWC) such as the appointment of officials specifically to enquire into dowry-related issues have been accepted by the Government, some other suggestions which would have acted as a strong deterrent to the practice of receiving or giving dowry has not been taken note of. The legal panel of the Commission had put forth the suggestion that apart from getting a declaration from Government employees that they have not taken dowry, the conduct rules of service be amended in such a way that anyone found to have received dowry may lose his job. N. Gangadharan, former Chief Judicial Magistrate and one of the panel members, said he had also suggested that any Government servant giving or receiving dowry be penalised for criminal offence. Such persons should also be disqualified for contesting elections to any post for which the remuneration comes from the State/Central exchequer. The Commission had also recommended that a ceiling be put on marriage expenses and on the amount of gold ornaments worn by a bride at the time of the ceremony. These suggestions, which would have sent across a strong positive message to society, have been totally ignored in the amended rules. Some have raised the concern that the declaration form to be given by Government servants, signed by the wife and father-in-law, could at a later stage be a deterrent for many to file dowry-related complaints. Because giving or receiving dowry becomes an issue only after a marriage is on the rocks. "The appointment of officials specifically to enquire into dowry-related incidents has been one of our long-standing demands because it would enable close monitoring of such cases. Also, unlike before, the enquiring officials now have clear guidelines as to how they should tackle dowry cases," said the chairperson of the SWC, M. Kamalam, welcoming the new rules. Dowry is a social issue and it is doubtful whether the law can do anything to stop this system, Aleyamma Vijayan, of Sakhi, an NGO, said. "Many of us who have been closely working with women on the field aren't exactly elated over the new rules because we fear that this might be another of those laws that remain on paper. Will any bride's parents complain about dowry if the groom's Government job is at stake?" she wondered. Large-scale campaigns should be organised to publicise the new rules so that the women are aware of whom they can approach to file complaints, Ms. Vijayan suggested. Dowry prohibition can be brought about only through major attitudinal changes in society; but the Government can help the victims of dowry harassment cases by setting up special fast track courts for women, she said. --------------------------------------------- ITEM 2: The Hindu, July 18, 2004, Sunday `Conventional family shackles women' By Our Staff Reporter THRISSUR, JULY 17. The noted writer and women's activist, Sara Joseph, has said that among the private and public spaces that human beings intervene, the conventional family is the most `ominous, oppressive, exploitative and reactionary' one. Participating in a discussion organised as part of the State conference of the women's collective, Kerala Sthreevedi, here today, Prof. Joseph said the much-talked about goal of equality of women can be achieved only if the popular delusion that `family is a pious institution' is shattered. Emphasising that the conventional family attributes no significance to women, she said religion is at the base of the concepts regarding a conventional family. Religion as a whole, particularly the Semitic religions, has always tried to relegate women to the backyards in all realms of human activities. Pointing out that conventional families are structures built on the basis of religion and socio-economic status of the husband and wife, Prof. Joseph said that even now a man and a woman cannot build a family on the basis of their mutual love and respect. Families are treated as the entry points, where a man and woman can enter into `legitimate sex'. But by forcing a woman to enter into a marital relationship with a man just on the basis of compatibility of religious and socio-economic statuses the society imposes its norms on the sexual experiences of individuals. Thus the conventional families deprive the rights of women even on their body. In conventional families, women are denied the ownerships of everything, including property, house and even of their child. The children are known by their father's identity even though it is the mother who has to endure the ordeals of pregnancy, giving birth and rearing up the child. Conventional families deny even the sense of identity and subjectivity of women, Prof. Joseph said. She said in such a context there are possibilities of women entering into lesbian relationships and forming families based on such relationships, as a shelter from the oppressive structures of conventional families. "Not that I advocate lesbian relationships as ideal ones, but it is for the men to find answers to the question as to how to avoid them,'' she said. Emphasising that the problems of women were becoming acute with the onslaught of globalisation and the consequent crisis in the agricultural and traditional industrial sectors, Prof. Joseph said the women have to strive to place their own superior sense of justice and launch a struggle in all institutions such as the family and political parties. The women's activists, K. Ajitha, Meenakshi Thampan and Jyothi Narayanan, were among those who spoke on the occasion. ------------------------------------- ITEM 3 The Hindu, July 18, 2004, Sunday NHRC urged to identify causes behind farmers' suicides By J. Venkatesan NEW DELHI, JULY 17. The Forum of Social and Human Rights has urged the National Human Rights Commission to constitute a panel of economists to identify the root causes for suicides by farmers across the country and suggest measures to solve this social problem. In a petition filed before the NHRC, the president of the Forum, Pentapati Pullarao, pointed out that farmers in large numbers were committing suicide in Andhra Pradesh, Punjab, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Kerala. While such suicides were also witnessed in other sections of the society, the issue among farmers was glaring. Dr. Pullarao, an economist, said the problem was that vast national and global changes were taking place in world economies and agriculture was one sector which was being affected everywhere. In India agriculture affected a population of 70 crores. Mechanisation, flight to cities, migration, change of crops, international trade in agricultural products, issues arising out of the World Trade Organisation's conditionality, lower import duties etc., had brought about major changes in agriculture. The NHRC could, therefore, take an overall view and find a solution by taking the advice of a panel of eminent economists from India and abroad. Dr. Pullarao, on whose petition, the NHRC had already issued a notice to the Andhra Pradesh Government, said this expert committee must analyse whether agriculture could sustain the large population of farmers and workers; whether the Government should change its policies to ensure that alternative employment and alternative sectors were developed. ------------------------------------------- Confederation of Human Rights Organizations (CHRO) 3, Rams' Cottage Ambalathumukku, Pettah Thiruvananthapuram-695 024 (Ph.: 0471-2476262) Web: www.humanrightsindia.com www.humanrightskerala.com |
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