The time for conjecture and prevarication seems to be over at least for now as the Congress led coalition at the centre has for once put it's money where it's mouth is and honoured it's promise about ushering in or introducing a tougher and more stringent anti rape law........
President Pranab Mukherjee on Sunday evening appended his signature on the ordinance tweaking laws against sexual assault, laying down harsher punishments like the death penalty for offenders in cases of rape wherein the victim loses her life or is forced into a persistent vegetative state. The amended or changed laws come into force with immediate effect.......
The ordinance which also introduces terms like voyeurism or peeping toms, stalking or following women with a dishonourable intent, disrobing or stripping of women in public, and acid attacks as specific attacks under the Indian penal code had been approved by the cabinet late Friday evening.......
Though, the much sought after presidential assent has been procured despite the entreaties of various women's group to the contrary, the government's real troubles have only begun as it has to get the approval of both houses of parliament within a maximum period of six months from the date on which the ordinance was issued and this is going anything but an easy task considering the divergent views expressed by various political parties on this seemingly contentious and controversial subject.......
However, positive signs emanating from the stables of the principal opposition party namely the Bharatiya Janata party must have certainly warmed the cockles of many a ruling coalition minister's heart and raised renewed expectations about the smooth passage of this ordinance through both houses of parliament........
The presidential assent was accorded to this ordinance notwithstanding the shrill voices of protest by various women rights activists and bodies who termed the ordinance a cruel joke perpetrated on hapless women by a seemingly indifferent government and even went to the extent of saying that this ordinance will facilitate rising crimes against women instead of nipping them in the bud.......
Women's rights activists such as Vrinda Grover, Ranjana Kumari, Poornima Advani, Sunita Krishnan and others of their ilk assailed the ruling dispensation for it's abject failure to include the Justice Verma commission's recommendations on various contentious issues like marital rape against women exceeding 16 years of age, disqualification of all duly elected representatives at both the state and central levels in cases where they have been duly charge sheeted for sexual crimes against women.....
Questions were also raised about the ordinance turning a blind eye towards the Verma committee's recommendations on the chain of command issue wherein a superior officer could be held responsible for the conduct of his juniors and duly punished if his juniors perpetrate sexual crimes against women and also the proposed changes to the disputed Armed Forces Special Powers Act.......
Union law minister Ashwani Kumar however offered the proverbial olive branch to these vociferous voices of dissent by saying that the ordinance was only the first step in a journey of a million miles and that the proposed amendments to the relevant sections of the Indian penal code might assume an entirely different complexion by the time the proposed amendments suggested by the ordinance are debated and ratified by both houses of parliament.......
Can the doubting thomases and naysayers take the union law minister at face value and hope that the voices of sanity and reform in both houses of parliament will prevail over the conservatists and status quoists, well your guess is as good as mine in this regard.........
President Pranab Mukherjee on Sunday evening appended his signature on the ordinance tweaking laws against sexual assault, laying down harsher punishments like the death penalty for offenders in cases of rape wherein the victim loses her life or is forced into a persistent vegetative state. The amended or changed laws come into force with immediate effect.......
The ordinance which also introduces terms like voyeurism or peeping toms, stalking or following women with a dishonourable intent, disrobing or stripping of women in public, and acid attacks as specific attacks under the Indian penal code had been approved by the cabinet late Friday evening.......
Though, the much sought after presidential assent has been procured despite the entreaties of various women's group to the contrary, the government's real troubles have only begun as it has to get the approval of both houses of parliament within a maximum period of six months from the date on which the ordinance was issued and this is going anything but an easy task considering the divergent views expressed by various political parties on this seemingly contentious and controversial subject.......
However, positive signs emanating from the stables of the principal opposition party namely the Bharatiya Janata party must have certainly warmed the cockles of many a ruling coalition minister's heart and raised renewed expectations about the smooth passage of this ordinance through both houses of parliament........
The presidential assent was accorded to this ordinance notwithstanding the shrill voices of protest by various women rights activists and bodies who termed the ordinance a cruel joke perpetrated on hapless women by a seemingly indifferent government and even went to the extent of saying that this ordinance will facilitate rising crimes against women instead of nipping them in the bud.......
Women's rights activists such as Vrinda Grover, Ranjana Kumari, Poornima Advani, Sunita Krishnan and others of their ilk assailed the ruling dispensation for it's abject failure to include the Justice Verma commission's recommendations on various contentious issues like marital rape against women exceeding 16 years of age, disqualification of all duly elected representatives at both the state and central levels in cases where they have been duly charge sheeted for sexual crimes against women.....
Questions were also raised about the ordinance turning a blind eye towards the Verma committee's recommendations on the chain of command issue wherein a superior officer could be held responsible for the conduct of his juniors and duly punished if his juniors perpetrate sexual crimes against women and also the proposed changes to the disputed Armed Forces Special Powers Act.......
Union law minister Ashwani Kumar however offered the proverbial olive branch to these vociferous voices of dissent by saying that the ordinance was only the first step in a journey of a million miles and that the proposed amendments to the relevant sections of the Indian penal code might assume an entirely different complexion by the time the proposed amendments suggested by the ordinance are debated and ratified by both houses of parliament.......
Can the doubting thomases and naysayers take the union law minister at face value and hope that the voices of sanity and reform in both houses of parliament will prevail over the conservatists and status quoists, well your guess is as good as mine in this regard.........
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