The wait for the much anticipated and awaited revised sexual offences and crimes against women bill just got that much longer despite the central cabinet holding two meetings in order to reach a common meeting point and evolve a consensus on the contentious issues and sticking points.......
Differences about the adoption of the adoption and incorporation of the women specific term "rape" instead of the gender neutral 'sexual offences' continue to be the bone of contention between the law and home ministries, while the ministry for women's welfare and child development has serious reservations about lowering the age of consent for consensual sex to 16 from the present 18.........
A few other cabinet ministers have their own axe to grind with the definitions of the terms 'stalking', 'voyeurism', and 'marital rape' as envisaged under this proposed legislation and the union law minister Ashwani Kumar has gone as far as venturing the opinion that the provisions pertaining to 'voyeurism' could prove to be a handy tool in the hands of unscrupulous women and add considerably to the woes of hapless men who have been at the receiving end of complaints of a sexual or violent nature.......
Sources in the know of things have let the cat out of the bag and said that the union finance minister is of the opinion that certain sections of this proposed law/s are a little too stringent for his liking and need to be tweaked further to ease their stringency, while Mr. Kapil Sibal is of the informed view that the proposed law is too 'loosely drafted' and will not bear or stand up to judicial scrutiny........
As things stand, a select group of minsters has been entrusted with the onerous responsibility of giving this long awaited legislation a concrete shape and structure and are expected to formalise this bill within the next week or so; the law minister's statement about the government of the day being committed to tabling this bill in the present session of parliament is the only crumb of comfort at the present moment......
Can the unsuspecting public take the union minister at face value and accept his statement with the proverbial pinch of salt considering the past track record of this government and it's avowed tendency to prevaricate and procrastinate every time it comes to making a much desired change on the ground, well, that indeed is the million rupee question.........
Differences about the adoption of the adoption and incorporation of the women specific term "rape" instead of the gender neutral 'sexual offences' continue to be the bone of contention between the law and home ministries, while the ministry for women's welfare and child development has serious reservations about lowering the age of consent for consensual sex to 16 from the present 18.........
A few other cabinet ministers have their own axe to grind with the definitions of the terms 'stalking', 'voyeurism', and 'marital rape' as envisaged under this proposed legislation and the union law minister Ashwani Kumar has gone as far as venturing the opinion that the provisions pertaining to 'voyeurism' could prove to be a handy tool in the hands of unscrupulous women and add considerably to the woes of hapless men who have been at the receiving end of complaints of a sexual or violent nature.......
Sources in the know of things have let the cat out of the bag and said that the union finance minister is of the opinion that certain sections of this proposed law/s are a little too stringent for his liking and need to be tweaked further to ease their stringency, while Mr. Kapil Sibal is of the informed view that the proposed law is too 'loosely drafted' and will not bear or stand up to judicial scrutiny........
As things stand, a select group of minsters has been entrusted with the onerous responsibility of giving this long awaited legislation a concrete shape and structure and are expected to formalise this bill within the next week or so; the law minister's statement about the government of the day being committed to tabling this bill in the present session of parliament is the only crumb of comfort at the present moment......
Can the unsuspecting public take the union minister at face value and accept his statement with the proverbial pinch of salt considering the past track record of this government and it's avowed tendency to prevaricate and procrastinate every time it comes to making a much desired change on the ground, well, that indeed is the million rupee question.........
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