Ubeer Naqushbandi
SRINAGAR
While stating that society that ill-treats women doesn’t progress, DIG Central Kashmir range Ghulam Hassan Bhat Tuesday said police are committed to safeguard the interests of womenfolk in Kashmir but lack of manpower and proper policing remain obstacles in this endeavour.
DIG Bhat was speaking in a Women’s day seminar titled ‘Pledge for Parity’ organised by Kashmir University. The seminar was aimed to highlight crime against women under the theme of ‘sensitization of police and media personnel in curbing violence against women’.
“There are only two women police stations in state—one at Srinagar and other at Jammu—which is also a cause for unreported crimes related to women,” DIG Bhat said. “There is also dearth of women staff in police. Currently we posses 2265 females in police department out of which 49 are at gazetted posts.”
There are also suitable courses currently for sanitization of crimes against women and only one institution National Police Academy is catering to it, DIG said. “There have been 41 instances of suicide in 2015 out of which only 6 were reported in police stations, 15 went unreported and 15 were not verified despite efforts being made by SIT.”
“Crimes are high either in advance or conservative societies,” said VC Prof Khursheed Andrabi. “It is us who have to decide what should be our paradigm.”
Referring to ‘pheran as a symbol of ‘adab’(heritage), Prof Andrabi said, “our grandmothers not only used this long robe to save themselves from nine month chill in valley, but as a shield for their modesty. It is high time for us to come out of inferiority complex of West and behave as what we are in reality.”
Prof Neelofar Khan, Dean College Students Welfare and coordinator of the event while welcoming the guests said that role of media and police is very important while sensitizing about the issues related to crime against women. “Strong policing is dire need so that crime rate will be lowered,” Prof Khan said. “Individual efforts are must to brought menaces of dowry, eve-teasing and divorce.”
For passports, women come to police stations for verification but when it comes to highlight crimes perpetrated on them, they maintain silence which gives boost to unscrupulous elements in the society to perform more crimes, Prof Khan said.
On the occasion, documentary “Eve’s Silent Nightmare” made by Saleema Jan and Beenish Ali was screened.
