[Reader-list] Fwd: Women in Maharashtra State Assembly's Debate

[Nisha .]

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Sultan Ibrahim <sultanofpeace at yahoo.com>
Date: 27-Jul-2005 11:53
Subject: Women in the Assembly



*Women in Maharashtra State Assembly's Debate* 

When the dance bar bill got debated in the house some of us had been present 
to listen to the debate. This is what we witnessed!!!!!!!!

"Isha Koppikar. she is an atom bomb, attttom bomb."

"chutiyas . bhadwas.." [filthy abuses] 

"..these women who dance naked, they don't deserve any sympathy"

"...these women loot men and destroy their houses .. "

" these women who are opposing the ban, we will make their mothers dance.." 

These seem like statements from some sleazy dialogue that the roadside 
taporis indulge in.

Very sadly, these are statements made by our people's representatives on the 
floor of the house in the Vidhan Sabha. This was the third last day of 
the monsoon session. The contempt that was shown to all women in this 
session was appalling. The last comment is on all women's groups who had
opposed the ban. What we have produced here is only a sample. Throughout the 
discussion, across party lines, the elected members made such comments while 
ostensibly passing a bill to protect women's dignity! 

One representative narrated an incident of his
friend's daughter who had committed suicide because she did not get a job. 
He said it was more
dignified to commit suicide than dance in bars. The
house applauded. How the representatives of people can applaud when a young 
girl commits suicide when it is their anti-people, anti-women and anti-job 
growth policies that make them lose their means of livelihood in the first 
place, is a matter of grave concern. 

As women's organisations of Maharashtra, we are
extremely angered by the insensitivity and anti-women statements and 
atmosphere in the house. The undercurrent of the comments and discussions 
was pornographic and obscene and was greeted with laughter and sniggering by 
the predominantly male House. So much for protecting the Constitutional 
mandate of protecting the dignity of women. 

Women are more than 50% of the voters of this state. The utter disregard to 
the feelings and dignity of women exhibited by our so-called representatives 
is disgusting and needs total condemnation.

Signed by: 

Forum Against Oppression of Women
Majlis
Awaaz-E-Niswan
Akshara
India Centre for Human Rights and Law
Centre for Enquiry into Health and Allied Themes
LABIA
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