NHRC issues Notices to Chief Secretary, West Bengal and
State Chief Secretary and DGP, (Bihar)
New Delhi, 10 January 2007
The National Human Rights Commission has sent notice to the Chief Secretary, West Bengal on a report which said that a girl with boyish ways was paraded nude in a Nadia Village. The report which appeared in "the Telegraph" on December 25, 2006 said that the 19 year old girl dressed like a boy, rode a cycle and had short hair. Following her boyish ways, she was tonsured, stripped and paraded in the village. She was dragged to the village square and humiliated. Scores of onlookers who were witness to the whole happening did not come to her aid. The report also said that the victim was tied to a post and was released after two hours when one Ramkrishna Maitra and his family felt that she had suffered enough.
After going through the contents of the report, the Commission said it raises a serious issue of violation of human rights of a woman. The Commission has asked for a factual report from the Chief Secretary within four weeks.
The Commission also took note of another report which appeared in "the Hindustan Times" on the same day and said that a dalit girl's fingers were chopped off for pinching a few spinach leaves. The report said that 10 years old Khushboo was looking for edible herbs when she strayed into Pankay Rai's plot in Phuwaria Village in Bhagalpur, Bihar and pinched spinach leaves. The owner first assaulted her and then seized the sickle from her hand and chopped of all the fingers on her right hand. The report further added that a villager, who found the girl almost dead from excessive bleeding, rushed her to a doctor. The newspaper report also said that fearing for their lives, the girl's entire family fled the village but her father managed to lodge a complaint with the Akbapur police.
After seeing the report, the Commission felt if the contents of the report are true, they raise serious issue of violation of human rights of a dalit girl. The Commission has asked the State Chief Secretary and the DGP to look into the matter and send a factual report within four weeks.
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The National Human Rights Commission has sent notice to the Chief Secretary, West Bengal on a report which said that a girl with boyish ways was paraded nude in a Nadia Village. The report which appeared in "the Telegraph" on December 25, 2006 said that the 19 year old girl dressed like a boy, rode a cycle and had short hair. Following her boyish ways, she was tonsured, stripped and paraded in the village. She was dragged to the village square and humiliated. Scores of onlookers who were witness to the whole happening did not come to her aid. The report also said that the victim was tied to a post and was released after two hours when one Ramkrishna Maitra and his family felt that she had suffered enough.
After going through the contents of the report, the Commission said it raises a serious issue of violation of human rights of a woman. The Commission has asked for a factual report from the Chief Secretary within four weeks.
The Commission also took note of another report which appeared in "the Hindustan Times" on the same day and said that a dalit girl's fingers were chopped off for pinching a few spinach leaves. The report said that 10 years old Khushboo was looking for edible herbs when she strayed into Pankay Rai's plot in Phuwaria Village in Bhagalpur, Bihar and pinched spinach leaves. The owner first assaulted her and then seized the sickle from her hand and chopped of all the fingers on her right hand. The report further added that a villager, who found the girl almost dead from excessive bleeding, rushed her to a doctor. The newspaper report also said that fearing for their lives, the girl's entire family fled the village but her father managed to lodge a complaint with the Akbapur police.
After seeing the report, the Commission felt if the contents of the report are true, they raise serious issue of violation of human rights of a dalit girl. The Commission has asked the State Chief Secretary and the DGP to look into the matter and send a factual report within four weeks.
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