Sexual harassment at workplace: File FIR based on complaints by sportspersons

As the Delhi Police Commissioner refused to meet a delegation of the National Federation of Indian Women (NFIW) they staged a protest at the Delhi Police Head Quarters (PHQ) at Jai Singh Road, Central Delhi. NFIW members went to the PHQ to submit a memorandum to the Police Commissioner demanding immediate filing of an FIR based on the complaint given by young women wrestlers.
The protesters led by Annie Raja, General Secretary NFIW were detained by the police and taken to the Parliament Street police station and the DCP received the memorandum, addressed to Sanjay Arora, Commissioner of Police. Later they joined the wrestlers who were sitting on a day and night dharna at Jantar Mantar. Text of the memorandum:

***

The National Federation of Indian Women (NFIW) hereby registers its strong protest at the failure of Delhi Police to register an FIR on the complaints filed by the women wrestlers against Mr. Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, WFI President and MP.
Filing of FIR is the primary legal step of the justice process on complainants of sexual harassment. The POSH Act clearly states that the police is required to file an FIR and then investigate the crime, and not the other way round.
National Women wrestlers have accused the WFI president of criminal intimidation and sexual harassment.
The complainants are those young women who won national and international laurels for the country. With their sweat, on many occasions, our National Flag was proudly hoisted, as the winning country, standing tall over others. The entire Nation celebrates the victories of these young enthusiastic women who have brought glory to the country, as theirs.
The complainant also includes a minor, yet the police have failed to alert the NCPCR or file an FIR!! The charges are serious and require immediate actions from the police for justice to be delivered. It is not only shocking but shameful too to see the delay and reluctance of the Delhi police to file FIR and the criminal violation of POSH Act by them.
Our Constitution and legal system ensure that even verbal abuse is penalized and justice be delivered to the aggrieved. The primary job of the police is to safeguard the rights of the survivors of sexual harassment and violence. The Delhi police have been repeatedly found guilty of not filing FIRs but harassing the complainants. It is clear patriarchy, money and muzzle power that play a major role in this.
When internationally popular young women wrestlers have to stage day and night dharna for justice, how can the other women of Delhi trust and expect justice from the police.
Therefore, NFIW demands
 Immediate filing of FIR against Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh based on the complaints given by the sportspersons. These are cases of sexual harassment at workplace and POCSO.
 Ensure time bound legal process to ensure justice to the complainant as early as possible.
 Action against all those police personnel who failed to file FIR, timely, on the complaint.
 Immediate steps for Gender sensitization and awareness programme for Delhi Police on woman and child centric Laws. It is critical for safeguarding the dignity, safety and security of women in Delhi.

Comments

Whither space for the marginalised in Kerala's privately-driven townships after landslides?

By Ipshita Basu, Sudheesh R.C. In the early hours of July 30 2024, a landslide in the Wayanad district of Kerala state, India, killed 400 people. The Punjirimattom, Mundakkai, Vellarimala and Chooralmala villages in the Western Ghats mountain range turned into a dystopian rubble of uprooted trees and debris.

From algorithms to exploitation: New report exposes plight of India's gig workers

By Jag Jivan The recent report, "State of Finance in India Report 2024-25," released by a coalition including the Centre for Financial Accountability, Focus on the Global South, and other organizations, paints a stark picture of India's burgeoning digital economy, particularly highlighting the exploitation faced by gig workers on platform-based services.

Gig workers hold online strike on republic day; nationwide protests planned on February 3

By A Representative Gig and platform service workers across the country observed a nationwide online strike on Republic Day, responding to a call given by the Gig & Platform Service Workers Union (GIPSWU) to protest what it described as exploitation, insecurity and denial of basic worker rights in the platform economy. The union said women gig workers led the January 26 action by switching off their work apps as a mark of protest.

'Condonation of war crimes against women and children’: IPSN on Trump’s Gaza Board

By A Representative The India-Palestine Solidarity Network (IPSN) has strongly condemned the announcement of a proposed “Board of Peace” for Gaza and Palestine by former US President Donald J. Trump, calling it an initiative that “condones war crimes against children and women” and “rubs salt in Palestinian wounds.”

India’s road to sustainability: Why alternative fuels matter beyond electric vehicles

By Suyash Gupta* India’s worsening air quality makes the shift towards clean mobility urgent. However, while electric vehicles (EVs) are central to India’s strategy, they alone cannot address the country’s diverse pollution and energy challenges.

With infant mortality rate of 5, better than US, guarantee to live is 'alive' in Kerala

By Nabil Abdul Majeed, Nitheesh Narayanan In 1945, two years prior to India's independence, the current Chief Minister of Kerala, Pinarayi Vijayan, was born into a working-class family in northern Kerala. He was his mother’s fourteenth child; of the thirteen siblings born before him, only two survived. His mother was an agricultural labourer and his father a toddy tapper. They belonged to a downtrodden caste, deemed untouchable under the Indian caste system.

Jayanthi Natarajan "never stood by tribals' rights" in MNC Vedanta's move to mine Niyamigiri Hills in Odisha

By A Representative The Odisha Chapter of the Campaign for Survival and Dignity (CSD), which played a vital role in the struggle for the enactment of historic Forest Rights Act, 2006 has blamed former Union environment minister Jaynaynthi Natarjan for failing to play any vital role to defend the tribals' rights in the forest areas during her tenure under the former UPA government. Countering her recent statement that she rejected environmental clearance to Vendanta, the top UK-based NMC, despite tremendous pressure from her colleagues in Cabinet and huge criticism from industry, and the claim that her decision was “upheld by the Supreme Court”, the CSD said this is simply not true, and actually she "disrespected" FRA.

Stands 'exposed': Cavalier attitude towards rushed construction of Char Dham project

By Bharat Dogra* The nation heaved a big sigh of relief when the 41 workers trapped in the under-construction Silkyara-Barkot tunnel (Uttarkashi district of Uttarakhand) were finally rescued on November 28 after a 17-day rescue effort. All those involved in the rescue effort deserve a big thanks of the entire country. The government deserves appreciation for providing all-round support.

Over 40% of gig workers earn below ₹15,000 a month: Economic Survey

By A Representative The Finance Minister, Nirmala Sitharaman, while reviewing the Economic Survey in Parliament on Tuesday, highlighted the rapid growth of gig and platform workers in India. According to the Survey, the number of gig workers has increased from 7.7 million to around 12 million, marking a growth of about 55 percent. Their share in the overall workforce is projected to rise from 2 percent to 6.7 percent, with gig workers expected to contribute approximately ₹2.35 lakh crore to the GDP by 2030. The Survey also noted that over 40 percent of gig workers earn less than ₹15,000 per month.

Search This Blog