National Federation of Indian Women condemns misogynist judgments, demands judicial accountability

By A Representative

The National Federation of Indian Women (NFIW) has held a press conference at the Press Club of India, New Delhi, strongly condemning recent regressive and patriarchal judgments by various High Courts that undermine women’s and children’s rights. The organization expressed deep distress over rulings that trivialize sexual violence, impose marriage as a "solution" for crimes, and blatantly disregard laws like the POCSO Act.

NFIW highlighted a shocking March 19, 2025, ruling by the Allahabad High Court, where Justice Ram Manohar Narayan Mishra stated that "grabbing the breast of a girl and breaking her pant string is not an attempt to rape, but an attempt to sexually molest." The case involved an 11-year-old girl attacked by two men in Uttar Pradesh’s Kasganj in 2021. Despite the accused attempting to push her under a bridge, the court dismissed it as mere "preparation," not an "attempt to rape," violating Section 7 of the POCSO Act, which defines such acts as sexual assault.

Syeda Hameed, NFIW President, said, "If touching breasts and opening a pant string is not an attempt to rape, what is? This judgment mocks the POCSO Act and decades of women’s struggles."

NFIW also criticized judgments where courts imposed marriage as a condition for bail or case closure in POCSO cases, undermining the law’s strict stance on child sexual abuse. Examples include the Allahabad High Court (2024), which granted bail to a POCSO accused on condition he marry the minor victim, and the Madras High Court (2016), which quashed a POCSO case after the accused married the 17-year-old survivor.

Nisha Sidhu, NFIW General Secretary, stated, "Judges are violating constitutional rights to equality. Such rulings must have consequences—removal from office and recorded reprimands."

Other concerning rulings cited by NFIW include the Bombay High Court (2021), which acquitted a POCSO accused for lack of "skin-to-skin contact," the Madhya Pradesh High Court (2020), which ordered a sexual assault accused to get a rakhi tied by the victim, and the Punjab & Haryana High Court (2017), which granted bail in a gang rape case, blaming the victim’s "promiscuous attitude."

NFIW’s demands include the revocation of the Allahabad HC judgment and removal of Justice Mishra for disregarding constitutional principles, strict directives from the Chief Justice of India against gender-biased judgments, punitive action against judges delivering regressive verdicts, including entries in their service records, and mandatory gender sensitization programs for the judiciary.

Annie Raja, NFIW Vice-President, warned, "These judgments embolden perpetrators and institutionalize patriarchy. We will launch a nationwide campaign for accountability."

NFIW urged the media and public to challenge such rulings, emphasizing that justice cannot be sacrificed at the altar of patriarchal norms.

Comments

When democracy becomes a performance: The Tibetan exile experience

By Tseten Lhundup* I was born in Bylakuppe, one of the largest Tibetan settlements in southern India. From childhood, I grew up in simple barracks, along muddy roads, and in fields with limited resources. Over the years, I have watched our democratic system slowly erode. Observing the recent budget session of the 17th Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile, these “democratic procedures” appear grand and orderly on the surface, yet in reality they amount to little more than empty formalities. The parliamentarians seem largely disconnected from the everyday struggles faced by ordinary exiled Tibetans like us.

Study links sanctions to 500,000 deaths annually leading to rise in global backlash

By Bharat Dogra International opinion is increasingly turning against the expanding burden of sanctions imposed on a growing number of countries. These measures are contributing to humanitarian crises, intensifying domestic discord, and heightening international tensions, thereby increasing the risks of conflicts and wars.

Dhurandhar: The Revenge — Blurring the line between fiction and political narrative

By Mohd. Ziyaullah Khan* "Dhurandhar: The Revenge" does not wait to be remembered; it arrives almost on the heels of its predecessor, released on March 19, 2026, just months after the first film’s December 2025 debut. The speed of its arrival feels less like creative urgency and more like calculated timing—cinema responding not to storytelling rhythm but to the emotional climate of its audience. Director Aditya Dhar, along with actor Yami Gautam, appears acutely aware of this moment and how to harness it.

Beyond the island: Top mythologist reorients the geography of the Ramayana

By Jag Jivan In a compelling new analysis that challenges conventional geographical assumptions about the ancient epic, writer and mythologist Devdutt Pattanaik has traced the roots of the Ramayana to the forests and river systems of Central and Eastern India, rather than the peninsular south or the modern island nation of Sri Lanka.

BJP accounts for 99% of political donations in Gujarat: Corporate giants dominate

By Jag Jivan An analysis of the official data on donations received by national parties from Gujarat during the Financial Year 2024-25 reveals a staggering concentration of funding, with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) accounting for nearly the entirety of the contributions. The data, compiled in a document titled "National Parties donations received from Gujarat during FY-2024-25," lists thousands of transactions, painting a detailed picture of the financial backing for political parties from one of India’s most industrially significant states.

Alarming decline in India's repair culture threatens circular economy goals: Study

By Jag Jivan A comprehensive new study by environmental research and advocacy organisation Toxics Link has painted a worrying picture of India's fading repair culture, warning that the trend towards replacement over repair is accelerating the country's already critical e-waste crisis.

Captains extraordinaire: Ranking cricket’s most influential skippers

By Harsh Thakor* Ranking the greatest cricket captains is a subjective exercise, often sparking passionate debate among fans. The following list is not merely a tally of wins and losses; it is an assessment of leadership’s deeper impact. My criteria fuse a captain’s playing record with their tactical skill, placing the highest consideration on their ability to reshape a team’s fortunes and inspire those around them. A captain who inherited a dominant empire is judged differently from one who resurrected a nation’s cricket from the doldrums. With that in mind, here is my perspective on the finest leaders the game has ever seen.

Swami Vivekananda's views on caste and sexuality were 'painfully' regressive

By Bhaskar Sur* Swami Vivekananda now belongs more to the modern Hindu mythology than reality. It makes a daunting job to discover the real human being who knew unemployment, humiliation of losing a teaching job for 'incompetence', longed in vain for the bliss of a happy conjugal life only to suffer the consequent frustration.

‘No merit’ in Chakraborty’s claims: Personal ethics talk sans details raises questions

By Jag Jivan A recent opinion piece published in The Quint by Subhash Chandra Garg has raised questions over the circumstances surrounding the resignation of Atanu Chakraborty from HDFC Bank , with Garg stating that the exit “raises doubts about his own ‘ethics’.” Garg, currently Chief Policy Advisor at Subhanjali and former Secretary of the Department of Economic Affairs, Government of India, writes that the Reserve Bank of India ( RBI ) appears to find no substance in Chakraborty’s claims, noting, “It is clear the RBI sees no merit in Atanu Chakraborty’s wild and vague assertions.”

Search This Blog