Police indifference has been cited as one of the reasons for the repeated occurrences of domestic violence deaths and atrocities against women in Kerala. CPI leader Annie Raja has now given a twist to the phenomenon.
She suspects the existence of an RSS gang within the police force. Raja, the general secretary of National Federation of Indian Women, hinted that this could be the reason why certain sections of the police were intentionally acting against the government's policy on women's security.
According to her, the RSS gang has been active for some time. "They had behaved in a manner designed to dent the image of the LDF government just when it was taking effective steps to prevent atrocities against women and children," she said. "The LDF survived such right-wing conspiracies and came back to power. Now these groups within the police have reassembled with greater vigour to tarnish the image of the government," she said.
Annie Raja held up two recent examples to demonstrate police apathy. She said a poor woman living at Eravipuram in Kollam had to take refuge in a train with her two children fearing anti-social elements. In yet another incident, a 26-year-old woman, Sunisha, a victim of domestic violence, hung herself to death in her husband's house in Kannur. Annie said in both the cases, the local police stations were informed of the women's plight.
After the death of Vismaya on June 21, Kerala government had announced a slew of measures to prevent dowry deaths in Kerala. A dedicated toll-free number and a separate wing under a senior woman IPS officer were some of the measures. Right after he took over, DGP Anil Kant had also extended women's bike and cycle patrols to keep constant tabs on domestic violence. Still, incidents of domestic violence continued unabated.
Annie Raja also called for a separate Women and Child Department, and said it should have a full-time minister. "It is now clubbed with another department (Social Justice). Women's issues have to be dealt with separately," she said. Annie said that she would write to the Chief Minister pressing her demand for a separate department.
