THE National Human Rights Commission is to be congratulated for taking the first step, even though much delayed, to bring justice to tribal women in the Bastar region of Chattisgarh. Its interim report confirms, through its independent investigation carried out in March 2016, the horrific gang-rapes, rapes, sexual assault and separately, physical assault, by security forces on 16 tribal women in different incidents in the Bijapur district of Chhattisgarh. The incidents occurred between October 19 and 24, 2015, in the villages of Pegdapalli, Chinnagelur, Peddagelur, Gundam and Burgicheru.

AN organisation of Muslim women has moved the Supreme Court with an appeal for banning the custom of ‘Triple Talaq’ or the practice of divorcing one’s wife by uttering thrice the word ‘talaq’. This case, the Law Commission’s view and the Centre’s opinion have generated a debate across the country. Our time is a time when the value of gender equality has been socially and legally upheld, thanks to the advancement in the fields of knowledge, science, thought and technology. Little wonder that a Muslim man’s right to divorce his wife by uttering ‘talaq’ has been questioned in many corners.

IN a statement issued on December 7, the All India Democratic Women’s Association has expressesed deep concern over the alarming increase in honour crimes and killings as has been reported by the minister of state for home affairs while answering a question in the Lok Sabha. According to the reply given by him there has been a 79 percent increase in just one year, ie, from 28 cases in 2014 to 251 cases in 2015. 

AFTER the conclusion of the Conference of Women Communist Leaders organised by the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) in Athens on November 10-11, along with comrades from Russia and Kazakhistan, I was being driven to the airport by a young member of the KKE, Lambrini.  On the way, she told me about her family, her political commitment and about the problems that young people in Greece face today.  She is 24 years old and has a brother and sister close to her in age.  Her father and mother are both dedicated Communist militants and she and her siblings also belong to the Party.  Her father was

IN the morning on October 16, a Sunday, young women from different parts of Delhi arrived at the premises of the state office of Janwadi Mahila Samiti to take part in a workshop organised by its state committee. JMS in its state conference earlier this year had vowed to take up the task of building organisation amongst young women on an urgent basis. It was noted that to overcome the lack of our presence amongst young women in any significant way, the state committee will undertake systematic steps to approach young women and organise them around their demands.