National Dignity March reaches Ara

Kumar Rajiv Nayan

Ara : The National Dignity March (NDM) seeking to end the exploitation of women and girls and children reached Ara, headquarters of Bhojpur district, on January 25, 2019. The NDM leaders and had a meeting with the students at Dr Nemi Chand Girls High School, Ara.

Coordinator, NDM, Krishna Ji, said that the NDM was taken out from Mumbai on December 20, 2018, and passing through 200 districts of 24 states and union territories and covering about 10,000 km would culminate in New Delhi on February 22, 2019. The NDM was taken out with a view to apprise the women, girls and children, of torture, exploitation and sexual harassment going on in the country with impunity despite provisions of stringent punishment. She said that sexual exploitation of girls, women and even boys are serious problem in the society which needs immediate redressal.

Quoting the data of National Crime Reports Bureau (NCRB), Krishna Ji said that 83% rise in crime against women has been recorded. Altogether 1,85,312 incidents of crimes against women were recorded in 2007 which rose to 3,38,954 in 2016. She said that at least 25 lakh cases were registered against women in last one decade including 12% rape cases. She added that at least 106 rape cases were reported per day in 2016 but punishment percentage was only 18.9% in 2016.

She said that a child falls victim of sexual exploitation every 15 minute in India and added that altogether 1,04,976 cases including 19,765 rape cases and 12,262 sexual exploitation cases were lodged under Protection of Children from Sexual Offence Act during 2014-2016 of which 36,022 cases were instituted in 2016. She stated that at least 24,000 women and children were trafficked in 2016, an increase of 25% compared to 2015. She further said that the NDM is a stage where girls, women and children share their views, experience and  raised their voice against all kinds of exploitation without fear.

Interacting with the girl students, the members of NDM shared their horrible experiences and told them how to identify good and bad gesture, posture, touch at public places, schools, colleges and even at their homes and houses. They warned the students to be alert and cautious every time and be aware of their rights. They requested the audience to refrain from blaming the victims. The NDM also presented a song and a one act play highlighting exploition of girls, women and children and also its remedy.

The meeting was organised with the help of Geeta Mahils Utthan Samiti and its secretary Mani Pandey contributed a lot in this venture.