NHRC notice to K'taka govt over 'evil practice' of banishing new mothers to isolated huts
New Delhi, Jun 5: The NHRC has issued a notice to the Karnataka government over a report alleging banishing of new mothers and menstruating women to distant and isolated huts in Bisadihalli area of Tumakuru district.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, the National Human Rights Commission has observed that the content of the news report, if true, raise serious issues of violation of the human rights of innocent women and young babies.
The NHRC has taken suo motu cognisance of a media report that a 19-year-old woman, who underwent a caesarean operation, was banished to a distant and isolated hut, as per the tradition for new mothers and menstruating women in Bisadihalli area of Tumakuru district. The hut did not have a bed or toilet, the statement said.
"Reportedly, this practice still persists even today in rural areas of several states and in Karnataka among the people belonging to the Kadu Golla community. During this stay, the women and the newborn children are exposed not only to the vagaries of nature but also to the grave risks posed by the unhygienic conditions and the street dogs, scorpions and snakes which enter these huts," it said.
Accordingly, the NHRC has issued a notice to the chief secretary, government of Karnataka, seeking a detailed report within four weeks. The report should include data reflecting the places where such "evil practices are still prevalent" in the state and details of the steps taken or proposed to be taken by the government authorities to deal with the subject, it said.
Issuing the notice, the human rights body also said that in 2013, it had received a complaint raising a similar grievance concerning women belonging to Scheduled Tribes in Gadchiroli district, Maharashtra. The state government of Maharashtra had submitted a comprehensive report elaborating that it was making sincere efforts to eradicate this inhuman practice of 'Gaokor/Kurma', it added.
According to the media report, carried on May 27, the young people do not want to continue with this practice but the elders are supporting it and justifying that the huts provide much better conditions to the women and babies than their own houses. Though the government agencies conduct inspections in the village regularly, they were "not successful in putting an end to this practice", the NHRC statement said.
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Another North Goa nightclub sealed; Kejriwal says corruption led to fire tragedy
Panaji (PTI): As part of a crackdown against tourist establishments violating laws and safety norms in the aftermath of the Arpora fire tragedy, Goa authorities on Saturday sealed a renowned club at Vagator and revoked the fire department NOC of another club.
Cafe CO2 Goa, located on a cliff overlooking the Arabian Sea at Vagator beach in North Goa, was sealed. The move came two days after Goya Club, also in Vagator, was shut down for alleged violations of rules.
Elsewhere, campaigning for local body polls, AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal said the fire incident at Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub at Arpora, which claimed 25 lives on December 6, happened because the BJP government in the state was corrupt.
An inspection of Cafe CO2 Goa by a state government-appointed team revealed that the establishment, with a seating capacity of 250, did not possess a no-objection certificate (NOC) of the Fire and Emergency Services Department. The club, which sits atop Ozrant Cliff, also did not have structural stability, the team found.
The Fire and Emergency Services on Saturday also revoked the NOC issued to Diaz Pool Club and Bar at Anjuna as the fire extinguishers installed in the establishment were found to be inadequate, said divisional fire officer Shripad Gawas.
A notice was issued to Nitin Wadhwa, the partner of the club, he said in the order.
Campaigning at Chimbel village near Panaji in support of his party's Zilla Panchayat election candidate, Aam Aadmi Party leader Kejriwal said the nightclub fire at Arpora happened because of the "corruption of the Pramod Sawant-led state government."
"Why this fire incident happened? I read in the newspapers that the nightclub had no occupancy certificate, no building licence, no excise licence, no construction licence or trade licence. The entire club was illegal but still it was going on," he said.
"How could it go on? Couldn't Pramod Sawant or anyone else see it? I was told that hafta (bribe) was being paid," the former Delhi chief minister said.
A person can not work without bribing officials in the coastal state, Kejriwal said, alleging that officers, MLAs and even ministers are accepting bribes.
