The Assam chapter of National Human Rights Commission raised concern over high rate of crime against women in Assam even though the Commission finds overall human rights scenario better in the State than most other states in the country.
NHRC Chairman Justice KG Balakrishnan said on Tuesday, "The overall human rights scene is better in Assam than most other states. Various parameters, like law and order and implementing authority, determine the human rights scene and it is mostly satisfactory here. However, the high incidence of crime against women is a matter of concern."
He said Assam registered second-highest number of incidents of crime against women in the entire country.
Justice Balakrishnan was in the city for a two-day camp sitting of the NHRC, during which 50 cases were taken up, out of which 17 were taken up by the full Bench of the Commission. Altogether 14 cases were closed during the sittings that ended on Tuesday and the NHRC ordered compensation of Rs 35 lakh to victims of various human rights violation cases.
"The director general of police (of Assam) told us that most cases were under section 498 (domestic violence). The police and state government mechanism is sensitized here to deal with cases of crime against women," he said.
The NHRC members pointed that though the state performed brilliantly in less number of cases in vulnerable sections, like crimes against children, it has the dubious distinction of registering second highest number of crime against women in the entire country.
The cases were mainly crime of abduction and kidnapping, rape and cases under section 498.
"While the cases under Section 498 of the Indian Penal Code indicate high level of awareness among women, the other two categories are highly violent ones and clearly there is a problem," an NHRC member said.
The NHRC met representatives of NGOs during the camp-sitting, who mainly raised issues of Adivasis evicted from forest land, eviction from government land, child care and destitute centres and working conditions of tea garden workers.
Among the other key issues discussed with the state authorities was the matter of bonded labour, the NHRC chairman said, adding instructions have been issued by the Commission to the top officials to ensure that the workers are not deprived of their benefits due to ignorance.
The matter of improved conditions for people with mental problems was taken up by the NHRC and the state government has assured of compliance with all directives, he added.
