KASHMIR UNIVERSITY TO HOST IIPA ANNUAL DEBATE COMPETITION

Increased economic participation of women in our society can go a long way in their emancipation from depravity and discrimination this was stated by Inspector General of police, Kashmir Abdul Ghani Mir at the valedictory function of a debating competition held in Ibn-e-Khaldoon auditorium of University of Kashmir. The topic of the debating competition was “Laws are not powerless in preventing crime against women and children” IGP who was the Guest of Honour in his address to the students and the participants said that there is no denying of the fact that crime against woman and children are a blot for our society.

He said that the problem owes to the fact that our society is a patriarchal male dominated society. The Criminal Justice System, in place that that keeps a check on such crimes is multi tiered. We need to implement the laws in letter and spirit at all these tiers to curb the issue of discrimination.

IGP envisaging his views further stated that there is a need to develop empathy regarding the woman folk in the system which can be imbibed by bringing in more women in the work force for implementation of the laws. He said that in the present dispensation of the department that he is heading in the Kashmir Division, there is only one woman SHO in police station. He said that improving training standards for the workers can also make a head way in empathizing the Criminal Justice system towards the suffering of the women.

IGP further added that the laws enacted in India regarding preventing crime against women and children have been more progressive than in other developed nations like US and UK.

The IGP said that he feels that the mother of all crimes against the women is their economic dependence in the society. He said that women despite being about 50% of the world population make for only 1/10th of the world income and own only a meager 1% of the world property. These facts corroborate the views that this economic depravity is the root cause of the crime against women and the children. He enjoined upon the students to break this despotic dependence of women by making sure more and more women participate in economic activities. It can go a long way in bringing down the crime rate against the women, he stressed. In his presidential address, Vice Chancellor of Kashmir University Professor Talat Ahmad hailed the quality of the debate and complimented the organizers and participants for articulating their views in a lucid and forceful way. Prof. Talat said that the aim of the universities is not just to offer degrees but to produce leaders, who can lead the society.

Vice Chairman, IIPA Jammu and Kashmir, Sh. A. M Watali, underscored the need for better coordination between law enforcing agencies such as Police, Judiciary and the legal fraternity.

VC Kashmir University, Talat Ahmad and IGP Kashmir AbdulGhani Mir also awarded trophies and certificates to the best speakers in the debate.

The debate was organized by Indian Institute of Public Administration (IIPA) and Department of students welfare under the supervision of Prof. Nilofer Khan DSW, University of Kashmir and Sh. G. M Andrabi , Secretary IIPA, Kashmir. In this debate 26 participants from different universities and colleges of the valley participated. Articulated and strong arguments were made in favour, as well as against the topic. Government College for Women, M A Road, Srinagar represented by Mehwish Shafi and Asma Zahoor lifted the annual IIPA, debate competition trophy.

The function concluded with the vote of thanks by Prof. S M Afzal Qadri. He reiterated that IIPA will continue to hold such debates in the future as well and will try to involve experts from different tiers of Criminal Justice System.