ABVP launches campaign for women's safety

Demanding a CBI probe into the death of Saujanya, a II PUC girl in Ujire, and also CID probe into the death of Akshatha, a student of Car Street College, the members of ABVP staged a human chain, at Basaveshwara Circle in Mangalore on Wednesday. 

The protest was held as a part of nation-wide campaign on safety of women. 

Addressing the protesters, ABVP State Secretary Ramesh K said the ABVP had staged series of protests demanding justice in Saujanya’s case for the last one year. Unfortunately, even after one year, the guilty has not been punished. 

Students Ashwitha and Prameela said that the police should accelerate probe into mysterious death of Akshatha. The police have failed to arrest the culprits. The case should be handed over to the CID to probe. If the authorities fail to solve the case, then we will intensify protest in the future, they warned. 

There has been rise in assault and harassment cases against women in the last few years, which is condemnable. 

The protesting students had placed 25 demands before the Central government. They are all the cases pertaining to sexual assault, acid attack and harassment and they demanded that the cases should be tried in the Fast Track Court.  The accused in rape should be given death sentence. Institutions with additional power should be entrusted with the cases pertaining to sexual assault. Such institutions should be given the power to file case, sentence the culprits, hold counselling and rehabilitation facilities for women. The protesters said that the government should start mobile service centres to attend emergencies faced by women and all the police stations should have a women constables.

The government should direct all the educational institutions to constitute Anti Sexual Harassment Committee, to look into cases related to sexual assault. All the educational institutions should have a complaint box and respond immediately to any complaints on sexual harassment. Stringent action should be initiated for projecting women in an indecent manner in social networks and websites. 

As a part of the campaign, the ABVP will hold signature campaign, distribute pamphlets, street plays and hold ‘Walk for safety’ among others.