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I will continue to fight for women rights: Giri

Last Updated 28 August 2014, 21:02 IST

 “Budhiya” is how an elderly woman is addressed by the capital’s lawkeepers who have vowed to be sensitive towards women and prevent crimes against them, says former chairperson of National Commission for Women V Mohini Giri.

Almost a week after she ended up with bruises while trying to save a teenage girl from violent men in south Delhi, Giri admitted her faith in the men in khaki has been shaken.

But she is unfazed and more determined to stand up for stopping violence against women.

“I will never give up fighting for women’s rights, despite such setbacks,” the 76-year-old former head of the apex women rights commission told Deccan Herald on Thursday.

The elderly woman is still trying to recover from physical pain and shock due to the rude behaviour of a bike-borne policeman, who called her a budhiya and refused to help her or the girl whom Giri was trying to shield from violent men on August 23 in Qutub Institutional Area in south Delhi.

Giri wanted to play the good Samaritan but, in the melee, was herself attacked by some people on the spot.

“Suddenly, I saw a woman in her mid-30s coming towards me. She came closer to me and started punching me hard,” Giri alleged, adding manhandling by others.

The women rights’ activist alleged a Police Control Room (PCR) van passed by without helping her.

Recalling the unhelpful approach of a policeman on patrol bike, Giri said he told me that “if I have any serious grievance, I must report by filing an FIR at the police station”.

“This raises one question in my mind, who will rescue anyone in this country if we have to face such harassment?” said Giri, who was forced to write to Police Commissioner B S Bassi to highlight the incident.

She confirmed that police spoke to her on Wednesday but she herself refused to file a first information report (FIR).

“We have not filed any FIR. When we do not have faith in the doctor then why would we go to him for a medicine?” she said. Giri said the police were now trying to divert the attention from the rude and irresponsible behaviour of its men.

“Of course, the police will say that there was no such incident reported as when the PCR vans passed by during the incident, they simply refused to help or take any statement for an immediate action,” she said.

For the rude behaviour of the cops, she blamed their poor training. Now, she plans to lead a nationwide campaign demanding police reforms.

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(Published 28 August 2014, 21:02 IST)

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