Women's day: ZP chief sore over absentee officials

Zilla Panchayat President Pushpa Amarnath, on Sunday, took exception to the officials — irrespective of departments, including women — skipping the International Women’s Day celebrations, organised by the ZP in association with the District Administration and the department of Women and Child Development at Jaganmohan Palace, in the city.

Pointing at the empty chairs and the motley of audience — mainly belonging to women self-help groups and the students — attending the programme, Pushpa Amarnath said, “I will also ask the Women and Child Development department Deputy Director K Radha to serve notice on such officials”.

“Have you invited all the officials. Are they attending similar programmes elsewhere?, Pushpa asked Radha only to regret that the officials lack commitment. Pushpa said, such a mindset of skipping the celebrations, gives credence to the unjust treatment meted out to women at large.

On the significance of the day, Pushpa said, the day should be celebrated in a meaningful manner by involving people, irrespective of gender. It should not be restricted to women alone, as men also play an active role in this regard. Moreover, the celebration should transcend urban places and reach rural areas and tribal hamlets.

Pushpa said, though women also work equally hard, there is a general feeling that men work harder than women.

Exchange of words

Earlier, the ZP president and a police head constable attached to the police control room (PCR) vehicle exchanged words over the rallyists forming a human chain at K R Circle.

The rallyists — led by Pushpa Amarnath, Deputy Mayor Mahadevamma, ZP CEO P A Gopal and other officials — arrived at the circle on foot from Kote Anjaneya Swamy temple at Mysore Palace north gate, when the head constable stopped them from forming the human chain.

No sense

According to Pushpa, who recalled the incident as unsavoury on women’s day, “Without any reason, the policeman stopped the rallyists. He went on to speak according to his whims and fancy, without showing a sense of presence to seek a copy of permission letter from the police commissioner’s office, a must for staging protests and rallies at the circle. Protests and rallies of any type are banned at the circle and the ban is lifted for a temporary period only on select occasions, as per the order of the commissioner”.

The organisers of the rally produced the copy of permission letter issued from the commissioner’s office, only to end the duel and form the human chain as part of the rally at the circle.

When enquired at Devaraja police station, under whose jurisdiction the circle is located, it was learnt that the permission had been issued from the commissioner’s office. However, the police head constable in question didn’t have knowledge of it, leading to chaos for sometime.