NCW member hears public grievances in Mysuru

Mysuru: National Commission for Women member Archana Mujumdar heard a range of cases from over 60 women of different age groups, during the 'NCW-Aapke Dwaar - Mahila Jan Sunwaayi' of Mysuru division, held in Mysuru on Tuesday.

A senior citizen complained that her son, who usurped her property, is not giving her maintenance. Mysuru DC G Lakskhikanth Reddy asked her to approach the AC Court. An Anganwadi helper claimed that since there was an issue with her father's name in her ID card, she is yet to be promoted as Anganwadi worker, even though she has completed 10 years of service. The DC promised to help her.

A mother of a 16-year-old daughter shared that she brought up the child as a single parent, without any support from her ex-husband. Now, her ex husband has taken away the child from her. He has manipulated the child and she is not talking to her, her mobile number is changed. Her father took her to admit her to PUC and she doesn't know her whereabouts now. She is not allowed to meet her daughters from one year. Repeated appeals to police has not helped her. SP N Vishnuvardhana promised to help her.

A father shared that his daughter, who worked in an IT company in Bengaluru, after completing her engineering, jumped from the 5th floor of a building and died. But, the police claim that it is a suicide. The parents, however, suspect it to be a murder and want to know the cause of death.

In another case, a girl complained of harassment by her ex-boyfriend. A woman complained that she was taken to Dubai on the pretext of a job by a man. He had relationship with her and they have a son now. But now, the man is neither giving maintenance nor taking care of the expenses of child. A senior citizen complained that her daughter was forced to quit a job after she was married. Her in laws and husband used her as domestic help and harassed her, but they are not giving divorce.

In many cases women expressed disappointment about the police. A woman police constable shared how the police did not take her complaint of her husband's affair. A woman claimed, how she was made to wait for six hours each time she went to the police station to lodge a complaint about a problem she faced from her in-laws. One woman explained how the police visited her in connection with a case from 6 pm to 6 am, when the woman should not be enquired by police. A woman shared that she sought police help to get back her own ancestral jewellery and not property after divorce, but she was asked for proof for those jewels by the police.

An ex-army man and her wife complained that they were harassed by owner of neighborhood land since they were north Indians. In another case, a physically-challenged person who lived with her 60-year-old mother shared that after an issue with toilet pit, the neighbours complained. After that she was not permitted by the authorities to build a toilet behind her house in a village. She was asked to build it on her farm, one and half km away. She urged for more community toilets and explained about the need to sensitise the officials on being more sensitive and humane to the problems of people.

In many cases, NCW member Archana suggested solutions on the spot, helped with advocates for a few, and directed the DC and police for action in many cases.

Most of the complaints were from Mysuru, Mandya, Hassan, Mangaluru and Kodagu. Many of them were old ones. Some of them were registered on the spot. Some were heard via online too, through video conference. Many cases were closed on Tuesday.