The Hindu : Kerala News : Women’s panel to discuss Edapal attack

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Wednesday, Oct 10, 2007
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Kerala

Women’s panel to discuss Edapal attack

Staff Reporter

KOZHIKODE: The Kerala State Women’s Commission will seek a report from the police on the steps taken to trace a woman from Karnataka and her two children who were attacked by the public at Edapal in Malappuram district on Sunday.

At its sitting in Thiruvananthapuram on October 15, the commission’s full Bench will discuss in detail the ramifications of the incident, a hitherto unheard of show of vigilantism in the State, and the action to be initiated.

At a sitting at the Collectorate conference hall here on Tuesday, T. Devi, member of the commission, described the attack as unfortunate and a blot on the State’s social fabric.

Expressing satisfaction with the intervention by Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan and Home Minister Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, she said the panel wanted the culprits to be punished.

The commission would seek a report from the police on the number of women who had disappeared mysteriously from the State and what action was being taken to trace them.

18 cases settled

Eighteen cases came up before the panel. Either party in each of the 16 cases was present.

Five cases were settled and as many new ones admitted at the adalat. One case was referred for counselling. The sitting will continue on Wednesday.

A case settled related to the bad treatment meted out to an 80-year-old widow by her family members who were staying with her in her house.

The panel gave two months time for the family members to change their attitude. Otherwise, they would be directed to vacate the house.

V. Shantharam, Director of the panel, was present.

Deplored

Special Correspondent adds from Thiruvananthapuram: Purogamana Kala Sahithya Sangham, a forum for progressive artists and writers, has expressed outrage over the cruelty meted out to vagrant woman and her children by an irate mob at Edapal in Malappuram district last week.

In a statement here on Tuesday, the organisation’s president Kadammannitta Ramakrishnan and general secretary V.N. Murali said the incident had brought shame to the whole of Kerala. They said Kerala should not be allowed to go the Bihar way, with senseless mobs arrogating for themselves the right to dispense black justice to those who might incur their dislike.

Such shameful tendencies should be nipped in the bud by taking strong action against the individuals in the mob at Edapal, the statement said.

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