The Hindu : New Delhi News : A thoughtful initiative

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Nov 10, 2007
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New Delhi

New Delhi

A thoughtful initiative

A few days ago, 24 victims of various crimes were given some monetary help under the project, says Devesh K. Pandey

Every bit helps, and help coming at the right time is of great significance to those in dire need, irrespective of how small it is. Victims of crime also come under the same category of people who require urgent attention to alleviate their suffering. In this context, “Yogdan”, a project under which the South Delhi police have in partnership with citizens formed a “Crime Victims’ Welfare Association” is a step worth commendation.

A few days ago, 24 victims of various crimes were given some monetary help under the project. Among them were the families who lost their bread-winners in the recent accident involving a Blueline bus at Badarpur; a victim of a criminal assault; and the family of a newspaper vendor who was killed in a road accident. Though the amounts of money awarded to them were not big, the gesture – and the thought behind it – would certainly have made some difference to the unfortunate victims.

The Association is now planning to approach schools seeking help in providing education to the children of affected families.

Initiatives like this can help plug loopholes in the present-day criminal justice system in India which, as pointed out by many senior police officers, is essentially criminal-centric. From arrest to conviction, those involved are supposed to be concerned about the perpetrator, his arrest, his regular medical examination, his conviction in the court of law and his reformation in jail.

In this process, those who have borne the brunt of crime find themselves nowhere on the scene. It has been noticed in the past that only in cases which get media attention are victims given a chance to have their say.

Coming back to the issue of help to victims of crime, there is hardly any comprehensive mechanism right now for awarding timely, adequate and necessary financial compensation to them. (There is, of course, the Motor Accident Claims Tribunal for road accident victims.)

Again, it is mostly in cases that attract wide media coverage, such as gruesome incidents of crime, terrorist attacks and natural disasters, that immediate monetary relief is announced or granted to the affected. And even in such cases, the poor victims generally have to run from pillar to post to “claim” monetary compensation. A major problem is that by the time the compensation reaches the victims, it loses its significance.

Taking a cue from humanitarian initiatives like “Yogdan”, other government departments can also do their bit to provide some succour to the victims of crime. Rising above self-centredness, people from all walks of life can join hands to contribute a little to the cause of helping the affected families stand on their feet.

The most effective way to do full justice to victims of crime would, however, be to institutionalise the system of awarding them compensation.

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