Press Briefing Wednesday, 22 July 2009

Smt. Jayanthi Natarajan addressed the media today.


Smt. Jayanthi Natarajan said that she would like to make a statement about the reports that have already appeared more than a week ago about the mass virginity test conducted by Shadol District Administration in Madhya Pradesh. Smt. Natajran said that the Congress party was waiting for report of the National Commission for Women. Although it has not officially come out, yet according to newspaper reports, the team sent by the National Commission for Women has found that there has been major human rights abuse of the young women at the mass marriage ceremony conducted under the ‘Mukhya Mantri Grameen Kanyadaan Yojana’ in Madhya Pradesh.

Smt. Natarajan said that whatever denial might have been put forward by the District Administration or by the Madhya Pradesh Government, the fact still remains that according to some reports the bride-to-be women alone were stripped and examined below the waist and subjected to a medical examination. Some of them who were pregnant were disqualified and out of original 158 only about roughly 131 marriages were solemnized. We believe that this is a gross intolerable violation of the dignity and human rights of the women. She further added that this is totally unacceptable and uncivilized to witness the total disenchantment of the women who were forced to subject themselves to such a medical test in order to accept an amount of Rs. 6500 or Rs. 5000 + the cost of the marriage which was given to them under the ‘Mukhya Mantri Kanyadaan Yojana’.

Smt. Natarajan said that this is a perversion in a democracy that the very schemes which were meant to help young women from poverty stricken family are used as a weapon to violate the human rights and cause them physical and mental agony. She further added that no such tests were conducted upon the men and under the constitution and in a democracy, it is completely unacceptable to allow the human rights violation to be conducted by insensitive Government which is using tax payers’ money to conduct these violations. We, therefore, call upon the Ministry of Women and Child Development, Government of India to conduct an audit and Chief Ministers of all States to conduct an audit of all the schemes such as this scheme and ensure that such intolerable violation of human rights and dignity do not occur again especially under schemes that are funded by the Government. Steps should be taken immediately to ensure that the dignity and the human rights of women under all such schemes and all circumstances are fully protected by both the Central and State Government.

To a question, Smt. Natarajan said that since it is tax payers’ money that Government has to lay down guidelines and such guidelines should be laid down in the most humane and non-discriminatory manner possible. So whether they are widows or whether they are pregnant women, it is for the Government to consider other schemes under which widows and pregnant women are given certain incentives and whether a second marriage is allowed under the scheme. This is exactly what she meant when she called for audit of all schemes. Therefore, on a balance of considering all the schemes which are available in this manner, it is for the Government to lay down guidelines whether pregnant women should also be allowed to receive the funds under this particular scheme. She further said that there should be an audit of all schemes to ensure that the benefits from the State flow equally to all stake holders.

On the question of the comments of the Foreign Secretary on the end-users agreement, Smt. Natarajan said that there is no dissent within the Indian National Congress on the issue and once the Prime Minister has spoken very clearly on this subject, we believe that there is nothing further to be added to what the Prime Minister has said.

To a further question regarding end-user agreement, Smt. Natarajan said that we are not actually in the position to hear any murmur. There are no murmurs within the Congress party. She further said that the Prime Minister has spoken on the floor of the Parliament and has already explained the stand of the Government on the issue. External Affairs Minister has also clarified the issues regarding the end-users agreement again on the floor of the House and the Congress party really has nothing further to add on that issue.


 

(Tom Vadakkan)

Secretary, AICC