Imphal, December 14: The failure of the State Govt to table The Manipur Commission for Women Bill, 2005 during the just concluded winter session of the Assembly despite having made an announcement that the Bill would be discussed, has shown that it does not seriously consider women issumes, secretary of Women Action for Development S Subita has stated.

Talking to mediapersons today, Subita said the attitude of the Government has hurt the sentiments of the Manipuri women who has been raising this issue to the respective Government in power for the last many years.

Outrightly rejecting the clarification of the Chief Minister that the Bill could not be tabled as the necessary comments from the Union Ministry of Home Affairs have not been received apart from the fact that there are points to be added in the proposed Bill, Subita questioned then why did the Govt made an announcement that the Bill would be discussed in the first place.

Instituting the women commission in the State is of paramount important to deal with the varied problems being faced by the women in Manipur, she asserted.

It may be noted here that on Dec 2, TN Haokip, who was the Assembly Speaker then, while presiding over the Business Advisory Committee meeting held in his office chamber, had announced that The Manipur Commission for Women Bill, 2005 would be among the issues to be tabled and discussed during the winter session of the Assembly.

With the Govt going against its promises, the woman activist informed that the demand for setting up a women commission in Manipur, which is the first resolutions among the 9 points adopted after the public rally taken out on Nov 30 as part of the International Fortnight Observance Against Crimes on Women would be highlighted to all the authorities concerned in memoranda.The memorandum had been held back from submitting to Governor, Chief Minister, the Minister concerned and National Women Commission, thinking that the matter would be taken up by the Govt, as promise during the just concluded Assembly session, she said.

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