Imphal, November 18: In connection with the 6th session of the Leimarol Khorjeikol (LEIKOL), a seminar on 'trial against law' was held today at JN Dance Manipuri Academy hall.

The inaugural session of the function was graced by Sahitya Akademi awardee Hijam Guna as chief guest and LEIKOL president MK Binodini as president.

Giving key-note address of the session, Dr Kh Sarojini said that LEIKOL is exclusively constituted by women members.

In addition to literary activities, LEIKOL has been organising various programmes on women issues, problems and crime against women since 2001, she said.

During the seminar moderated by Manipur Human Rights Commission member Kh Chonjon, advocate Th Sadhana presented paper on "Women and Profession", senior lecturer of LMS Law College Dr Salam Pramod on "Immoral Traffic and Women", retired Government advocate Ch Bidyamani on "Women and Intoxicating Drugs" and advocate Dr Ch Narendra spoke on "Women and Lawlessness".

Presenting her paper, Ch Bidyamani observed that involvement of women in drug related crimes is a result of men (with whom they are living) becoming drug addicts and alcoholics coupled with poverty.

Most of the women brought to Court in cases related to immoral activities were in the age group of 16 to 25 years, she said.

Even though there have been cases of women pulled up for bootlegging or drinking, the number of men pulled up for the same crime far outweighs the number of women, Bidyamani observed.

However, women often fell unwitting victims of various problems caused by abuse of intoxicating substances.

It's high time to tackle the issue so that the plight of women victims is mitigated to some extent.

To avoid such problems caused by drug abuse, women should put in necessary efforts to understand thoroughly the gamut of drug abuse, Bidyamani asserted.

Dr Salam Pramod noted that forcing a women into sex trade as well as offering sexual service voluntarily are against law.

Harassment of commercial sex workers and taking up prostitution as a means of livelihood are against the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act 1956, he said.

For crimes against women, men are not the only perpetrators but women too commit crimes against women, Dr Ch Narendra asserted.

In cases of forced elopement of a woman, women of the family, where the couple put up the night, often used all kinds of persuasive tactics including insults and threats to make the woman accept the man.

So long as women do not understand plight and problems of members of their own gender and unless they could not think for the rights of their own gender group, crimes against women will continue unabated, Narendra observed.

Later during the function a book titled Malem was released.

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