Women demand probe into 'women suicide' cases
Source: Hueiyen News Service

Imphal, May 23, 2011: Increasing cases of suicide and murder of women and children have forced women groups to come out and stage a protest demanding an investigation into all 'women suicide' cases and to take prompt action on murder cases.

Twenty women had committed suicide in the last two and a half years while 14 were murdered in the same period, the 'Conflict Widows Forum and Victims' Family' claimed referring to records on crimes against women and children.

They gave the break up of suicide cases as four in 2009, nine in 2010 and seven during the current year 2011, that is, from January till date.

The number of women murdered during the period was recorded as six in 2009, four in 2010 and three in 2011, from January till April.

Most of the suicide cases were surrounded with controversy, spokesperson Sobita of the 'Conflict Widows Forum and Victims' Family' said, speaking to reporters at a sit-in protest staged by its members here today.

She said that the figures of suicides and murder of women touched 34 in the last two and a half years.

This is an alarming situation.

These cases are above various crimes against women reported almost everyday across the state.

Sobita said that even though suspicious suicide cases of women and children are on the rise in the state, there are still personnel of the state police who are ignorant of the ways of dealing with the cases.

They also condemned the recent murder of a 4-year old boy at Ningthoukhong and demanded justice.

Thirty four year old widow, Ibemcha, whose husband was killed in a 'fake encounter' also took part in the sit-in protest.

She alleged that the government always try to justify every suicide and the unwarranted killing of innocent people by security forces.

She said that the government was not interested to respond to crimes against women.

The police who are supposed to register cases of crimes perpetuated against women refused to act outright even when they are approached by the victims themselves, she added.

The protestors held placards emblazoned with hard hitting words like; 'Stop hanging after killing', 'We demand justice for Master Robiroy', 'Dismiss irresponsible police officers', 'Stop politicizing violence against women', 'We demand investigation of all suicide cases', 'We want the real taste of democracy', 'Protection of women and children should be a high priority of the government', 'Stop brutality against women', etc.

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