Outrage over attacks' on DCW autonomy

New Delhi: The Delhi Commission for Women (DCW), along with other groups, on Tuesday expressed outrage over alleged attacks on the autonomy of DCW claiming the women’s body led by Swati Maliwal is not being allowed to function smoothly.

Representatives from the All-India Democratic Women’s Association, All-India Progressive Women’s Association, Act Now for Harmony and Democracy, Joint Women’s Programme, National Federation of Indian Women (NFIW) and Nirantar and Swastika Mahila Samiti expressed their support to the DCW as they alleged vendetta politics being played by the Centre.

“While the active functioning of the DCW has given lot of hope to women’s organisations and women in distress, we do understand that it is also upsetting the highly patriarchal mindset and the nexus between them and the political administration,” said Annie Raja, general secretary of NFIW.

“There has been a series of attempt to disrupt the functioning of the DCW and the police have been used to stop the women’s panel chief from exercising powers,” she alleged.

Shabnam Hashmi of Anhad said, “These attacks are not just on the DCW but on the fight for women rights. Our solidarity is not with any particular party but with a body which is working continuously for women.”

CPI(ML) Liberation activist and secretary of AIPWA, Kavita Krishnan echoed their views saying, “If there is a credible complaint of corruption it should definitely be investigated but the series of raids at the DCW office and other such attempts are an attack on the commission’s autonomy.” DCW chief Swati Maliwal had alleged in past months that the commission is not being allowed to function properly and attempts are being made to attack its autonomy.

Ms Maliwal had alleged harassment by the Centre last year on several instances like naming her in an FIR for allegedly disclosing name of a rape victim, alleged irregularities in recruitment of contractual staff and non-payment of salaries to the staff and others.

In fresh confrontation, an L-G-appointed bureaucrat had recently cautioned the DCW against allowing an a Delhi-government backed official carry out work as member secretary, saying it would be “untenable” and attract penal action.