Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda today requested the judiciary to continue to play active part in ensuring safety of women in the country.
"While on one hand, there is a need to change the mindset of the people, the judiciary, on the other hand, may give more landmark decisions to make indelible mark on the minds of the people, as have been given in the past," Hooda said at the National Judicial Conference here today.
"It is quite unfortunate that woman, whose dignity has been strongly advocated in Vedas and other ancient scriptures, who is 'Janani' (one who gives birth) of us all and who constitutes half of the society, today has to fight for her rights," he said.
On this occasion, Supreme Court Judge, Justice R M Lodha, said that "as a bird cannot fly with one wing," a nation also cannot achieve the heights where the women are victimised and dishonoured.
"Every hour one woman dies for want of dowry, two are raped, three kidnapped and four molested," he was quoted as saying in a Haryana government release.
Lodha pointed out that from the year 1971 to 2012, crime against women has increased by 902 per cent and the punishment rate has correspondingly fallen.
The punishment rate was 26.4 per cent in 2011 and reduced to 24.2 per cent in 2012.
He blamed the social structure, a male dominated society, for discrimination against women as we have.
The Judges also expressed concern over the condition of rural women and emphasised changing the societal mindset.
Supreme Court judges, Justices B S Chauhan and Ranjana P Desai, Chief Justice of Punjab & Haryana High Court, Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and HC Judge, Justice Jasbir Singh, were among those who spoke on the occasion.
