National Commission for Women (NCW) Chairperson Vijaya Rahatkar met families affected by the Murshidabad violence at a shelter home in West Bengal’s Malda district on Friday (April 18).
Speaking to reporters, Vijaya Rahatkar said, “Everyone should be sensitive towards women, and this sensitivity can only ensure justice for women. This kind of situation occurs when there is a lack of sensitivity.”
Earlier on Friday, referring to media reports, Rahatkar said that atrocities were committed against women during the protests over the Waqf (Amendment) Act in West Bengal.
“We came to know from the media reports that atrocities have been committed against women (in violence-hit areas of West Bengal during protests against the Waqf Amendment Act), and the women are scared too. We will go to the spot to see the situation. We have the reports, but we will go there and talk to the women, as atrocities against women are not accepted, and these things should not happen,” the NCW chief told ANI.
Vijaya Rahatkar arrived in Kolkata on Thursday evening to lead an inquiry into the recent violence in Murshidabad following protests against the Waqf (Amendment) Act.
Rahatkar, who is part of the probe committee constituted by the NCW, is visiting affected areas, including Malda and Murshidabad, and is on a three-day visit. She said her visit aims to boost the morale of women who have been left traumatised by the communal unrest.
“The women here are very scared after the communal violence that broke out here…NCW has taken cognisance of this and we have constituted a probe committee…I am also a part of the probe committee. Over the next three days, we will visit these violence-hit areas. We will go to Malda and Murshidabad. We will meet the affected women there and interact with them,” she said while speaking to reporters on Thursday.
The visit comes in the wake of violence that erupted on April 11 during protests against the Waqf (Amendment) Act, which resulted in the deaths of three people, injuries to several others, and widespread property damage.
Several families have been displaced, with many migrating to Jharkhand’s Pakur district, while others have taken refuge in relief camps set up in Malda.
(With inputs from ANI)
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