Shillong, Nov 13 (UNI) A Committee on Women’s Empowerment of the Meghalaya
Assembly will take up the matter of brutal attack on social activist, Agnes Kharshiing
and her aide, Amita Sangma.
“The Committee will seek clarity from the police on steps taken by the department
to uncover the perpetrators of such a heinous act that has left an unimaginable fear
in minds of not just women but citizens in general across the state and country,”
Committee Chairperson Ampareen Lyngdoh said.
She said the Committee is duty-bound to ensure that justice be delivered to the
victims who are presently languishing in hospital and fighting for their lives.
Kharshiing, who is also the President of Civil Society Women's Organisation, along
with her aides Amita Sangma and E Kurbah were brutally attacks after they had gone
to the Lad Rymbai police station to lodge a complaint about the illegal transportation
of coal in violation of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) order.
The NGT had imposed an interim ban on the extraction and transportation of the
coal since 2014.
On Women’s empowerment, Lyngdoh said that women empowerment is not to
be treated as a special tag for the fairer gender.
“It is a fact that women are challenged in all spheres – at place of work, politics,
religious forums, social platforms, family and State decision taking and so on.
Women empowerment is necessary and crucial to ensure that our opinions, voices
and thoughts are heard, circulated and taken into consideration for a balanced
execution of governance. Women rights continue to suffer across the board, and
as Chairpersons of this Committee, I will spearhead all necessary attention towards
atrocities and crimes against women in our state,” Lyngdoh said.
The committee will also take up the implementation of the chief minister’s Social
Assistance Programme and seek its status besides issues related to maternity and
child care in the State.
The chief minister’s Social Assistance Programme for Persons with Disabilities
(PWDs), single mothers, and chief minister’s Wedding Assistance Scheme for
orphan girls were launched in 2012 by the previous Congress-led Government.
Stating that the Assembly’s Committee on Empowerment of Women examines
measures taken by the Government to secure equality, status and dignity for
women in all matters.
Medical officials at the North East Indira Gandhi Regional Institute of Health
Medical Sciences said that Kharshiing continues to be on ventilator s still in a
while Sangma is stable.
“Kharshiing has regained consciousness, kidney function has improved, lung
function is showing signs of recovery, her vitals are stable, but her condition
remains serious, and she continues to be on ventilator, in the Intensive Care
Unit,” NEIGRIHMS K.K.Pandita said.
“Sangma is being managed in surgical ICU and is doing well. She is
conscious, talking, eating and stable,” he added.
UNI RRK BM