Make Budget Session about women's safety, women's group tells MPs

If you had thought that this Budget Session will be one spent over high-rhetoric squabbles over FDI, Wal-mart and the UPA government’s decision to hike prices of diesel, think again. Students’ organisations in Delhi want to make sure that it’s not inflation and cap on subsidised LPG cylinders that are on the minds of legislators this Budget Session. The All India Progressive Women Association (AIPWA) has collaborated with other women’s groups and students’ organisations to set up a dharna in front of the Parliament as the Budget Session kicks off this year. [caption id=“attachment_626995” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Student protesting violence against women. Agencies.[/caption] “We want to make sure that the political leaders don’t waste the session fighting over other issues while the issue of women’s security remains inadequately addressed,” said Sunny Kumar, state secretary for AIPWA. The organisation, which has already set up a Facebook page and sent out mails, have decided to organise a day-long dharna to start with in front of the Parliament to protest what they call is a shoddy sexual assault ordinance. “We have been carrying on the protest for close to two months now, demanding safety for women and tightening laws, we will continue doing the same during the session,” said Kumar. Apart from demanding  ‘genuine, comprehensive, pro-women legislative changes’ in the sexual assault law based on Justice Verma’s recommendations, the student organisations will also demand budgetary allocations to address several women’s safety-related issues. “We demand budgetary allocations for rape crisis centres, more judges and courts to ensure speedier trials, safe-houses for women facing violence at home and better forensic test facilities. Instead of giving crores of money to corporations as tax giveaways, the government should fix these issues first,” said Kumar. According to the students, the police will be informed about the protest which will be a peaceful one.