Parties urged to end crime on women

KOLKATA: Alarmed by the spate of atrocities against women to settle political scores, the state commission of women has convened a meeting of all political parties and social organisations at the end of June.
A commission team will visit Swarupnagar in North 24-Parganas on Thursday to probe the incidents of fresh atrocities, according to commission sources Two women of a family of Congress supporters were raped by a criminal gang, allegedly engaged by a rival party last week while another lady was killed during dacoity.
Chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee recently expressed anguish at the rise in crime against women in the state. "Common crimes are taking an ugly turn with petty politicians often using criminals to settle scores. And women being most vulnerable are being targeted to teach the opponents a lesson," observed a commission member.
"A disturbing trend indeed, hitherto unheard of in West Bengal. We want political parties to rise to the occasion to stop this menace. The convention is aimed at launching a campaign against that," she emphasised.
Incidentally, the dacoity and rape of women at Dhantala were allegedly a fallout of rivalry between two CPM leaders in Nadia. At Ghoksadanga in Cooch Behar, a CPM women''s wing member was gang-raped and one of her tormentors allegedly was none other than a CPM leader.
At Basanti in South 24-Parganas, yet another CPM activist was accused of raping a minor girl after the panchayat poll owing to her family voting for the RSP. While Opposition parties raised a hue and cry against the CPM on this issue, the larger issue of women''s plight was ignored, rued commission members.
Neither was there any self-criticism as Trinamul Congress men were arrested for raping and killing one Sujata Das at Khejuri in East Midnapore.
The criminals who had tortured and forced young women to ''act'' in blue films at Gaighata-Sutia in North 24-Parganas enjoyed the patronage of some local Trinamul and BJP leaders.