New Delhi: For a second time in the past week, Union minister Maneka Gandhi has come out with a view contradictory to that of her government. Expressing opposition to the proposed amendments to the anti-dowry Act, Maneka said the legislation was women-friendly and should remain unchanged.
“I don’t think the law should be changed. I feel that this is the only law that gives women protection. It should stay as it is,” Maneka, who holds charge of the ministry of women and child development, said in response to the proposed amendments. She added that the proposal had not come to her ministry yet.
The minister is supported by women activists who argue that dowry harassment is one of the most under-reported crimes. Despite this, according to the National Crime Records Bureau, dowry deaths reported in the last 12 years have increased from 6,851 in 2001 to 8,233 in 2012. This translates to a woman’s death every hour because of dowry harassment. The data for harassment has seen an increase of 180% from 3,222 cases to 9,038 in the same time period.
As of now, Section 498A of the Indian Penal Code — which deals with offences of dowry demand and cruelty by husband and in-laws — makes the offence non-compoundable and non-bailable. This leads to immediate arrest of the husband and in-laws with the onus on them to prove their innocence. It also rules out any effort at reconciliation.
Among the changes that are being proposed include making the offence compoundable and including the provision of settlement between the warring couple if the court allows it.
Earlier this week, Maneka had joined voice with the opposition in Lok Sabha against the 50% cut in the budget for the Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS). The scheme is a nationwide supplementary nutrition programme targeting children between 0-6 years whose budget was cut down from about Rs 16,000 crore to an estimated Rs 8,000 crore this year.
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