On September 1, CPI leader and General Secretary of the National Federation of Indian Women, Annie Raja, lashed out at the Kerala police for their poor handling of crimes against women in the state. Speaking to the media in New Delhi, the CPI leader also urged Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan to take the matter seriously and order appropriate action on the same.
Annie, who was critical about the Kerala police and their alleged mismanagement in handling crimes pertaining to women, said, “There is a suspicion that an RSS group is operating in the Kerala police, which is dismissive of handling atrocities against women cases in the state police department.”
The CPI leader demanded that the state government have a separate ministry with a dedicated minister for prevention of crimes against women and ensuring their safety in the state. Annie also said that she will soon be writing to Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan on this matter.
It is to be noted that the CPI is an ally of the CPI(M) which leads the LDF government in Kerala.
Annie, during her interaction with reporters, cited recent incidents of crimes against women that could have been prevented if the police had acted proactively.
On August 31, Sunisha, a 26-year-old Kannur woman, died by suicide at her in-laws’ place due to repeated domestic violence. The deceased woman’s family alleged that she had died due to police inaction.
Another incident that the CPI leader cited was the Pink Police personnel accusing an eight-year-old girl as a thief in Attingal of Thiruvananthapuram district on August 27. The police reportedly harassed the minor girl and her father.
Annie also mentioned the incident of a young mother who had to hide in a train along with her two children to escape from a few miscreants in Kollam on August 26.
Annie Raja said that all these incidents point to ineffective law enforcement when it comes to crimes against women and children in Kerala. “If the police did their duty, these incidents and deaths could have been prevented,”Annie said.
This certainly calls for a separate department with a dedicated minister to ensure women's safety and the implementation of the law, she said.
In 2017, the ruling LDF government had set up the Department of Women and Child by bifurcating its Social Justice Department, in line with its election promise.