With none of the persons in the newly nominated women’s commission having legal background, the Meghalaya State Women’s Commission is nothing but a lame duck, fumed women activists and well wishers of women’s welfare who have been waiting for more than a year.
The notification for the Commission was passed around in whatsapp groups but surprisingly not officially released through the Commission nor the State Social Welfare Department. In fact, when this reporter sought a copy of the notification from the department, an official said he did not have a copy.
Chief minister Conrad A Sangma’s offering after a year of dithering has further upset rather than buoyed those eagerly waiting for a strong robust Commission to take on the challenges of protecting women’s rights and welfare, particularly in the Covid-19 pandemic circumstances.
“The Act states that at least some of the members should have a background of law,” said a concerned source. After all, the Women’s Commission is a quasi-judicial body and their job is largely to hear cases and issues orders or solutions. But surprisingly none of the members named in the notification are known to have any legal background.
People who were waiting for a strong team to go ahead with many cases piled up over the last one year were very disappointed.
“The very notification is against the Meghalaya State Women’s Commission Act, 2005 itself,” said one of them quoting, “(b) Four members to be appointed by the State Government from amongst the persons of ability and integrity who have served the cause of women or have had experience in Law or Administration of matters concerning the advancement of women or leadership of any trade union or voluntary organisation for Women for protection and promotion of common interest of women.”
The line-up of women starting from the newly nominated chairperson Phidalia Toi and the vice chairperson are not known to have any background in the administration of law.
“We have a very weak Commission. How can we have confidence in such a weak Commission? The CM has not done us justice. It is not expected of him to be so uncaring about the situation of women, especially during this time when crimes against women and children is soaring,” said another source.
It is important that legal experience be a strong component of the women’s commission, said a lawyer who has worked with many cases of crimes against women and children. She said that even as it is many of the orders and solutions given after hearings in the Commission are assailed in the law courts. “We’re walking on thin ice like this. The State Government should be sincere about its promises to protect and nurture women,” the source said.
At the same time, it was pointed out that the CM and the social welfare minister, Kyrmen Shylla had allegedly played out a ‘farce’ for over one year, said other sources.
By ‘farce’ they meant that the State Government had appointed a selection committee to seek persons well qualified for the job. They had received several names. But these were rejected and then they called for fresh applications against which they received several. The Social Welfare Department has also specifically asked some qualified persons to apply so that the new Commission would have appropriately qualified and experienced people.
“But after going through this strenuous exercise wasting peoples time and energy the CM and minister go and pick names which were not even in the list of selected persons, that is what is a farce,” sources complained.
