By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: Setting up of Fast Track Courts in all the district headquarters to check crime against women, effective measures to make Shillong green and clean and initiatives to arrest the trend of substance and alcohol abuse are the priorities of the three women ministers, Ampareen Lyngdoh, Roshan Warjri and Deborah Marak who were sworn-in on Tuesday.
Marak who hails from Williamnagar said that the rising trend of crime against women in the State is a serious concern to the society as a whole. “I’m saying this not only as a legislator but as a mother”, she said.
Stating that there are three mothers in the cabinet, Marak said that if a decision is taken, the three women legislators will sit down and discuss on the matter.
Reacting to a query on setting up of Fast Track Court, Marak said she cannot comment without looking and discussing on the matter while hinting that there is a need to bring about a mechanism which could tackle crime against women.
“We will visit different places to analyze and study the livelihood of the people and to set things alright”, the Congress minister said adding that there are many backward women everywhere in the rural areas, “and many good schemes have been implemented not only for the mahilas but also the people in general”.
Commenting on issues pertaining to the youth, Marak said many schemes have been introduced for the youth to prevent them from going astray and joining militancy.
Expressing excitement over the decision taken by Congress Chief Sonia Gandhi, Marak said “We are proud to be in the cabinet and we are grateful that women are being respected and given a place to exercise their power.”
On the same note, Mazel Ampareen Lyngdoh who got re-appointed to the cabinet for the second term stressed on the need to strengthen the forensic lab stating that the same is so inefficient that the procedures became a long way for crime cases against women to actually be established or forwarded to the court.
“On the other hand, women must also keep themselves safe and they must ensure that no matter how they take life to be, they must take exceptional care that they remain safe and do not expose themselves to vulnerability”, Lyngdoh said.
She also maintained that the police department needs to ensure that police stations are more women friendly. “Though efforts have been taken but they (police force) need to be a little more aggressive”, while stressing on the need to have fast track courts in all the district headquarters and for the same to become operational.
Commenting on the rising trend of female selling liquors in the State, the minister said that “As an MLA, I have put in my own effort and have re-located women who have become victims of this nature but the bottom line remains that there are certain circumstances which put women in those livelihood.”
Stating that she does not condemn such women, Lyngdoh said the government should come forward with special package especially for women in such businesses.
Turning to substance abuse, Lyngdoh said that it is vulnerability for all sex, infact there are far more such cases by men in comparison to women while maintaining that Khasi women by nature are very humble people and they come from humble background.
“Most women don’t have access for those kinds of lifestyles, so to believe that women are being pulled into drug abuse is a wrong notion because you need to be in a comfortable life, have a good financial background to be able to actually become a drug user and the number is minimal as compared to men”, she asserted.
She however, mentioned that the minimal number does not mean that substance abuse is not cognizable in the State, “It is very much cognizable and we must put our forces together and try and solve this problem out”, she said.
With a hope to make Shillong green and clean again, Lyngdoh said that all the MLAs and the people in general must participate in the effort to regain the city’s lost glory because this is not a one-man show and one cannot expect the city to clean itself up if the people themselves don’t clean it up.
“This is not a blame game situation, it is a participatory situation. If every citizen in this city take a pledge and work towards keeping the streets clean, then I think this cooperation will yield better and long standing result”, she said adding fighting against the menace is like a lost battle for the government and efforts were taken in the last five years but nothing. “I tried it as an Urban Affairs Minister and I have managed to some extend in my own constituency but I think all MLAs must participate to actually make Shillong green and clean”, she added.
Meanwhile, Roshan Warjri who represents the urban constituency of Shillong North said that with three women ministers in the cabinet, they will try their best collectively to ensure that justice is being done to the women folks in the state.
Commenting on crime against women, she said “We are trying our best to see that all fast track courts are being established in all the district headquarters of the state and it is also important to see that the investigation and procedures is expedited so that the prosecution can take place. “
In regards to environment, Warjri said “We’ll try our best and we have to take lot of steps and measures and we work together but we also need a lot of public participation to make Shillong green and clean.”
When asked whether the government will create alternate jobs for women selling liquor, Warjri said that they will examine the matter.