‘Sexual offenders to be publicly shamed’
Pictures of those who fail to mend their ways will be put up at crossings
Chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday said if anti-social elements indulging in sexual offences did not mend their ways, they would not only face social boycott but would also be shamed as their pictures would be put up at crossings.
This assertion was a reiteration of the government’s statement late last month that the chief minister had asked the police to put up posters of sexual offenders.
Yogi issued the warning in Balrampur while launching the state government’s six-month ‘Mission Shakti’ statewide campaign for women’s safety and honour. He said the launch of the campaign was a way of paying tribute to a Balrampur woman, who fell victim to ‘an unfortunate incident’.
The 22-year-old woman, working in a private firm, was allegedly gang raped in Balrampur and later succumbed to her injuries. The incident took place after the gang rape and subsequent death of a 19-year-old Dalit woman in Hathras triggered a nationwide outrage.
Yogi addressed people at the event held at the police lines in Balrampur, where he said the state government was committed to the safety and honour of every single woman and daughter. He also laid stress on their self-reliance.
“There is no place in Uttar Pradesh for who those who attempt to sully women’s honour and self-respect, indicate an evil intent. Such people are a blot on the society. The state government will deal with such elements with an iron hand. They will face misery,” he said.
The state government launched Mission Shakti on the first day of the Sharadiya Navratri, a nine-day festival dedicated to the worship of the Goddess Durga. The campaign will continue till Chaitra or Basantik Navratri (April next year).
Yogi Adityanath said: “Woman symbolises ‘Shakti’. The woman is revered in our Sanatan tradition. The festival of Navratri symbolises that. It is the need of the hour that the new generation becomes a vehicle to carry forward the Sanatan traditions and values in the changing times and spreads the message of women’s safety,
respect and self-reliance. Mission Shakti is a step in this direction.”
Emphasising on the role of home and family, Yogi said: “The spirit and movement for promoting a culture of women’s safety and honour should begin at home. At home, there should not be any discrimination between sons and daughters. There should be public outrage at attempts at female foeticide and child marriage.”
He said the central and the state governments were engaged in women’s uplift through programmes such as ‘Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao’, ‘Mukhyamantri Kanya Sumangal Yojana’ and mass marriage schemes.
Calling upon women to speak up, Yogi said: “Whenever there is any incident of crime against you or domestic violence, you must raise your voice. You have
tools like 1090, 1070, 189 and 112 helplines.”
Explaining the outline of Mission Shakti, Yogi said: “The first stage of the campaign would focus on spreading awareness about the safety of women and children. The second stage would involve counselling identified harassers and stalkers. The third stage would be to shame sexual offenders, if they fail to correct themselves, by putting up their pictures at crossroads and their social boycott.” He also announced that the state government would list and felicitate such organizations, groups and people who do or would do creditable work in the interest of women.
The Ramleelas and Durga Puja pandals should spread the message of women empowerment, he said. “The state government would also select 100 women in each district as role models,” he added. Yogi also said crime against women should be unpardonable and police would immediately act in such cases. The state government would effectively work for prosecution in courts and, accordingly, the cases will be fast-tracked, he added.
“For convenience and handling cases related to women sensitively, all police stations and tehsils will have women helpdesks. Women staff will manage the helpdesks,” he said.