“SMS CAMPAIGN - RULE 14″ and SAVE RTI Act in INDIA

Request to all Citizens of INDIA to ACT on this ” SMS CAMPAIGN - RULE 14 ” and SAVE RTI Act in INDIA.

Let us show the all BUREAUCRATS that Citizens of INDIA means Business.

IT’S OUR RIGHT. An inalienable right has been conferred on citizens.

`Right to Information Act will empower common people’

The legislative intent is clear; we are entitled to know how our money is spent. The onus is on us to make the Act work.

In effect, therefore, the right conferred on the citizen is an exhaustive one. It allows him to assess and examine every government decision, to study the reasons recorded by the government for taking a particular step, and to utilise information so gathered to ensure that government acts in a transparent and just manner.

Indeed, the preamble to the Act puts it well when it says, “democracy requires an informed citizenry and transparency of information” and adds these “are vital to its functioning and also to contain corruption and to hold Governments and their instrumentalities accountable to the governed”.

SMS message to send is:

SIC KKM sir,
“Your Malafides proved in amending RTI rules - We demand your resignation to ensure Supremacy of Democracy”

______________________________ ______________________________ ______________________________ ______________

Karnataka State Information Commissioner for Right to Information Act is Mr. K. K. Mishra.

The mobile numbers for KKM are:

1. 9448291111
2. 9844491100

Please SMS the above message to SIC KKM.

Please tell your friends to do the same. Send this to as many as possible. So that we can put presurre on SIC KKM.

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THERE ARE SEVERAL REASONS for this ” SMS CAMPAIGN- RULE 14 “

Please go through the following Statements:

A. On March 15th 2008, In Raichur, SIC K K Mishra as per Hindu article,

RTI Act is fine, says Misra . Raichur: The former Chief Secretary and State Chief Information Commissioner K.K. Misra has said that there was no need to bring any amendment to the Right to Information Act (2005). Mr. Misra was here on Friday to attend to some pending cases related to the Act. He said the Act had been formulated with an intention to streamline the administration and protect the interest of the public. http://www.hindu. com/2008/ 03 /15/stories/ 2008031553050300 .htm

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B. On April 19th 2008 meeting with RTI Activists SIC K K Mishra told them that he did not know anything about the Ammended Rule 14 of the RTI Rules , which Empowers an PIO to limit replying to RTI Request for only one first Question , if the RTI Request is covering two are more Subjects and is worder beyond 150 Words .

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C. As per Hindu article dated APRIL 20, 2008, says RTI: new rule restricts quantum of information.

It looks like SIC K K Mishra was responsible to bring about chnages to RTI Act 2005 in Karnataka State. Please read the article below. URL is provided. Thanks to RTI Activist Mr. Y. G. Muralidhran from CREAT to explain these things clearly to Hindu paper, other press people and to general Public. http://www.hindu.com/2008/04 /20/stories/2008042057940100 .htm BANGALORE: It has come to light that the Karnataka Information Commission (KIC) recommended that the State Government amend the Karnataka Right to Information (RTI) Rules 2005 to restrict the quantum of information sought in a single application. This was discovered by Y.G. Muralidharan, consumer rights activist and founder of Consumer Rights Education and Awareness Trust (CREAT), who evoked the RTI Act only to receive this startling piece of information. “Having grown in a culture of secrecy, the tendency to find reasons for denying information to the citizens is not surprising. But one never expected that the KIC would advise the Government to take the drastic step of amending the rules, which cuts the roots of citizens’ right to information,” Mr. Muralidharan told The Hindu.

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” KKM Malafidely has given misleading statement that RTI does not need any Ammendement and KKM became instrumental in Ammending the RTI rules to curtail citizens right, as such KKM has become tainted, hence KKM need to resign honorably to ensure supremacy of democracy “

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There are other reasons also why SIC KKM need to RESIGN. Please go through the following.

D. on May 3, 2005 the Karnataka State High Court directed that a complaint of perjury be filed against Misra for “knowingly withholding important facts and documents from the Hon’ble High Court of Karnataka and making false statements in the affidavits filed in this Court.”

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The above events shows the CHARACTER and INTEGRITY of K K Mishra.
Also KKM’s appointment as SIC is allready in question since 2005.
With all these things how can KKM continue as SIC of GoK ??? How did GoK appointed K K MIshra as the SIC of GoK with all the baggage.

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Now it is very clear that Shri.K. K. Mishra is: ž Not a person having Eminence In Public Life, hence not qualified to the office of the State Chief Information Commissioner. ž Prima facie held to be involved in an offence involving moral turpitude, by Hon’ble High Court of Karnataka, which as good as conviction. ž Has acquired such financial or other interest as is likely to affect prejudicially his functions as the State Chief Information Commissioner or a State Information Commissioner.

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Please read this SC ruling: Any officer whose integrity is doubtful should not be promoted to a sensitive post.
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Supreme court Orders Transfer Of UP Chief Secretary within 7 days Just recently Supreme Court of INDIA has given a ruling that a tainted person should not be occupying a SENSITIVE and RESPONSIBLE POST in the State of UP. SCIC is such a Sensitive and Responsible post.
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SC tells UP govt to shift Neera Yadav

http://www.ndtv.com/topstories /showtopstory.asp?id=17905 &frmsrch=1&txtsrch=Chief +Secretary+of+UP <http://www.ndtv.com/topstories /showtopstory.asp?id=17905 &frmsrch=1&txtsrch=Chief +Secretary+of+UP> NDTV Correspondent Thursday, October 6, 2005 (New Delhi): The Supreme Court has directed the Uttar Pradesh government to shift controversial official Neera Yadav from the post of Chief Secretary within seven days.

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KK Mishra’s has lost his Integrity as per High Court Order of Karnataka State // KK Mishra is a TAINTED PERSON // TAINTED PERSON can’t be occupying Sensitive and Responsible post. // KK Mishra was sworn on Saturday 30/7/2005, BEFORE the retirement date of 31/07/2005. This as per records available from GoK. // This looks like BOGUS APPOINTMENT of KK Mishra to the post of SIC of Karnataka State. This was done by then CM Dharm Singh, Opposition Leader Yeddiyurappa and then Information Minister Shivaram.
All these THREE people need to be questioned now.
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Please read this article. First RTI appointment runs into trouble
Wednesday September 21 2005 00:00 IST http://www.newindpress.com /NewsItems.asp?ID=IEH2005092012 3524&Page=H&Title=Top+Stories &Topic=0

TOP STORIES

Sep 21, 2005

NEW DELHI: Even before the Right to Information Act has come into force, the very first and so far the only appointment made under it has provoked a controversy. Karnataka is the first state to have appointed its chief information commissioner as part of the independent appellate machinery that is required to be in place by October 12 in the states as well as the Centre. But questions are already being raised on the appointment of the commissioner by the Dharam Singh Government: K K Misra was appointed on July 30 immediately after his retirement as chief secretary of Karnataka. A local NGO, Ella Kannada Vedike International (E-KAVI), called upon the state Governor to suspend Misra immediately and initiate the process of his removal from office. Reason: Barely four months ago, the Karnataka High Court passed strictures on Misra in the PIL related to the Rs 2,250 crore Bangalore-Mysore Infrastructure Corridor Project. The irony is, in its judgment delivered on May 3, the High Court directed that a complaint of perjury be filed against Misra for “knowingly withholding important facts and documents from the Hon’ble High Court of Karnataka and making false statements in the affidavits filed in this Court.”

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All of this shows that SIC K K Mishra is a person without CHARACTER and INTEGRITY. HENCE, EKAVI had written to Governor of Karnataka State in 2005.

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Demand For Removal of Shri.KK Misra, Karnataka State Chief Information Commissioner under Section 17 (3) (b) & 17 (3) (e) of the Right To Information Act-2005.

Demand For Removal of Shri.KK Misra, Karnataka State Chief Information Commissioner under Section 17 (3) (b) & 17 (3) (e) of the Right To Information Act-2005

Sunday, September 18, 2005

To,

The Hon’ble Governor,

Karnataka.

Sub: Demand For Removal of Shri.KK Misra, Karnataka State Chief Information Commissioner under Section 17 (3) (b) & 17 (3) (e) of the Right To Information Act-2005

Sir,

We wish to bring following acts of omissions during implementation of the Right To Information Act-2005 by Government Of Karnataka:

1. Section 15 of the Right To Information Act-2005 stipulates a minimum qualification for a candidate who shall be appointed as State Chief Information Commissioner, which are as under:

” The State Chief Information Commissioner and the State Information Commissioners shall be Persons Of Eminence In Public Life with wide knowledge and experience in Law, Science And Technology, Social Service, Management, Journalism, Mass Media Or Administration And Governance.”

2. We understand that that Mr.KK Misra who has been appointed as State Chief Information Commissioner vide notification number DPAR 77 RTI 2005 Bangalore Dated 30th July 2005, does not have the required qualifications for appointment as State Chief Information Commissioner.

3. The basic qualification required is of “Eminence In Public Life”. Government of Karnataka has been directed by Hon’ble High Court of Karnataka to File criminal cases against Shri.KK Misra and prosecute him as under:

• Under Sec. 340 of Cr.PC for “Knowingly Withholding Important Facts And Documents from the Hon’ble High Court of Karnataka and Making False Statements In The Affidavits Filed In This Court” in the Rs 2,250 Crores Bangalore Mysore Infrastructure Corridor Project Case.
• On charges of ” Perjury And Withholding “ documents in the Rs 2,250 Crores Bangalore Mysore Infrastructure Corridor Project Case. Hon’ble High Court of Karnataka also directed the Registrar General to file a complaint in this regard under section 388 Cr.PC.

4. A person who Lies And Cheats to Hon’ble High Court of Karnataka as above cannot be called as a Person Of Eminence In Public Life.

5. Shri.KK Misra’s appointment seems to have been made fraudulently violating the stipulated norms as laid down under section 15 of the Right To Information Act-2005, which are as follows:

• There is no documentary proof in public knowledge that, a meeting of the committee formed for the appointment of State Chief Information Commissioner was held. Hence it seems only minutes were drawn
• In view of the circumstantial evidence in above Para it can be deduced that List of eligible candidates for appointment as State Chief Information Commissioner was never prepared.
• Speaker of the Karnataka Legislative Assembly and Chairman of the Karnataka Legislative Council were never consulted while appointing Shri.KK Misra as State Chief Information Commissioner, which is the normal practice in any appointments made by government to important positions.

6. It appears that Shri.KK Misra has appointed himself as State Chief Information Commissioner by abusing his position of Chief Secretary to Government of Karnataka. It is very brazen attempt to misuse his official capacity as he retired on 31^st July 2005 and Appointed as State Chief Information Commissioner on the same day i.e. 31^st July 2005

7. A bureaucrat who presided over the state govt administration till recently cannot be considered independent enough to be the final apex appellate authority under the Right To Information Act. There would be disputes regarding requisitioning of information elicited from government functionaries when he was the chief secretary. He cannot legally/morally decide these disputes now as the information commissioner.

8. This principle is followed scrupulously by the judiciary. Judges do not hear cases where any person who was their client while their practicing law figures in, or if there is anyone closely related, closely connected etc involved. The matter is passed on to other judges.

9. Here we have only one chief information commissioner. Even if we presume that such matters will be passed on to the information commissioners, it must be noted that they are subordinate to the chief info commissioner who continues to be the boss and final arbitrator of the decision being dished out by the commission. So we cannot have such a person as State Chief Information Commissioner.

10. His continuation in the post will seriously jeopardize / violate people’s fundamental right to information which has been upheld as an integral part of article 13 (1) of the constitution of India.

11. From all above submissions it becomes clear that Shri.KK Misra is prima facie held to be involved in an offence involving moral turpitude, that too by Hon’ble High Court of Karnataka. This as good as conviction, for an institution as important as State Chief Information Commissioner, whose duty is to set up practical regime of right to information for citizens to secure access to information under the control of public authorities, in order to promote transparency and accountability in the working of every public authority.

12. From all above submissions it also becomes clear that Shri.KK Misra has developed Other interest as is likely to affect prejudicially his functions as the State Chief Information Commissioner or a State Information Commissioner.

13. Now it is very clear that Shri.KK Misra is:

• Not a person having Eminence In Public Life, hence not qualified to the office of the State Chief Information Commissioner.
• Prima facie held to be involved in an offence involving moral turpitude, by Hon’ble High Court of Karnataka, which as good as conviction.
• Has acquired such financial or other interest as is likely to affect prejudicially his functions as the State Chief Information Commissioner or a State Information Commissioner.

14. Hence we request you utilise the powers vested in your office and your discretion to act under following Sections of the Right To Information Act-2005 and REMOVE KK MISRA FROM THE POSITION OF STATE CHIEF INFORMATION COMMISSIONER IMEADIATLY To Save Sanctity Of New Born Right To Information Act-2005 for charges summarized in Para number 13:

Section 17 (3): Notwithstanding anything contained in sub-section (1), the Governor may by order remove from office the State Chief Information Commissioner or a State Information Commissioner if a State Chief Information Commissioner or a State Information Commissioner, as the case may be,-

Section 17 (3) (b): Has been convicted of an offence which, in the opinion of the Governor, involves moral turpitude; or

Section 17 (3) (e): Has acquired such financial or other interest as is likely to affect prejudicially his functions as the State Chief Information Commissioner or a State Information Commissioner.

15. The whole nation is anxiously awaiting your action in this regard. The success or failure of the Right To Information Act-2005 depends upon your quick and rightful action.

Yours Truly,

Copy to:

1. The Hon’ble President of India.

2. The Hon’ble Prime Minister of India.

3. The Hon’ble Chief Minister Of Karnataka.

4. The Hon’ble Dy Chief Minister Of Karnataka.

5. Smt.Sonia Gandhi ji, The Chairperson United Progressive Alliance, The Chairperson National Advisory Council, and President, Indian National Congress, New Delhi.

6. Shri.H.D.Devegowda, Former Prime Minister, National President Janata Dal (Secular) & Member of Parliament.

7. Shri.Prakash Karat, General Secretary, CPI (M).

8. Shri.A.B.Bardhan, General Secretary, CPI (I).

9. Shri.L.K.Advani, Leader of Opposition, Loka Sabha.

10. Shri.Jaswant Singh, Leader of Opposition, Rajya Sabha.

11. The Central Vigilance Commissioner, New Delhi.

12. The Loka Ayukta, Karnataka.

Press Invitation

Press Release – 3 April 2008

Protest against abuse of women and elders through misuse of IPC Section 498A

Save Indian Family Foundation (SIFF) is a voluntary self-help group formed in response to the large number of arrests of innocent citizens and the alarming rise in the number of broken marriages, fatherless children and abused elders, owing to the rampant misuse of Indian Penal Code (IPC) Section 498A. SIFF is composed of men and women of all ages, who share the twin objectives of promoting family harmony and fighting legal terrorism (carried out through misuse of women-protection laws).

Indian “women-protection laws”, which are in essence wife-protection laws, assume that wives are always honest victims and therefore require no proof of their claims before initiating action against the accused. The draconian law, IPC Section 498A, in particular, allows arrest of the husband and his relatives solely on the basis of the complaint of a wife, without any proof or investigation. Further, the accused are assumed to be guilty until proven innocent.

Added to these blind assumptions, lack of punishment or penalty for misuse of the law has made IPC Section 498A a dangerous weapon in the hands of unscrupulous wives to harass husbands along with elders and women in the matrimonial home.

Every year 30,000 innocent women are arrested (i.e. one innocent woman every 20 minutes) under IPC Section 498A. Everyday, minor girls, pregnant women, married and unmarried sisters, ailing mothers and even aged grandmothers are being sent behind bars and prosecuted based on mere allegations. Unmarried women have ended their lives unable to bear the humiliation of being arrested and rejected by prospective alliances. Lives of married women are adversely affected as well due to the unbearable stress caused by false prosecution for 7-10 years.

Every year, close to 4,000 innocent senior citizens are arrested (i.e. one innocent elderly person every 2.5 hours) under IPC Section 498A. Many retired elders have been ill-treated, thrown out of their own homes and deprived of their meagre means of sustenance by greedy or vengeful daughters-in-law. Senior citizens are further harassed through false cases of domestic abuse and dowry harassment and denied mental peace during the last leg of their lives. Aged parents have to helplessly watch their sons lose their youth, their health, their jobs, all their earnings, and sometimes even their lives, as they are mercilessly tortured by their estranged wives, aided by advocates, the Police and the Judiciary. More and more elderly parents are unable to depend on their sons for the fear of false dowry harassment cases by resentful daughters-in-law. It is not surprising that the World Health Organization, in its report on India cited IPC Section 498A as one of the major reasons for the “Increasing Abuse of the Elderly in India”.

Children are not being spared from the suffering either. Irrespective of the reasons for marital discord, wives are filing criminal cases of domestic abuse and dowry harassment to deny children access to their fathers, causing great pain to the fathers and children. Children are also being arrested under false charges of dowry harassment, and imprisoned along with older family members. In other cases, children are being torn apart from their parents who are hauled away by the police in front of their eyes, causing indelible scars and fears in their young minds.

Falsely accused men have to fight the highly corrupt state machinery on behalf of the women, children and the elderly in their families, at their own personal expense, all the while carrying the presumption of guilt on their heads. Many young men lose their employment either because they are forced to appear in court frequently, or they must often travel to a different city or state to fight their cases, or because they are unable to focus on their professions while fighting the cases.

Where would these men gather the strength and the resources needed to fight the corruption and public prosecution effectively? If the accused men are already indigent and cannot afford the best defense money can buy, their fate is sealed. Many men who are threatened or accused under false cases end their lives like Abdul Rahim of Karimnagar, Rajesh Hasmukh Desai of Ahmedabad or Pushkar Singh of Lucknow. In some cases, they end up taking the lives of their spouses before ending their own lives as was seen in the more recent case of Amit Budhiraj.

It is clear that the so-called “women-protection laws” are only creating havoc in the society and destroying the family, which has, for ages, been the greatest support system for women, children and the elderly in India.

In western countries like USA, the Government provides financial assistance (social security) to those who cannot maintain themselves. Nevertheless, social research in countries like USA shows that children raised in broken homes tend to grow up into disturbed and violent individuals. Single mothers and the elderly in these countries may receive financial assistance to make ends meet, but never enough to buy the warmth and care that comes from being part of a family. Due to similar anti-family laws, western men have even developed an aversion towards marriage and the levels of stress are extremely high among men, women and children, compared to those in family-oriented cultures.

Should we allow criminal laws like IPC Section 498A destroy the only source of social security we have in India, which is the family? Should we hope that our Government will invent a better system than family to take care of the countless single mothers, fatherless children and helpless senior citizens it is creating, and if so, at what additional cost to the society? How many more innocent lives should we sacrifice before our Government and law enforcement system take steps to end legal terrorism and promote family-friendly laws?

In order to publicly raise these questions, SIFF is organizing a Protest against abuse of women and elders through misuse of IPC Section 498A on Sunday, 6 April, 2008 from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. near Indira Park. We will also take out a Peace March along Tank Bund as part of the event. We are expecting 100-200 members from different places in Andhra Pradesh, Tamilnadu and Karnataka, including women, children and senior citizens, to attend the protest.

During our protest we will highlight the causes, magnitude and consequences of misuse of IPC Section 498A and urge the Government, Laweyrs, Judiciary and Police to end legal terrorism. We will submit a memorandum to the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh with our specific demands, briefly listed below, to ensure that the innocent are protected and justice is delivered to the genuinely aggrieved:

1. Ban Police involvement in marital counseling.

2. Pass directives to resolve all marital disputes under civil law.

3. Confer equal protection upon men and women against verbal, emotional, economic, physical and sexual abuse at home and in the work place.

4. Make civil and criminal laws applicable to men and women equally. Specifically, provisions of IPC 498A, Domestic Violence Act, adultery laws, laws against rape and sexual harassment and family laws (divorce, maintenance and child custody) should be made gender-neutral.

5. End the “legal terrorism” perpetrated through the misuse of anti-male, anti-family laws. Specifically, Section 498A of IPC should be made bailable. It should also be made non-cognizable to prevent arrests of innocent citizens based on mere complaints unsubstantiated by evidence or investigation.

6. Strictly enforce the standing orders issued in the memo by the Commissioner of Police, Hyderabad, in 2002, and allow NO arrest under IPC Section 498A and related “women-protection laws” without written permission of the Deputy Commissioner of Police,

7. Grant joint custody of children to both spouses upon dissolution of marriage.

8. Make provisions to punish those who abuse the judicial process irrespective of gender. Specifically, heavy penalties should be imposed on people misusing IPC 498A and Domestic Violence Act as weapons for settling personal scores in marital disputes..

9. Establish a Ministry for Men’s Welfare to cater to the needs and welfare of our fathers, brothers, husbands and sons.

We urge representatives of the print and electronic media to lend their support to our cause by attending our Protest against abuse of women and elders through misuse of IPC Section 498A on Sunday, 6 April, 2008 from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. near Indira Park and highlighting the truth about the legal terrorism perpetrated in the name of women-protection laws like IPC Section 498A.

Save Indian Family Foundation

Contact: 9704683163 (Challa Uma)

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Helplines for victims of legal terrorism:

Delhi: 9810611534, 9911119113
Mumbai: 9224335577, 9869323538
Kolkata: 9830151555, 9830927619
Chennai: 9884607376, 9941012958
Hyd’bad: 09848280354, 9989146466
B’lore: 9845143724, 9342853272
Pune: 9923056460
More helplines at: http://mynation.net/contact-us

But don’t contact Joshua Delcore for this.

JOIN OUR PROTEST AGAINST ABUSE OF WOMEN AND ELDERS!

Every 5 minutes an innocent man is arrested

Every 20 minutes an innocent woman is arrested

Every 2.5 hours an innocent elderly person is arrested

under IPC SECTION 498A

…without proof or investigation

…upon mere allegations of cruelty or dowry harassment.

YOU could be arrested too,

treated guilty until proven innocent,

forced to endure 7-10 years of false prosecution,

ONLY because you are a husband or relative of a husband.

Under IPC SECTION 498A,

mother and sister are not considered women,

elder abuse is considered social service.

Join us in our

NATIONAL PROTEST AGAINST ABUSE OF WOMEN AND ELDERS

and raise your voice against misuse of IPC Section 498A

When: Sunday, 6 April 2008, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Where: Indira Park/NTR Stadium, Lower Tank Bund, Hyderabad

Contact: 9704683163 (Smt. Challa Uma)

FIGHT LEGAL TERRORISM!

Save Indian Family!

Save India!!!

Organizers:

All India Forgotten Women

Bhaaryaa Baadhitula Sangham (A unit of Raksha)

Sahana

Save Indian Family Foundation

Helpline numbers:

Delhi: 9810611534, 9911119113
Mumbai: 9224335577, 9869323538
Kolkata: 9830151555, 9830927619
Chennai: 9884607376, 9941012958
Hyd’bad: 09848280354, 9989146466
B’lore: 9845143724, 9342853272
Pune: 9923056460
More helplines at: http://mynation.net/contact-us

English Flyer

Telugu Flyer

Stop Arresting Innocents in False Dowry Cases

PRESS RELEASE
=============

March 8th is the International Women’s Day (IWD). It’s the day, when women’s struggles are remembered and their achievements are celebrated. Unfortunately, the women’s struggles still continue as thousands of innocent women are harassed, abused and even jailed every year in the name of executing laws meant for protecting women.

The patriarchal law enforcement system denied justice to women for a long time and today it participates in harassment of women in the name of implementing laws meant for protecting women. Save Indian Family Foundation (SIFF) is conducting awareness campaigns in Bangalore, Delhi and Hyderabad to show the disastrous impact of draconian laws on innocent women.Every year 30,000 innocent women get jailed without evidence or investigation in dowry cases. Many of these women are elderly, many are pregnant and many have small kids in their arms. Thousands of unmarried young girls are also arrested and sent to jail. In the name of protecting women, the patriarchal society takes pride in arresting and jailing so many women without any evidence or investigation. Are these women a threat to society that they have to be arrested and bail has to be denied? Jailing of 30,000 women and girls in a year means one woman is jailed in every 20 minutes. Many more thousands of women live in the constant fear of getting dragged to police stations, getting arrested and jailed. Many of these women approach SIFF helplines for counseling as they have no where else to go.

It is often assumed that only men get victimized in false dowry cases. This is not true. The reality is that a woman is arrested in every 20 minutes. The real victims of dowry harassment never go to police and it’s the innocents who get jailed. Indian supreme court has warned about unleashing of “legal terrorism” if the arrest of innocents is not stopped. Often, elderly widowed women are abused and threatened by the male relatives of the estranged daughter-in-law so that she gives in to their demand of lacs of money and property.

Recently, a 92 year old woman was dragged to police station and the court, when a criminal case is filed against her. She was considered “guilty till proven innocent”. Another woman was arrested in a dowry case and is taken in train from Delhi to Lucknow along with her 6 month old kid. Is this empowerment of women? In another occasion, police reached to a school to arrest a class 9th school girl, who was listed as an accused in a dowry case. Is this what President calls about initiatives for “girl child” in India?

Recently, an auto-rickshaw driver attempted suicide in Bangalore after being abused and made to run around police stations. In his house there was one widowed mother, a widowed sister and widowed wife of his brother. He was the sole breadwinner of the family. Three widowed women and the children were dependents on him. By God’s grace he survived. If he had passed away, then who would have taken care of these innocent women and children? The patriarchal system has no right to harass a man, who is the only breadwinner in a family with women and children.

In spite of lofty claims made by minister for women and child welfare Renuka Chowdhury about women’s empowerment, it is a fact that she is completely silent about plight of thousands of women and children, who get jailed without trial in dowry cases every year. She has no answer to these atrocities committed by a patriarchal system, which finds it mandatory to jail women and children without bail even as criminals and molesters get bail at the drop of hat. The entire women’s movement in India is hijacked by a few fund chasing pawns of western agencies, which drive the agenda of women’s movement in India.

President of India, Pratibha Patil recently talked about “complete legal equality” for women. So, why Government is arresting innocent women and young girls without evidence or investigation? Women’s activists of SIFF will submit memorandums to President of India and Governor of Karnataka to stop arrest of women in dowry cases.

Stop Arresting Women in Dowry Cases demands SIFF and its Women’s Activists:

1. STOP Arresting Women and girls in anti-dowry cases. Women can be arrested only when they are convicted after trial in a competent court. Arresting innocent women without any basis is simply an act of cowardice by a Government, which can not implement any law properly.
2. Any police official arresting women in dowry cases must face disciplinary action.
3. The DV act’s scope must be extended to include protection orders and restraining orders on male relatives of a daughter-in-law, who abuse and threaten the women of the family.

Women’s movement started with sincere women, who wanted to achieve gender equality. Today the women’s organizations are hijacked by fund chasing fringe elements, which campaign for biased draconian laws without considering its consequences on innocent women and children in families. The women activists of SIFF work hard to expose these motivated organizations, which betray women while collecting funds for women’s welfare.

SIFF Phone Numbers:

Bangalore: 98860 16438 , 98451 43724, 92434 73794

Delhi: 098106 11534

Hyderabad: 098664 81361

SIFF Dharna/Protest against misuse of Marital Laws

As we all know how badly the marital laws in India like 498A and DV etc have been drafted and these are being used as tools to harass innocent husbands and their families to extort money from them.
As per NCRB data every four minutes a husband is arrested in a false dowry case, every one hour a senior citizen is arrested, every 2 hours a child is arrested, every hour a pregnant woman is arrested and a family is broken just because of the way these laws can be misused.Many people in India still think that they can be arrested under this offense only if they have demanded dowry or taken it. But what they do not know is the fact that any married woman can make this complaint and the husband and his family is immediately arrested and even denied bail and are held “Guilty until proven innocent.” It will be a long trial of 5-6 or may be upto 10 yrs after which the truth will come out, but by then everything is finished. The man and his family has already been harassed to such an extent that justice is peanuts compared to the ordeal undergone, just because of the presence of loosely drafted draconian laws and their rampant misuse and of course the lies unleashed by the vindictive wives and money begging, greedy Father-in-laws.On this day 19th Jan 2008 SIFF Bangalore is planning to hold a Dharna in Bangalore. We would request maximum members to make this Dharna a success by their presence. The more the merrier.

Think of this day 19th Jan 2008 is as important in our lives as if we are getting a judgment in a false 498A case or we are getting the custody of our child or a false maintenance case is going in our favor.

So we have to make it a point to attend this Dharna and make it a huge success making it a citadel of our awareness creation campaign, our demand for a Men’s Ministry and our demand for a proper review of the marital laws to make them gender-neutral and implement them effectively so that they can be used to make and NOT break families.

Update: We got permission from Police Commissioner’s office (DCP) to hold the protest on 19th January in front of Gandhi Statue on MG Road.

The accommodations for out-station activists is planned. They will be staying in 4 to 5 houses of SIF members.

We are inviting the IT Company HR heads, Nasscom and also a famous CEO. We will also conduct a press conference 3 days before the Dharna.

Not only SIF activists, but every Indian from all over the country is invited to attend the Protest/ Dharna to save the Institution of Family from getting abolished due to these stupid and clumsy laws.

2nd Stage Victory…

After a lot of running around, we (me & parents) finally got a regular bail from SDJM, Bhubaneswar yesterday, right on the last day of the 15 day transit bail period. It was not at all easy here at Bhubaneswar…
My in-laws and the police have very well planned it all to make sure we are booked in for atleast 15-20 days before getting any bail… Even though they registered the case on 18th Sept’07 which got registered with the Mahila PS, Bhubaneswar only on 2nd Oct’07, but they came to arrest us on 30th Nov’07. Later, when I went to BBSR, I came to know their real plan. There was an indefinite lawyers strike going on in BBSR and no lawyer was allowed to plead in the courts during the cease-work.
So my in-laws were dead sure, that I’m not going to escape this time, and there’s no way I can get a bail within the 15 days time, after which the police can easily come with an arrest warrant and put us in. But fortunately I got another great lawyer from Cuttack, who did manage to get us a bail right on the last day, in spite of all the efforts from the in-laws to stop the bail.
Now I came to know that I’m perhaps the first case from Orissa who managed to get a regular bail without a single day in the jail.

And all this became possible, not just because of any luck factor, but because I was well prepared and armed with complete set of shields to save me and my parents from the abuse of this law… After getting the threatenings from my wife and in-laws, I immediately got ourselves an anticipatory bail in Bangalore and waited for the fateful day. When it did arrive, even though this AB won’t be valid in Orissa, only due to this AB, i got the transit bail in Bangalore itself. Then again due to the presence of both the AB & the TB, the judge in Bhubaneswar had no other go than to grant us the regular bail too…

Knowledge and preparation does wonders to your case…

False 498a on me

Yesterday, the hanging sword finally fell on me…
After all the threatenings, 498A is finally registered against me and parents. Police from Orissa came home early morning at 6am, with my beloved wife and her parents.
They first took away all the left overs (stridhan) that she left at my house while leaving, like some of her dolls, some cheap gift items that were given by her friends and relatives in marriage, a couple of nighties etc… Even the IO that came with her was laughing. “Is these what you call were given as dowry?”, she asked her. Anyway, I got a signed list of the seizure of all those articles.Now the drama begun in the local police station, where they took us all for ‘counseling’… When I produced the AB order that I’ve got, the local ASI said that ‘we are not going to arrest you anyway, so this AB is of no use for you. They’ve come from Orissa and even the case is not registered as an FIR directly with the police stn. Its registered as a complain case with the SDJM, Bhubaneswar, and is referred to the Mahila PS, Bhubaneswar for FIR registration & investigation.’
Then the local SI came and asked me if I’m ready to accept her back. I said clearly, with the FIR alive, its not possible. I’m ready to accept her gladly if she gives in writing that all the allegations in there are false and withdraws the case (Which I know cannot be done).
So they said fine, if u r not ready to ‘compromise’ then we’ll present you before the judge here (’cause its more than 30hrs journey back to Orissa, and they’ve to produce me within 24hrs). I said fine.Meanwhile our SIF brothers arrived at the PS for some great moral support and also amazingly helpful suggestions. They coordinated with my lawyer on my behalf and prepared a cool petition for applying to the judge for a transit bail.
And finally by night around 9pm I got a bail for 15 days to help me get a bail in Bhubaneswar. I’ll be getting the final order today from the court after depositing the surety amount.

This was a GREAT defeat for my in-laws as they paid a lot to the policemen to come all the way here, just to see us behind bars or at least in hand-cuffs with their own eyes. But they never imagined that I had such strong backup here and will get out of their hands so easily.

I’m so thankful to all the SIF Bangalore brothers who were right there exactly when I needed some close friends, and they proved much more than the closest friends I could ever have.

THANK YOU ALL ONCE AGAIN, BROTHERS! I can never forget yesterday!