Kashmiri Sikh Woman: Activists Threaten Action If She Is Not Produced Before Them

NEW DELHI – Several women organisations have condemned the “insensitive and disrespectful attitude” of the Delhi Commision for Women (DCW) in the case of a Kashmiri Sikh woman who has recently been brought to Delhi after being separated from her Muslim husband and re-married to a Sikh.

Through a letter mailed by Pragatisheel Mahila Sangathan (PMS) Delhi to DCW, they had sought a meeting with the Sikh woman. Not only that DCW gave no response to the mail, it’s chairperson Swati Maliwal did not see a delegation of these organisation which visited the DCW office.

Now these organisations — AIMSS, NFIW, PMS, SMS — are threatening direct action. “If no concrete action for production of the girl is taken the women organisations might have to stage a protest before the DCW,” says a press release issued by them on Monday.

They have also written a letter to the chief minister of Delhi also asking him to facilitate a meeting with the girl in the presence of DCW officials and women organisations leaders to assess if she is under any duress. “Freedom in choosing marriage partner is the right of adult women and men. We call upon the Chairpersons of the constitutional bodies to direct the production of this girl before them and let the delegation led by office-bearers of women organisations to meet this young girl.

“We strongly feel the need of easy legal proceedures for registration of marriage and in particular the inter-faith marriages to ensure the protection of right to choose the spouse by men and women both,” said the statement.