By Dr. Syed Ahmed, for TwoCircles.net,
Imphal: All Manipur Muslims (Meitei Pangal) Welfare Association (AMPWA), a prominent civil society organization, organized a One-Day Legal Awareness Programme on the topic “Protection of Women’s Right” in association with Manipur State Legal Services Authority (MSLSA) on June 1, 2014 at the campus of Muslim Girls Hostel at Hafiz Hatta, Imphal.
The function was graced by District & Session Judge, Manipur East, A. Guneshwar Singh, Chief Judicial Magistrate, Manipur Judge A. Noutuneshwori Devi and Chairperson A. Halim Chowdhury, IAS (Retd.) as Chief Guest and Guests of Honour. President of AMPWA Prof. M.A. Janab Khan presided the programme.
Director (Law Department), Manipur Ngangom Tejkumar Singh spoke on Crime against Women, Drugs and Domestic Violence. Advocate Md. Abdul Qayum spoke on Property rights for Muslim women.
Addressing the gathering, District & Session Judge Guneshwar Singh said Muslim women in the State are the most disadvantaged section. Poverty and social customs like early marriage hindered the educational attainment of the Muslim women in the State. As a result, they are least aware of their legal rights. And they are often discriminated and deprived off their rights in the patriarchal Muslim society. After marriage the illiterate and poor Muslim women often face lots of crisis. They often fall victim of domestic violence. In such a circumstance, the Government felt the need of sensitizing women on the various legal rights given by different Acts. We are giving free counseling and legal aid for the women. We are organizing such legal awareness throughout the State to inform the uneducated womenfolk and other vulnerable sections of the society on the various Acts which safeguard their rights, he added.
In her speech, Chief Judicial Magistrate Noutuneshwori said to deal with domestic violence and other crimes against women the State Government has opened Legal Services Authority in every district. Those married women who face any form of domestic violence can come and take the help of the Legal Authorities. These Authorities give free legal aid. Illiteracy and economic problems are some of the causes for domestic violence. Cases of violence against women have been increasing rapidly over the years. We are also getting large number of such cases from the Muslim community. We hope such awareness programme will empower the Muslim women, she added.
MSLSA was set up in 1995 with an aim to protect the constitutional rights of all human beings, particularly the marginalized and vulnerable sections of the society. One can approach MASLSA in Imphal or District Legal Services Authorities (DLSA) in districts concerned for grievance redressal. There are at present 4 Legal Aid Clinics in Manipur working under MSLSA, namely LMS Law College, Imphal, Royal Academy of Law, Oinam, Chierap Court complex, Imphal, and in Malom. Apart from providing free legal aid, the body also strives for legal literacy among the masses.
The function was attended by large number of Muslim women from Imphal areas.