AIDWA strongly condemns the savage hike in the price of non subsidized cooking gas cylinders by Rs 86 per cylinder, brought into immediate effect by the BJP central government on March 1, 2017. This is historically the highest increase in the cost of unsubsidised gas cylinders in the country. The average Indian household, which has either given up the subsidy, or the eligible households which have exceeded their quota of 12 cylinders annually, will now have to pay Rs 737.50 for a single cylinder of gas, up from Rs 651.50 per cylinder as on February 28, 2017.

WOMEN’S groups have been leading a struggle for 33 percent reservation in the local bodies in Nagaland for the past many years. Elections for 32 urban local bodies (ULBs) notified on December 21, 2016 were to be held after a gap of 16 years. Unfortunately some tribal groups opposed reservation for women under the garb of protecting customary laws. Women who filed their nominations were forced to withdraw and a call was given to boycott the elections.

THE National Human Rights Commission is to be congratulated for taking the first step, even though much delayed, to bring justice to tribal women in the Bastar region of Chattisgarh. Its interim report confirms, through its independent investigation carried out in March 2016, the horrific gang-rapes, rapes, sexual assault and separately, physical assault, by security forces on 16 tribal women in different incidents in the Bijapur district of Chhattisgarh. The incidents occurred between October 19 and 24, 2015, in the villages of Pegdapalli, Chinnagelur, Peddagelur, Gundam and Burgicheru.

AN organisation of Muslim women has moved the Supreme Court with an appeal for banning the custom of ‘Triple Talaq’ or the practice of divorcing one’s wife by uttering thrice the word ‘talaq’. This case, the Law Commission’s view and the Centre’s opinion have generated a debate across the country. Our time is a time when the value of gender equality has been socially and legally upheld, thanks to the advancement in the fields of knowledge, science, thought and technology. Little wonder that a Muslim man’s right to divorce his wife by uttering ‘talaq’ has been questioned in many corners.

IN a statement issued on December 7, the All India Democratic Women’s Association has expressesed deep concern over the alarming increase in honour crimes and killings as has been reported by the minister of state for home affairs while answering a question in the Lok Sabha.