In response to allegations that girls are “being auctioned on stamp paper” in six districts of the state and that refusing to do so leads to the “rape of their mothers to settle financial disputes on the diktats of caste panchayats,” the NHRC sent a notice to the Rajasthan government on Thursday.
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) issued a statement stating that it has taken suo motu attention of a media story.
The Rajasthan chief secretary and director general of police (DGP) has been given four weeks to respond to the commission.
Media report claiming auction of girls
According to a report that appeared in the Hindi daily Dainik Bhaskar on October 25, girls between the ages of 8 and 18 are auctioned off in a “Jatiya Panchayat” in a few areas of Rajasthan to settle financial matters, particularly indebtedness.
For the settlement of financial transactions, particularly loans, in a few areas in Rajasthan, auctioning of girls take place.
According to the article, if this is not done, caste panchayats will order that their mothers be raped. These young women are taken to Mumbai, Delhi, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, and even other nations.
Caste panchayat ruling over women’s bodies.
The caste council, also known as the jati panchayat, is one of the formally organised units in Indian society. Maintaining caste unity ensures uniformity of the norms and is the primary goal of the caste council. But what happens when this council start ruining women’s bodies?
A report made by Dainik Bhaskar on the auction of girls on stamp paper has highlighted the role of the caste panchayat. An institution which has significantly contributed to enslaving women
Citing a media report, the NHRC said that whenever there is a dispute between the two parties particularly involving financial transactions and loans, girls aged between eight years and 18 years are âauctioned to recover moneyâ.
The news report goes on to describe additional instances of this. One incident in Bhilwada involved a man who had to sell his daughter for Rs 6 lakh to pay back loans for the treatment of his mother and wife. The 12-year-old was taken to Agra, after which she was enslaved as a sex worker and was sold two more times.
NHRC on auctioning of girls
The commission has asked for a detailed report from the chief secretary of Rajasthan on the matter, along with a report on what action has been taken, what measures have already been taken and if not, what is proposed to be taken to prevent such incidents.
The National Human Rights Commission, sometimes known as the NHRC, is an independent agency of the Indian government with the responsibility of advancing and defending human rights. It is a statutory organisation recognised in the Indian Constitution that was founded in 1993 by the “Protection of Human Rights Act.” NHRC acts as a watchdog of human rights in the country
According to a media source, these girls are transferred to the UP, MP, Mumbai, Delhi, and even foreign nations after being sold at auction where they are forced into slavery and subjected to physical abuse, torture, and sexual assault. If accurate, the report’s assertions would constitute abuses of human rights, according to the NHRC.
The commission has asked the chief secretary of Rajasthan for a detailed re-submission along with information on the measures that have been taken, have previously been taken, and, if not, what measures have been proposed to be done to prevent such occurrences.
What actions are taking place after the media report?
The NHRC demanded that the report contain details on how the state government is ensuring the functions of the Gram Panchayat, either by constitutional provisions or Panchayati Raj law, to eliminate the caste system’s violations of girls and women’s human rights and the right to dignity in the state.
The Rajasthan DGP has also been given the notice to produce a charge sheet report outlining the beginning of criminal prosecution against those responsible for such offences, according to the NHRC.
It was noted that the report had to include information on the cases’ progress, such as the filing of FIRs, the charge sheet, any arrests connected to such incidents, and the measures taken to apprehend those guilty of such egregious crimes against the state’s meat industry.
The NHRC stated that the DGP’s report “shall indicate steps taken or proposed to be taken against the public official(s) who are alleged to have continually neglected prevention of such instances.”
The NHRC further recently that Umesh Sharma, has been tasked with getting and inspecting the impacted areas of Rajasthan and submitting a thorough report on the incidences noted and the local customs within three months.
NCW team visit to Bhilwara
Rekha Sharma, the chair of the national commission for women, announced that a team from the NCW is being sent to the Bhilwara district of Rajasthan to look into the auction of girls on stamp paper. She added that reports of incidents similar to this have been made over the past few years, but the state government has not yet taken any action. Meanwhile, A notice was sent to the director general of police and the Bhilwara collector in response to media reports that young girls in some districts of Rajasthan are being sold on stamp paper by the Rajasthan state commission for women. They also demand reports within 7 days.Â
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