PORVORIM: The Women and Child Development Minister, Vishwajit Rane, declared on Friday that the government would introduce a comprehensive law to prevent discrimination against widows in the State.
Members across party lines strongly recommended that the government take immediate action to put an end to unjust customs of widow discrimination, abuse, and isolation in Goa.
Leader of the Opposition, Yuri Alemao tabled the resolution, urging the government to stop such outdated and inhuman customs and treat widows on par with married women. He pointed out that 14 village panchayats in the State had already passed resolutions against such practices.
Rane confirmed that the government would hold deliberations on the issue and introduce the law in the next Assembly session to stop such inhumane practices. Alemao called for the government to co-ordinate with various Departments, including the Directorate of Panchayats, Directorate of Municipal Administration, Goa State Commission for Women, and the Goa Human Rights Commission, to convene gram sabhas of Village Panchayats to stop these prevailing discriminatory practices.
He also demanded that the government implement the order passed by the Goa Human Rights Commission (GHRC) in 2016.
Alemao also urged the government to organise awareness meetings in every town and meetings of various NGOs to boost the confidence of widows and stop obsolete and archaic practices in the community, and called for a law to put an end to them.
MLAs Chandrakant Shetye, Delilah Lobo, Deviya Rane, Alton D’Costa, Venzy Viegas, and Viresh Borkar supported the resolution.
D’Costa added, “Let us be an example across the country by passing the resolution.” Alemao withdrew the resolution following the Minister’s assurance.
