Mrs. Poornima Advani Asks SWC to Investigate Five Sisters’ Complaint

We sent our complaint to NCW, New Delhi, through RPAD, because there was no State Commission either of NCW or of NHRC at Pondicherry.

Mrs. Poornima Advani, Chairperson of NCW, New Delhi, has come to Pondicherry in the first week of October to form the State Women’s Commission at Pondicherry (SWC). Our lawyers, Mrs. V. Usha and Mr. Cyril Vincent, managed to get an appointment with her on 05.10.2004. We five sisters met Mrs. Poornima Advani at Hotel Annamalai International at about 2.30 pm. Our lawyers presented our case and Mrs. Advani was shocked at the situation prevailing in the Ashram (also check link http://ncw.nic.in/pdfReports/Gender_Profile_Pondicherry.pdf) and she said that our condition was worse than bonded laborers.

The same evening State Women Commission at Pondicherry (SWC), was inaugurated and Mrs. S. Kamalini was appointed as its first Chairperson. Our complaint dated 06.08.2004 sent by RPAD to NCW was handed over to SWC and investigation has been ordered.

We really hope to get justice and pray that now the sexual harassment faced by us will stop.