*
**She may have annoyed a few party colleagues in the Congress party by seeking a review of the Muslim Personal Law but Delhi Commission for Women chief Barkha Singh says women welfare and the responsibility of her constitutional post are above party affiliations and stands.*
Quite different from her party colleagues' views, Barkha Singh, 55, a former Congress legislator, wants a change in the Muslim Personal Law to protect Muslim women from exploitation and violence in marriages.
She also wrote a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the issue. "I am concerned about the plight of women, especially Muslim. These women are facing exploitation which I want to stop," says Singh, a poetess who has won the Tribhasha Sammelan Award and authored a book: "Bhid me jab hum Akele".
Explaining her move of writing the letter to the PM, the Commission chairperson says: "The commission is a non-political body thus the letter to the Prime Minister should not be taken as a political stunt."
"I hold a constitutional post which is apolitical. For me, women welfare is more important than views of politicians," she says, admitting that not all in her party agree with her.Muslim women are being exploited by husbands who have more than one wife. "Some of them are struggling to get their daily meals," she says.
"I feel that women from the Muslim community are facing violence and living in constant fear of not getting legal help in marriage-related matters," she says.
Asked why she did not write such a letter to the previous prime minister, despite heading the commission for over five years, she says: "As the new government is in majority, it can assure better reforms in Muslim Personal Law."
She says: "Any law must ensure dignity of individuals and protection from exploitation, if it does not then it must be abolished."
The former R K Puram legislator hit the headlines earlier when she had issued notice to former law minister and Aam Aadmi Party leader Somnath Bharti over his controversial raid against women from African nations living in Khirki Extension area in January.
She weathered a storm when the AAP government recommended her removal from the commission to Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung. She managed to convince Jung that her constitutional post gave her immunity against political decision to remove her. Reported by Deccan Herald 17 hours ago.
**She may have annoyed a few party colleagues in the Congress party by seeking a review of the Muslim Personal Law but Delhi Commission for Women chief Barkha Singh says women welfare and the responsibility of her constitutional post are above party affiliations and stands.*
Quite different from her party colleagues' views, Barkha Singh, 55, a former Congress legislator, wants a change in the Muslim Personal Law to protect Muslim women from exploitation and violence in marriages.
She also wrote a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the issue. "I am concerned about the plight of women, especially Muslim. These women are facing exploitation which I want to stop," says Singh, a poetess who has won the Tribhasha Sammelan Award and authored a book: "Bhid me jab hum Akele".
Explaining her move of writing the letter to the PM, the Commission chairperson says: "The commission is a non-political body thus the letter to the Prime Minister should not be taken as a political stunt."
"I hold a constitutional post which is apolitical. For me, women welfare is more important than views of politicians," she says, admitting that not all in her party agree with her.Muslim women are being exploited by husbands who have more than one wife. "Some of them are struggling to get their daily meals," she says.
"I feel that women from the Muslim community are facing violence and living in constant fear of not getting legal help in marriage-related matters," she says.
Asked why she did not write such a letter to the previous prime minister, despite heading the commission for over five years, she says: "As the new government is in majority, it can assure better reforms in Muslim Personal Law."
She says: "Any law must ensure dignity of individuals and protection from exploitation, if it does not then it must be abolished."
The former R K Puram legislator hit the headlines earlier when she had issued notice to former law minister and Aam Aadmi Party leader Somnath Bharti over his controversial raid against women from African nations living in Khirki Extension area in January.
She weathered a storm when the AAP government recommended her removal from the commission to Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung. She managed to convince Jung that her constitutional post gave her immunity against political decision to remove her. Reported by Deccan Herald 17 hours ago.