Now-suspended Jharkhand BJP leader Seema Patra (middle) (Photo: Facebook)The Pune Zilla Gharkamgar Sanghatana, the Left-backed union of domestic workers of Pune Thursday called for awarding the strictest possible punishment to Seema Patra, the BJP leader from Jharkhand, who tortured her domestic worker for several years before she was rescued by the police.
In a statement issued Thursday Kiran Moghe, president of the CITU-backed union, demanded the National Human Rights Commission, the National SC/ST Commission and the National Commission of Women take suo motu cognizance of the matter and ensure that the tribal domestic worker, Sunita, gets justice of the highest order.
After the horrifying videos of Sunita went viral, the BJP last Tuesday suspended its Mahila Morcha worker from the party. Seema Patra’s husband Maheshwar Patra is a retired bureaucrat. Sunita hails from the Gumla district of Jharkhand and was employed by the Patras 10 years ago.
“Sunita should be provided the best medical treatment and the highest possible compensation. Measures should be taken to rehabilitate her,” Moghe said.
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“Shocking details about the inhuman treatment given to Sunita have emerged. The fact that Patra is a member of the national committee of the BJP Mahila Morcha and is also the state convenor of the ‘Beti Bachao Beti Padhao’ campaign just shows what lip service the BJP pays to women’s rights! That it happened in the house of a former IAS officer also points to the callousness of those who take the oath to uphold the Constitution of India. It is surprising that the police took a week to arrest Patra for such a serious crime. This case once again highlights the need for the government to put in place protective legislation for domestic workers, who form one of the largest sections of the working women community in the country. However, they remain in the unorganised sector with no recognition and rights,” the workers said in the statement.
“A large proportion of ‘live-in’ workers is from the tribal community and is subject to severe exploitation. Some are also victims of trafficking. The BJP government refuses to ratify the ILO Convention (No-189) which emphasizes the rights of domestic workers and the need to bring them under the ambit of labour laws. Several draft laws and policies have been framed and discussed by trade unions and the government but they are still on paper,” he said.
Moghe has appealed to the domestic workers to protest against the injustice and call for a comprehensive law that will provide domestic workers with minimum wages, social security and dignity of labour.