Mudgal panel won't serve any 'constructive purpose': Barthakur

  • | Friday | 30th June, 2017

"We will continue to co-operate with all governmental and quasi-judicial agencies in aiding the conduct and completion of a due and fair enquiry into this deplorable incident," Barthakur said. The Meghalaya State Commission for Women too has taken up this issue on priority," she said.Union Minister M. Venkaiah Naidu has announced that he would issue an advisory to the Delhi Golf Club in this regard. The club said that the panel members were lawyer Renu Sehgal, journalist Sunayana Arora Singh, and Chief Executive Officer and founder of an NGO, Organ India. "Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal has also extended his support to the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes to conduct an inquiry into this incident. It said that these three persons were not members of the club.

SHILLONG: Nivedita Barthakur, the employer of the Meghalaya woman who was subjected to racial abuse at the Delhi Golf Club , on Thursday said that the three-member panel constituted by the elitist club to probe the incident would "serve no constructive purpose".On Sunday, Tailin Lyngdoh, a governess, had gone to the club, along with her employer Barthakur, after they were invited for lunch by a club member.Some 15-20 minutes into the lunch, two club officials asked Lyngdoh to leave the table and the club, saying her dress - traditional Jainsem - was a "maid's uniform" and also allegedly hurled racial abuse. The Jainsem is a dress worn by indigenous Khasi women in Meghalaya.On Wednesday, the club announced that it had constituted a three-member panel headed by Justice (retired) Mukul Mudgal to probe the alleged racial abuse and discrimination against the woman at the club. The club said that the panel members were lawyer Renu Sehgal, journalist Sunayana Arora Singh, and Chief Executive Officer and founder of an NGO, Organ India. It said that these three persons were not members of the club."With investigations ongoing and/or intended by governments at both the Centre and the state, and by quasi-judicial bodies, which will per force evince cooperation from us and the Delhi Golf Club, we believe that a non-official inquiry at this stage would serve no constructive purpose," Barthakur said.She said they had the highest regard for Justice Mudgal and the other eminent people whose names had been quoted in the media as being on the committee that would probe the extremely unfortunate incident involving Lyngdoh."However, as we are sure they will appreciate, we think that any such inquiry by a non-official committee would be counter-productive and disrespectful to the due process that has been or will be initiated by governmental and quasi-judicial bodies under law.""We would also respectfully highlight to the eminent people concerned that such constitution of a non-official committee at the behest of the Delhi Golf Club may not manifest itself in the public eye to be an independent and impartial process," the London-based doctor said.Moreover, she said that they had already sent a statement giving our account of the said events at the Delhi Golf Club to Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju and others.At the state level, Barthakur said, Meghalaya Chief Minister Mukul Sangma had demanded a suo motu inquiry and had stated that "all legal options are available according to Scheduled Tribe Prevention of Atrocities Act 1989 and more will be taken advantage of, so that such behaviour is not repeated"."Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal has also extended his support to the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes to conduct an inquiry into this incident. The Meghalaya State Commission for Women too has taken up this issue on priority," she said.Union Minister M. Venkaiah Naidu has announced that he would issue an advisory to the Delhi Golf Club in this regard."We will continue to co-operate with all governmental and quasi-judicial agencies in aiding the conduct and completion of a due and fair enquiry into this deplorable incident," Barthakur said.

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