Why is women being circumcised? Supreme Court seeks answer from Law Ministry

The Supreme Court has agreed to hear the petition related to banning Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) prevalent among some Muslims, especially the Dawoodi Bohra community. The court has issued a notice to the Central Government as well as the Ministry of Law and Justice on this issue, seeking their response. This petition was filed by NGO Chetna Welfare Society.

Justice BV Nagarathna and Justice R. Mahadevan’s bench, while hearing the petition, said that this matter is related to the constitutional rights of children and hence it should be looked at seriously. On behalf of the petitioner, senior advocate Shashi Kiran and advocate Sadhna Sandhu argued that female circumcision It is neither an essential part of Islam nor is it clearly mentioned in any religious text. Despite this, this process is forced on girls, due to which they have to suffer serious physical and mental harm.

Very bad effect of circumcision on women

The petition also said that the World Health Organization (WHO), United Nations agencies and global human rights organizations have been continuously appealing to countries to stop, criminalize and end female circumcision. Medical research shows that victims of this torture suffer both short-term and long-term physical and mental side effects.

The petitioner also mentioned that there is no independent law in India to ban female circumcision. However, sections 113, 118(1), 118(2), and 118(3) of the Indian Penal Code (BNS) consider such bodily harm as a crime. Apart from this, according to the POCSO Act, touching or interfering with the genitals of a minor for non-medical reasons is a crime.

The petition states that WHO has described FGM as a serious violation of the human rights of girls and women. FGM causes infection, delivery complications, long-term pain, and many other serious health risks. In December 2012, the United Nations General Assembly also unanimously passed a resolution to end FGM.

Female circumcision is prevalent in Dawoodi Bohra community

The NGO has claimed that about 75% of the women of the Dawoodi Bohra community are This inhuman practice on daughters Gets it implemented. In the petition, the court was requested to immediately intervene and give instructions to end this tradition. It was also told in the petition that FGM has been completely banned in America, Britain, Australia and many African countries, but in India even today there is no specific law to ban it.

The Dawoodi Bohra community is a sect of Shia Islam, and in India this community practices FGM, popularly known as ‘Khatna’. According to the petition, there is no mention of this practice in the Quran, but it is supported in the community’s special scripture Daim-ul-Islam. Many Islamic scholars around the world do not consider it a religious practice.

Now after the notice is issued by the Supreme Court, this matter will move forward with importance. It remains to be seen what stand the Central Government takes on this sensitive and long-disputed issue.