Ela Bhatt asks CBI to accept new challenges

New Delhi, Apr 10 (UNI) Noted social activist Ela Bhatt today asked the CBI to play a pro-active role in an age of urban renewal and industrial development so that incidents like Vidarbha suicides could be prevented.

Rueing the fact that police and other security agencies faced a crisis of credibility, Ms Bhatt said CBI could lead the pack by investigating economic insecurities that lead to largescale unemployment, suicides and social resentment.

''This was more important than investigate after human security has been destroyed'' She said.

Speaking on ''Freedom and Security: Women's View'' at the 8th D P Kohli Memorial Lecture, organised in honour of the CBI's founder Director at the Vigyan Bhawan here, the Ramon Magsaysay awardee said, ''Rather than wait till the violence has occurred would it not be better to find out what is wrong and act to prevent it.'' At least the CBI could advise the government on matters related to public and its security through its anticipated or preventive investigation, she told the gathering of country's top security officials from the IB, CBI and other para-military forces.

Calling upon the CBI to take the challenge of ''new age'' where social mores and facets were changing, Ms Bhatt said with a history of building national security effectively over the decades the CBI must now concentrate on ''human security'' so that people could enjoy their freedom, as ''human freedom was yet to be attained.'' Minister of State for Personnel and Parliamentary Affairs Suresh Pachouri while giving the ''Best Detective Constable Award for 2006'' to Constable T Subbu Reddy of the CBI's Anti-Corruption Branch, Hyderabad asked the CBI to redouble its efforts to carry forward the mission of Mr D P Kohli to make it the best investigation agency in the world and said his government was committed to ''provide it full support'' .

''Today the focus has shifted decisively from welfare of women to their empowerment and the CBI needs to be more sensitive to the emerging needs of women.'' CBI Director Vijay Shankar said the issue of ensuring freedom and security to women lay in the basics which women want to be addressed like that of poverty, gender bias, maternal health and malnutrition and non-proportional participation in governance.

''All these are intricately related to ensuring freedom and security,'' he said and added that the goal to transform India into a global socio-economic powerhouse will remain a dream unless women were accorded the pride of place in society in society.

UNI