Lack of political will to protest violence against women: Javed Akhtar

Jan 25, 2014 IANS

Kolkata, Jan 25 (IANS) In the wake of the gang rape of a 20-year-old woman at the behest of a kangaroo court in West Bengal's Birbhum district, acclaimed Bollywood lyricist Javed Akhtar Saturday expressed dismay that political parties do not have the "will or courage" to act against such violent incidents because of "vote banks".

"Political parties do not have the will or courage to condemn or speak against it (acts of violence) because of vote banks," he told reporters on the sidelines of the Kolkata Literary Meet here.

"It (violence against women) is happening all over India."

Akhtar was attending the session 'As if Women Matter' at the meet where American activist Gloria Steinem was one of the panelists. The deliberation veered towards feminism and women's movement across the world.

After the discussion, he commented that the issue was more of men's liberation from a psyche of insecurity and release from an inferiority complex of being imperfect.

"As society get educated, men will be liberated...its more about men's liberation."