Manipur Police Training College and Social Welfare Department held a POSH Act workshop in Imphal, focusing on workplace safety, awareness, redressal and women’s protection.
Imphal, Sept. 28: Manipur Police Training College (MPTC), Pangei, in collaboration with the Social Welfare Department, Government of Manipur, organised a one-day inter-departmental workshop on the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013, at the City Convention Centre in Imphal on Monday.
Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla, who attended the programme, said Manipur has a long history of women’s empowerment and activism, referring to the Nupi Lal movements, the continuing role of Meira Paibis and the economic importance of Ima Keithel. He said women remain an important part of the state’s workforce, including in government services.
Bhalla said every person should be able to work and develop professionally without fear of humiliation or harassment. He also referred to initiatives such as the 181 Women Helpline and One Stop Centres established across the country to support women facing violence.
The Governor said the Manipur State Legal Services Authority is also working to provide free legal aid and promote para-legal awareness among women. He stressed that the POSH Act should operate alongside these institutional mechanisms and be understood not only as a system for handling complaints but also as a framework for prevention and responsible workplace conduct.
He called for greater awareness of professional boundaries and respect among colleagues, and urged people to address inappropriate behaviour before it becomes normalised.
Deputy Chief Minister Losii Dikho said a safe workplace cannot be created by legislation alone and depends on the everyday conduct of employees. He said government departments must ensure that employees understand acceptable workplace behaviour, know where to seek assistance and have confidence in available redressal mechanisms.
Dikho said preventing harassment should not be treated as a responsibility placed only on women, adding that men must also play an active role in creating respectful workplaces. He said heads of departments and senior officers should lead by example, establish clear standards, respond promptly to concerns and ensure inappropriate conduct is neither normalised nor dismissed as a joke.
Referring to the state’s current institutional challenges, the Deputy Chief Minister said awareness and sensitisation should become continuing practices rather than one-time programmes. He also stressed that such awareness should extend beyond conference halls and government offices.
Dikho noted that many women in Manipur earn their livelihoods in the unorganised sector, including as vendors, domestic helpers, agricultural labourers, daily wage earners, construction workers and employees in small establishments. He said awareness, protection and assistance must also reach these workers.
He further pointed to the role of district-level local committees in extending the protection of the POSH law to workers who may not have access to an Internal Committee at their workplace.
The Deputy Chief Minister said a safe workplace is a basic condition of dignified employment and good governance. He described workplace safety as an institutional responsibility and called for workplaces where merit is recognised, professional boundaries are respected, complaints are heard fairly and people are not subjected to harassment, slander or malicious rumours.
A short film titled “Sinthasang” on the POSH Act, 2013, was screened during the programme. This was followed by a technical session featuring Renuka Mishra, IPS, DGP, Headquarters, Lucknow; Smita Priyadarshini, Executive Director and Associate General Counsel, Boston Consulting Group; and Devjani Soraisam, Advocate, as resource persons.
Director General of Police Manipur Mukesh Singh, Director of MPTC S. Gautam Singh, Social Welfare Commissioner Haobam Rosita, Social Welfare Director Sheikh Abdul Hakim and Assistant Director, MPTC, Victoria Yengkhom, along with senior police officers, Social Welfare Department representatives, MPTC staff and officials from various state departments and institutions, attended the workshop.
