ucknow we know how 18 years old Sadaf Rizvi broke tradition by offering Friday namaz at the Bada Imambara some years back. The following week nearly 150 women turned up to pray. As one woman in Calcutta said during the hearings, ``Why don't they admit that we are living in the 20th century, hence old laws should not apply. When it comes to men they talk of human rights, then why not for women.'' Disappointingly however, the report ends on a typically equivocating note. ``The NCW would like to address civil society and enlightened Muslims to eschew outdated practices which are distortions of traditional Law. Muslim Law should be codified, second marriage should be made as difficult as possible, a solution to triple talaaq should be worked out within Shariat law, marriages should be compulsorily registered, and divorced women must have right to maintenance despite the decision in the Shah Bano Case, 1986. Above all, the Muslim girl child should become first focus in all government schemes. While the women's voices transcribed are authentic, painful, the document untimely remains stereotyped, lightly treading the delicate tightrope on sensitive issues without offending the community, to which the author belongs, while purporting to have the interests of women at heart. In this case, we all know very well that half measures will not work. Only bold initiatives will, but nobody has the courage to take them after the outcry over the Shah Bano Case. Significantly, other countries that have affected change in laws for women are predominently Muslim ones. We cannot dare touch the issue because we are ``secular''. The report is silent about women's voices from Lucknow. Only some ``progressive'' steps are mentioned, like the case of Sadaf Rizvi, and an interview with the late Ali Mian, who impressed the author with his breadth of vision and gender sensitivity. To quote: ``Maulana Ali Mian's contention was that there was substantial difference betw...
