Priyadarshi Telang ‘Nirbhaya’, New Delhi and Priyanka, Khairlanji Capital punishment will curb rapes in Delhi is debatable. Nonetheless it’s good that Delhi high court has convicted all four and given capital punishment. I’m not trying to compare delhi gang rape and khairlaji cases, both were heinous. I’m trying to reflect on the responses of media, state, police and judiciary and so called civil society. Cases in brief ‘Nirbhaya’ case involves rape and murder on 16th December 2012 in Munirka, New Delhi. A 23 year old female physiotherapy intern, she was beaten and gang raped by six in a bus she was travelling along with her male friend. She died due to injuries thirteen days later while undergoing emergency treatment in Singapore. In Khairlanji, on 26 September 2006, Priyanka (17) and her mother Surekha (40 yrs) Bhotmange were stripped, paraded naked, raped repeatedly and killed. Surekha’s son Roshan (21) and Sudhir (19) were lynched. The entire village was involved along with politicians from NCP and BJP. Priyanka was NCC student and studying in class 12th, Sudhir, left in his BA studies in final year, owing to impaired vision and Roshan was doing his computer course. Priyanka was a good student, she was even felicitated by villages for securing good score in 10th class. The four naked bodies were dumped into a canal. Let’s look at the responses from various institutions and organizations. Media If you google today ‘nirbhaya case’, you get 2,600,000 hits in 0.18 seconds, on the other hand if searched for ‘khairlanji case’ the result is 16,000 in 0.33 seconds. Considering, khairlanji case happened in 2006, and individuals or organizations might have removed it, like YASHADA, who removed the fact finding report, published by then Nodal officer for PoA in Maharashtra. Even then, result shows activism shown by netizens in case of nirbhaya, and not in case of Priyanka. Dalit youths need to be more active on internet and to explore all the possible sites to report crime against Dalit women. This is true some extent when you google ‘jind case’, but it should be aggressively done to remove massive prejudices by mass media. Dalit participation in the media is poor, and therefore the chances of news appearing regarding Dalits are less. But worse, the news which reported in case of khairlanji, was to assassinate the character of Priyanka’s mother. Even when the dalits are registering their protest in democratic way, hardly they are reported and when shown, the media depicts them as they are committing riots and disturbing the law and order. Its good media does not take such stand during the protest and candle marches across India in nirbhaya case. And keep the flame burning, so as to build pressure on state and other agencies to curb violence against women. Albeit, little bit of integrity and honesty shown in case of khairlanji, the case would have been convicted by Supreme Court long back. State and Police After protest by Dalits across various part of India, for the first time in the history of India, Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh while delivering speech at the Dalit- Minority International Conference, New Delhi on 26th December 2006, said, ‘Untouchability is a blot on Humanity’. UPA chairperson did send a fact finding team after two months of an incidence, and responding to the Priyanka’s case said to Bhaiyalal Bhotmange, ‘meri beti ka naam bhi Priyanka hai, mein nyay dila ke rahungi’. But in order to curb crime against dalits and tribals, the union cabinet does not cleared amendment on prevention of atrocities act. Sonia and Rahul Gandhi just want to make use of dalits for vote and not to protect them. The demand of which is done by various dalit organizations from past 4 years, if Madam Sonia Gandhi had thrown her weight behind the amendment bill, she would have helped to prevent and punished the perpetrators. Its good during the protest and candle marches police might have used canes somewhere to disperse the public, but certainly there were no cross-complaints and arrests or firings. It is common experience of dalits that police intervention does not help them. Nor did they arrests the perpetrators on the contrary the complainants are charged with robbery, stopping officers while performing duty, destroying public property and put behind bars. Thousand such complaints were there during khairlanji protest, and witnessed heavy lathicharge by police in Jind case. To the extent that, Home Minister Mr. R. R Patil even said that naxalites were suspected to be behind the protests. The police went further and labeled dalits as ‘naxals’ to suppress any kind of democratic dissent and put them behind bars. Protestors at jantar-mantar and gateway of India did not go through such agony and pain. Judiciary Verdict of September 2006 Khairlanji case was announced on 15th September 2008, 2 years after the incidence. Bhandara session court has held eight people guilty out of which six were given death sentence and two life imprisonment and three were acquitted. On July 2010, the Nagpur Bench of the High Court changed the death penalty to a 25 years rigorous imprisonment. To the fury of injustice felt by dalit organizations the court ruled that the murder resulted from an act of revenge and was not caste related. The case is now before Supreme Court, after 7 years of incidence. Considering the pendency, the court gave verdict on Delhi gang rape case in 9 months. While delivering the verdict the judge said ‘Death to all’, hope in High Court, the lower court judgment will not be set aside or relaxation in punishment. Civil Society There is large section among Indian society who claims they are progressive on social issues. However, when it comes to caste, they conveniently leave the battle to dalits. There are many such examples which can be cited from Gujarat to Afzal Guru showing sensitivity but when it comes to caste atrocities it disappears. Hope in near time when a protest is being called by Dalit Mahila Adhikar Manch, civil society would not turn uncivil.
Posted on: Sat, 14 Sep 2013 08:33:05 +0000