#India- What it Means to be a Brahmin Dalit #caste

20 Dec 2012 11 Comments

by kracktivist in Advocacy, Health Care, Human Rights, Justice, Kractivism, Law, Minority Rights, Violence against Women, Women Rights Tags: , , , , , , ,


Vol – XLVII No. 52, December 29, 2012 | Anjali Rajoria , EPW

An impassioned plea by a Dalit woman professional for acknowledging the prejudices and obstacles even “privileged” people like her face when confronted with the structure of caste. This personal experience underlines the context for the Constitutional amendment bill on allow reservations for the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in promotions.

Anjali Rajoria is a medical doctor from Delhi.

“A slave cannot be freed save he free himself. Neither can you enslave a free man, the most you can do is kill him.”

– Robert A. Heinlein

In case you are wondering what a ‘Brahmin Dalit’ means, let me clarify at the very outset, I claim to be a Brahmin Dalit because I was born with the label “lower caste”. (In fact that label is given even before one is born, but lets keep that aside for a while.) However, today I am a relatively well off, educated and an accomplished dalit, hence the epithet, ‘Brahmin Dalit’.  Do you think that I am trying to gain your sympathy by deliberately posing as a victim of the evil caste system despite being in a much better position than the majority of my fellow dalit brethren?

The answer is a clear, unequivocal No! My purpose here is only to help people understand what it really means to be a dalit and how it is so difficult for us to get rid of our caste identity, even in this time and age. I writhe in agony as I give myself the title of ‘Brahmin Dalit’. When I realised that it is my religion that is impelling me to live life with a degraded status forever, I decided to renounced my religion. I am no longer a Hindu. When I look back, I feel so proud of having taken that decision a few years back.

But the stark reality is, even if a dalit turns into a non-Hindu in her quest for liberation, her caste status continues to haunt her. Her identity continues to be shaped by her caste and she continues to grapple with it every single day. Her society forces her to bear the burden of bondage. It is this bondage that we wish to break. We wish to be freed from slavery.

Perhaps the title ‘Brahmin Dalit’ is not appropriate. Because a dalit Hindu can convert to Islam, Christianity or to Buddhism, but she can never turn into a Brahmin. “Dalit” rigid label for life. It refuses to erode. It is a label that reminds us constantly of who we are. We stand at the end of centuries of injustice and oppression. And even today we are treated as second class humans. We are presumed to be unequal in possibly all aspects – less intelligent, less capable, less hygienic, less civilised and what not. The inequality meted out to us is justified on these counts.

So even if a dalit accomplishes something in his life, he is secretly dismissed as an exception. He is not granted his place of respect. Very few people realise how much he would have struggled to achieve what he has. Very few people take the pain to empathise with him. Yet, publicly his example is used to criticise the positive discrimination extended by the government to the dalits. It is not uncommon to see such hypocritical attitude of casteists around.

True, urbanisation and modernisation have diluted the occupational rigidities and economic disabilities to some extent. Dalits can now aspire to occupy the highest echelons in terms of occupational status. But does that mean that we have got rid of this hydra-headed monster of caste? Definitely not. For those who are still wondering in disbelief, my suggestion would be to take a closer look at the whole picture. If you think that caste no longer holds relevance in urban India, go and personally talk to any of the backward category students studying in any of the elite institutions of this country. Ask her how many times she has been disgraced by her teachers and fellow students. Ask her how many times she has been forced to hide her identity from her professors for fear of being castigated only because she is a dalit. Ask her how painful and tormenting it is for her to live under the shadow of untouchability in a free country.

Thorat Committee Report clearly points towards the continued discrimination and segregation of students belonging to dalit and tribal communities in premier institutions of this country like All India Institute of Medical Sciences and Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi. For how long will we turn a Nelson’s eye towards the plight and anguish of these young and bright minds? How many more Eklavya-like sacrifices do we need to get rid of Dronacharyas who deliberately fail even deserving students belonging to backward communities.

It does not need rocket science to grasp the reality that caste stigmatisation exists even today, a fact that no well-reasoned person can brush off. A look at the website of National Commission for Scheduled Castes and National Commission for Scheduled Tribes would easily give you an insight into the horrendous levels of continuing maltreatment dalits are being subjected to. It probably would require an encyclopedia-sized tomb to mention all the atrocities that have been perpetrated and continue to be perpetrated in the name of caste.

Let the dead past bury the dead. We do not hold grievances against injustices of the past because what has happened cannot be undone. But even in the present times, 90 percent of the so called menial jobs are performed by dalits. Those living in the hinterland are forced to reside in ghettos or slums. Government schools and offices continue to witness segregation of dalits. The occupation of priesthood is still monopolised by Brahmins. We still have Hindu temples that continue to deny entry to dalits. Inter-caste marriages are the exception rather than the norm. Honour killings of those who dare to defy the diktats of their elders by marrying people of “lower castes” are commonplace. In fact, caste is such a pervasive reality that almost no group of people (including non-Hindus and even non-resident Indians) and no part of India is untouched by its immense influence.

I have nothing against the Brahmins. Being born to the upper caste (or lower caste) is not a matter of choice. I hate the Brahminical system, not Brahmins. Vices of the Brahminical system may be found in dalits and non-dalits alike. The ultimate panacea for all such ills has to be ‘Annihilation of the Caste System’. Its time for us to come out of our comfort zones, accept the harsh realities and collectively try to heal the near-permanent wounds of dalits. It is time for us to open our hearts and minds to embrace those as equals who have been disgraced and denied a dignified life for far too long.

I am very hopeful that a time will come when caste will lose its raison d’etre, when people will be treated only as humans and when we will redefine our identity in terms of secular credentials alone. Babasaheb Ambedkar had once remarked, “We are all Indians, firstly and lastly.” To realise this dream, we must ensure that caste is stripped off of all the functions that it performs for Indian society. We must take collective action to dismantle this evil structure. There are many well-intentioned people who are sincere about the goal of eradication of caste hierarchy. It is these people who continue to give us hope – hope of ushering in a new era – a caste-less and classless society.

Numerous measures can be taken to efface bigoted caste identities, at governmental and societal levels. Strict enforcement of legal provisions to proscribe all forms of expressions, rituals and social practices associated with the caste system is the need of the hour. Alongside these steps, we also need to ban the use of caste names to prevent targeting of caste groups and instead replace surnames with the names of either the father or the mother. (Former union health minister Ambudani Ramadoss had given a worthwhile suggestion in this regard). Inter–caste marriages should be freely promoted and incentives should be provided for those who decide to inter-marry. Government and social agencies should make inroads into dalit areas to provide equal and universal access to education, social equality and employment to all. Upper-caste-dominated occupations, especially in the private sector and media need to be accessible to people from the backward sections. Most importantly, we need to infuse the spirit of confidence and self-worth in our dalit brethren.

Martin Luther King Jr. had famously observed, “A person who cannot die for a cause is not fit to live.” To my dalit brothers and sisters, this is my message: We are not alone in our fight against tyranny. There are many others outside our net who empathise with us. But we have to be the prime movers and torchbearers in our struggle. We are ‘chosen’ to fight and we will keep fighting. This is our only option.

Brothers and sisters, it is time for a revolution. A revolution that will begin in our hearts and minds. Liberation of the self from internalised oppression does not happen quickly or easily. The tiniest bit of self-liberation needs to be nourished and treasured and consciously grown. We have come very far, but there is still a long way to go. We will shape a better tomorrow and we will leave behind footprints for others to follow

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#India- Girl honoured for stand on dowry #goodnews

20 Dec 2012 2 Comments

by kracktivist in Advocacy, Announcements, Human Rights, Justice, Minority Rights, Violence against Women, Women Rights Tags: , , , , , , ,


DEHRA DUN, December 19, 2012

The Uttarakhand Police on Tuesday honoured a girl for her refusal to marry a man whose family was demanding dowry from her parents.

Kavita was to tie the knot with Mukesh on November 29 but in the course of a pre-wedding ritual on November 25 the man’s family demanded a dowry of Rs. 1 lakh from the girl’s parents, who expressed their inability to pay the amount.

This angered Kavita’s prospective in-laws who threatened to snap the marriage deal if they did not receive the amount, the police said. Kavita then broke her silence and refused to marry into a “greedy” family, they said.

‘Bold step’

Praising the girl for her bold step, I-G (Law & Order) Ram Singh Meena offered her a cheque for Rs. 5,100, a shawl and a bouquet as a token of appreciation at a function here in the presence of senior police officers.

“Kavita’s brave act of refusal to marry a man from a greedy family is exemplary and should inspire other girls caught in similar situations,” Mr. Meena said addressing the gathering. – PTI

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#India-126753 stood trial for #Rape in 2011, 5724 were convicted #Vaw

20 Dec 2012 1 Comment

by kracktivist in Announcements, Human Rights, Justice, Kractivism, Law, Violence against Women, Women Rights Tags: , , , , , , ,


INDIA, Posted on Dec 19, 2012

New Delhi: Women’s rights activists and judicial experts have long demanded fast-track court processes and quick convictions in cases of rape to tackle the problem. Their demand seems justified in the light of the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data for the year 2011.

The total number of persons under arrest including those from previous year in 2011 were 37929 of whom, 2050 people or 5.4 per cent were released before trial. In all, 26436 persons were chargesheeted, a 69.7 per cent figure against the total number of arrests. About 9443 persons were still under investigation at the end of the year, i.e 24.9 per cent.

In the same year, the total number of persons under trial including those from previous year stood at 126753 but only 21489 trials were completed (a one-sixth conversion rate). In all, 5724 people were convicted which stood at 26.6 per cent when weighed against those who stood trial. The total number of pending cases stood at 104997, 82.8 per cent of those which went to trial.

This surely paints a bleak picture about our slow judicial processed and also indicts the police for shoddy investigation which is evident from the dismal conviction rate.

Fast track courts which can convene for daily hearings and exemplary punishment are urgently required to tackle both the mountain of pending cases and to get a grip on the rising number of instances of crime against women.

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The Koodankulam Struggle: Why We Fight #nuclear

20 Dec 2012 5 Comments

by kracktivist in Advocacy, Announcements, Human Rights, Justice, Kractivism, Law, Minority Rights, Violence against Women, Women Rights Tags: , , , , , , ,


 

By S. P. Udayakumar

18 December, 2012
Countercurrents.org

We have been fighting against the Koodankulam Nuclear power Project (KKNPP) since the late 1980s. This Russian project was shelved right after the Soviet Union’s collapse and taken up again in 1997. The Indian government and Russians have constructed two huge reactors of 1000 MW each without any consent of or consultation with the local people. We have just obtained the outdated Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report after 23 years of long and hard struggle. The Indian nuclear authorities have not shared any basic information about the project with the public. They do not give complete and truthful answers for our questions on the ‘daily routine emissions’ from these reactors, the amount and management of nuclear waste, fresh water needs, impact of the coolant water on our sea and seafood, decommissioning costs and effects, Russian liability and so forth. We are deeply disturbed by all this.

Our people watched the Fukushima accident of March 11, 2011 on TV at their homes and understood the magnitude and repercussions of a nuclear accident. Right after that on July 1, 2011, the KKNPP announced the ‘hot run’ of the first reactor that made so much noise and smoke. Furthermore, the authorities asked the people, in a mock drill notice, to cover their nose and mouth and run for their life in case of an emergency. As a result of all these, our people in Koodankulam and Idinthakarai villages made up their minds and took to the streets on their own on August 11, 2011. Then we all together decided to host a day-long hunger strike on August 16 at Idinthakarai and a three-day fast on August 17-19 at Koodankulam. On the 17th itself authorities invited us for talks and asked us to postpone our struggle to the first week of September because of the upcoming Hindu and Muslim festivals. In a few days’ time, the chief of the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) announced that the first reactor would go critical in September 2011.

So we embarked upon an indefinite hunger strike on September 11, 2011 and our women blocked a state road on September 13 for a few hours when the state and central governments continued to ignore us. The state Chief Minister invited us for talks on September 21 and passed a cabinet resolution the next day asking the central government to halt all the work until the fears and concerns of the local people were allayed. We ended our hunger strike on the 22nd but went on another round of indefinite hunger strike from October 9 to 16 when the talks with the Indian Prime Minister failed. We laid siege in front of the KKNPP on October 13-16, 2011 when the KKNPP authorities did not halt work at the site as per the Tamil Nadu state cabinet resolution. We ended both the indefinite hunger strike and the siege on October 16 in order for our people to participate in the local body elections on the 17th. From October 18, 2011, we have been on a relay hunger strike continuously (480th day today). We have been carrying out massive rallies, village campaigns, public meetings, seminars, conferences, and other demonstrations such as shaving our heads, cooking on the street, burning the models of the nuclear plants etc. This struggle has been going on since September 2011 and the morale of the people is still very high.

There is no foreign country or agency or money involved in this classic people’s struggle to defend our right to life and livelihood. Our fishermen, farmers, workers and women make small voluntary donations in cash and kind to sustain our simple Gandhian struggle. Our needs are very few and expenses much less. We only provide safe drinking water to the hunger strikers and visitors. People from all over Tamil Nadu (and sometimes from other parts of India) come on their own arranging their own transportation. For our own occasional travel, we hire local taxis.

Instead of understanding the people’s genuine feelings and fulfilling our demands, the central and state governments have foisted serious cases of ‘sedition’ and ‘waging war on the Indian state’ on the leaders of our movement. There are as many as 350 cases on us. There have been police harassment, intelligence officers’ stalking, concocted news reports in the pro-government media, abuse of our family members, hate mail, death threats, police-supported vandalism on our properties and even physical attack.

Although India is a democracy, our central government has been keen on safeguarding the interests of the MNCs and pleasing some powerful countries such as the United States, Russia, France etc. The welfare of the ‘ordinary citizens’ of India does not figure on their list of priorities. The central government and the ruling Congress party stand by the secretive nuclear agreements they have made with all different countries and consider us as stumbling blocks on their road to disastrous development. The main opposition party, Bharatiya Janata Party (Hindu nationalist party) is interested in the nuclear weapons program and making India a superpower and hence loves everything nuclear. It is ironic that these two corrupt and communal forces join hands with each other against their own people. They bend backwards to please their American and other bosses but question our integrity and nationalist credentials.

Our leaders and the group of 15 women were physically attacked on January 31, 2012 at Tirunelveli by the Congress thugs and Hindutva Fascists when we had gone for talks with the central government expert team. Then the Tamil Nadu government set up a four-member expert panel with a sitting member of the Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) to probe the Koodankulam issue. Having received their secret report, the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, Ms. J. Jayalalitha, invited us for a brief meeting on February 29, 2012. As soon as the polling at the Sankarankovil state assembly bye-election (in Tirunelveli district) was over on March 18, 2012, the Tamil Nadu government changed its wishy-washy stand on KKNPP and began to support it overtly. It also came down so heavily on us by arresting hundreds of our people and restraining thousands of us in our own respective villages.

Several rounds of indefinite hunger strikes and various campaigns made little impact on the indifferent and anti-people governments in New Delhi and Chennai. When the DAE tried to load the fuel rods in the KKNPP-1 reactor, we had to react and we laid siege to the KKNPP at the back of it by the sea on September 9, 2012. The Tamil Nadu police broke up the unarmed, nonviolent and peaceful protesters with lathi charge, tear gas and gun fire. They killed one Mr. Anthony John at Manappad coastal village on that day. Our people still continued their valiant fight through hunger strike and nonviolent jal satyagraha. Another comrade of ours, Mr. Sahayam Francis of Idinthakarai village, was killed by the low-flying Coast Guard plane. On October 8, 2012 tens of thousands of fishermen from Tirunelveli, Kanyakumari and Thoothukudi districts laid siege to the KKNPP on the sea with their mechanized and fiber boats. With the help of our supporting political parties, we laid siege to the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly building on October 29th.

Now the Tamil Nadu government cuts electricity supply so often and so indiscriminately in order to drive home the message that nuclear power plant is badly needed for steady power supply. The central government refuses to support the Tamil Nadu government with the various power augmentation projects and schemes. They together conspire to create anger and opposition among the public against our anti-nuclear struggle. But this devious strategy has backfired on them badly. Most people in Tamil Nadu are able to see through their treacherous scheme. And we have been receiving a lot of support and solidarity from various groups in Kerala and even from other states of India.

To put it all in a nutshell, this is a classic David-Goliath fight between the ‘ordinary citizens’ of India and the powerful Indian government supported by the rich Indian capitalists, MNCs, imperial powers and the global nuclear mafia. They promise FDI, nuclear power, development, atom bombs, security and superpower status. We demand risk-free electricity, disease-free life, unpolluted natural resources, sustainable development and harmless future. They say the Russian nuclear power plants are safe and can withstand earthquakes and tsunamis. But we worry about their side-effects and after-effects. They speak for their scientist friends and business partners and have their eyes on commissions and kickbacks. But we fight for our children and grandchildren, our progeny, our animals and birds, our land, water, sea, air and the skies.

Please keep us on your prayers/meditations/thoughts/conversations and keep an eye on the developments here in the southernmost tip of India. You can write to the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Ms. J. Jayalalitha asking her to stop this deadly nuclear project. You could also write to our Prime Minister, Mr. Manmohan Singh, not to drag India in the opposite direction when the whole world is going the ‘beyond thermal and nuclear’ route. Let us all resolve together to create a Nuclear-Free World for our children and the successive generations.|

S P Udayakumar, Coordinator, People’s Movement Against Nuclear Energy, spearheading the movement in Koodankulam

 

 

 

#Mumbai #acidattack: Why me? is the question that bothers Aryanka everyday #Vaw

20 Dec 2012 Leave a comment

by kracktivist in Advocacy, Announcements, Human Rights, Justice, Kractivism, Law, Violence against Women, Women Rights Tags: , , , , , , , , ,


Published: Thursday, Dec 20, 2012,
By Sunchika B Pandey | Place:  Mumbai, DNA

>Jerrit G John, 46, flung a chemical on his girlfriend Aryanka Hosbetka on November 7, 2012.“I still ask myself every day, why me?” says physiotherapist Aryanka Hosbetkar in her first candid interview after her boyfriend Jerrit G John, 46,flung a chemical on her on November 7. “I am yet to find out why someone would want to scar me for life. Because I found out his fault and decided to move on and live my life on my terms? Why is a woman, who has found out that her man is two-timing her, expected to forget and forgive?” asks Hosbetkar. “I trusted him, but he did not think twice before scarring me for life by ruining my face. What would I be without my face.”Hosbetkar’s biggest concern is her mother, who as a single parent after her father’s deathdid her best to bring her up. “The people, who lauded her as a single parent, are now pointing fingers at us,” says Hosbetkar, adding that she hopes to lessen her mother’s burden, especially financially, as she is completely dependent on her.“I have lost faith in humanity, especially men. I am just 25. I had just started earning and living my life. Now, my career has come to a standstill as my eyes are yet to heal. I will have to start from scratch, and that too only if my mother is confident again to let me step out of home,” laments Hosbetkar.

The Worli resident had met John, who runs a production house, 10 months ago when he had joined her cycling group. Soon, they started seeing each other. The father of a five-year-old son, John had told Hosbetkar that he was in an unhappy marriage and would soon seek a divorce. But four months ago, she had found out that he was cheating on her with another woman, who lives in Borivli. John had reportedly threatened Hosbetkar on several occasions before attacking her on November 7.

Hosbetkar laments that her misfortunes did not end on the day of the incident. Now, she has tovisit the police station, hospital and lawyers regularly for follow-ups. “But I have taken the right stand and any woman in such a situation should do the same,” she insists.

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Faking Happiness- Vedanta Khushi vs Vedanta ki Vedana #socialmedia #CSR

20 Dec 2012 21 Comments

by kracktivist in Advocacy, Announcements, Censorship, Disability, Health Care, Human Rights, Justice, Kractivism, Law, Minority Rights, Poetry, Political Prisoners, Press Release, Violence against Women, Women Rights Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,


vedanafinal11

Corporate mining giant  Vedanta has been violating the human rights of tribals in Odisha for  many  years now. The Dongria Kondhs, a primitive tribe, has been forced to relinquish their rights over their homeland, and cultural and livelihood resources to accommodate the company’s refinery and mines complex. The company’s mines, no matter how benign, will rip through a hill that is the sacred deity of the tribe that has lived in these hills for centuries without leaving a trace on the sensitive ecosystem of the biodiverse watershed forests. The hills that are slotted for mining are home to the Golden Gecko, a species that figures in IUCN’s Red List of endangered species. The Niyamgiri Mountains are the primary source of drinking water for the entire area, apart from being the source of two important rivers of Orissa Nagabali and Vamsadhara which are the lifeline of at least 50000 people downstream.

Research by Amnesty International and other local and international groups documents the serious and continuing pollution caused by the refinery’s operations. Despite the string of decisions against Vedanta, the company has failed to remedy the pollution.

In March this year shortly after Vedanta launched its public relations campaign,  called ‘ creating happiness “. – a series of short films about Vedanta that aired on 37 TV channels – was an advertising campaign conceived by India’s ad guru Piyush Pandey of Ogilvy & Mather. It was launched with a technically slick film that focused on the apparent happiness of Binno, a small girl in Rajasthan, when she discovers that she can get an education from the anganwadis (child day care centres) set up by the company.

We launched our  FAKING HAPPINESS CAMPAIGN with series of open letters and call for short film competition, showing the true picture of Vedanta. Following  our onslaught,  Shyam Benegal and  Gul Panag withdrew from the jury saying they were unaware of Vedanta’s role in the competition. At the end of the day, Vedanta’s PR campaign backfired badly.

Now once again Vedanta ,as they claim have launched first social media campaign ‘ Vedanta ‘ Khushi”   , and we are back with a BANG.

Here is the launch of our, ‘ VEDANTA ki VEDANA” Campaign.  We launch our first Music Video- ‘Vedanta Saddan”

Lyrics are by- Rahul Yogi Deveshwar

Singer- Madan Shukla

Edited and Adapted by- Kamayani Bali Mahabal

A big THANKS to Music Inn  support for the recording

The Facebook page says-KHUSHI” is a mission started on fulfilling the objective and let know the world that we do “Care for the Under-Privileged Children” – their Nutrition – Education – Health and overall development. “KHUSHI” – a Vedanta Group initiative – is a mission to bring in together like minded people, particularly youth of today, to spread this awareness amongst colleagues, friends, relatives and people around, through word of mouth or through e-medium and the way one feels would be useful.

And we know what an apt time to start the campaign when Vedanta is fighting for its existence

The Supreme Court is due to make a final decision on the challenge posed to the Environment Ministry’s stop to the Niyamgiri mine on 11th January, 2013 . In its December 6th hearing the Supreme Court concluded that the case rested on whether the rights of the indigenous Dongia Kond’s – who live exclusively on that mountain – could be considered ‘inalienable or compensatory’. The previous ruling by Environment and Forests minister Jairam Ramesh in August 2010 prevented Vedanta from mining the mountain due to violations of environment and forestry acts. The challenge to this ruling has been mounted by the Orissa Mining Corporation, a state owned company with 24% shares in the joint venture to mine Niyamgiri with Vedanta, begging questions about why a state company is lobbying so hard for a British mining company in whom it has only minority shares in this small project. (see http://infochangeindia.org/environment/features/niyamgiri-a-temporary-reprieve.html)

JOIN US ON FACEBOOK- AND LET YOUR CREATIVE JUICES FLOW- submit your entries here

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#Delhigangrape- Mumbai Protest-@22Dec #mustshare #Vaw

20 Dec 2012 3 Comments

by kracktivist in Advocacy, Announcements, Health Care, Human Rights, Justice, Kractivism, Law, Minority Rights, Violence against Women, Women Rights Tags: , , , , , , ,


enuf
A few of us, women’s organizations, had met to discuss the Delhi Rape Case and the three horrific acts of violence which have taken place in Mumbai in the past 3 weeks. If Mumbai is not as bad as Delhi, we are fast catching up.
We felt that we should have a series of demos, press conferences, petitions as well as discuss a long term plan for taking up the issue of violence.  We invite you to the first action – a short demonstration which will take place at the spot where a man used a sickle against an unknown woman saying, “I thought she was my wife”!!
Date: Saturday 22nd Dec                               Time: 3.00 pm to 5.00 pm
Venue: outside Dadar East Station [at the Hanuman Temple]
Please bring at least 5 banners per organization on different forms of violence. We would appreciate it if you do not get your organization banners so that we can project a joint women’s [and men’s] platform.
There will be a battery operated mike for us to sing songs and shout slogans.
(Please pass this invitation to your friends and networks.)
 
Warmly,
FAOW, Akshara, Awazeniswah, AIDWA, Sneha, SMS, YUVA
 @
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#India- #Maharashtra – 46,000 crimes on women in three years #Vaw #Shame

20 Dec 2012 4 Comments

by kracktivist in Advocacy, Announcements, Human Rights, Justice, Kractivism, Law, Violence against Women, Women Rights Tags: , , , , , , ,


‘46K crimes on women in three years’

Vaibhav Ganjapure TNN

 

rape

Nagpur: The issue of crimes against women was raised in the state legislature on Wednesday. Asking a questions in the council, MLC Mohan Joshi said Maharashtra witnessed 46,513 crimes against women from 2009 to 2011, including rape. He added that 40,516 kids went missing in the same period, claiming that the figure was the highest in India.

Earlier, female legislators from several parties submitted a representation to the government, seeking strict laws to curb rising crime.

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#Delhigangrape: Victim fighting to get better, but remains critical

20 Dec 2012 2 Comments

by kracktivist in Advocacy, Announcements, Human Rights, Justice, Kractivism, Law, Violence against Women, Women Rights Tags: , , , , , , ,


DELHI, Updated Dec 20, 2012 at 07:21am IST

New Delhi: The condition of the 23-year-old paramedical student, who was gangraped, beaten and thrown out of a moving bus along with a male friend in Delhi, is still critical. Doctors say that she is still on ventilator support and is fighting to get better. The victim has in fact given a complete written statement to the police, explaining in detail what happened to her from the time she and her friend got onto the bus on Sunday.

One of the two absconding suspects was on Wednesday detained for questioning in Aurangabad, Bihar. Meanwhile, three of the accused were produced in a Delhi court on Wednesday and confessed. One of the accused, Vinay Sharma, went on to plead for a death sentence.

Vinay Sharma, an assistant gym instructor and Pawan Gupta, a fruit seller have been sent for custodial interrogation while Mukesh, who was allegedly driving the bus when the crime was being committed, has been sent to Tihar Jail in judicial custody after he agreed to undergo test identification parade (TIP). Mukesh is the brother of another accused Ram Singh, who was on Tuesday remanded to five-day police custody after he refused to undergo TIP.

Vinay and Pawan, however, have refused to undergo TIP, the criminal procedure in which the alleged offender is brought before witnesses and victims for identification. After being produced before Metropolitan Magistrate (MM) Namrita Aggarwal, the trio were sent to court of Metropolitan Magistrate Sandeep Garg for following the procedure for conducting the TIP.

When the judge asked whether they would volunteer to undergo TIP and if not why, Vinay said, “he had beaten up the boy but did nothing with the girl” and went on to say “mujhe faansi de do (hang me)”, while Pawan told the court, “I do not want to undergo TIP as I have committed a horrible act”. The magistrate after completing the process for the TIP said,”Accused Mukesh has submitted that he wanted to undergo TIP. Police be directed to conduct his TIP on December 20 at 3 pm Central Jail, Tihar.”

Meanwhile, a team of Delhi Police has detained Akshay Thakur, who is also accused in the gangrape case, in Bihar’s Aurangabad district. The accused had absconded to his native place after committing the crime along with five others, four of whom have already been arrested. One of the accused is still on the run and police teams are trying to trace him.

Both the victim, a paramedical student, and her male friend, who had boarded the chartered bus with tinted glass windows from Munirka in south Delhi to Palam around 9.45 PM on Sunday night, were assaulted with an iron rod by the men after the two resisted before they were dumped on the road side near Mahipalpur flyover, police said.

The victim continues to fight for her life. Doctors treating her say some of her vital organs have been permanently damaged and she’s suffering from a blood infection. She has been on ventilator support now for over 60 hours now. A medical bulletin is expected on Wednesday evening.

(With additional inputs from PTI)

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