Mangaluru: Women are afraid to walk on the streets and talk about injustice in society because they are under constant fear of rage, intimidation, and victimization. This fear is reinforced by the inhuman atrocities against them, as seen in Hathras, said CPI leader Muneer Katipalla on Wednesday, October 7.
He was addressing the gathering during a protest against the brutal gang rape of the Dalit girl in the Hathras district of Uttar Pradesh held by the Dalit Sangharsh Samiti.
“Even though we are in 2020 and live in a democracy with a constitution, fear and rape continue to be a major concern for women, Dalits, and other minorities in our country. If these vulnerable communities continue to live in fear, their problems will become even more acute. Only when a victim is mutilated and killed to we wake up. This is enough! We mush hold the culprits accountable so that such atrocities are never committed again, Muneer said, adding that a safe society needs to be built for girls and women.
“It is our responsibility to stand up and demand justice for the Hathras rape victim and the many rape victims whose plight never comes out in the open,” he said.
He then demanded that a fast track judgement be meted out to the culprits of the horrific crime with “serious consequences equal to the crime committed”. “Let us continue our fight so that the family is given justice,” he added.
President of the Federation of Indian Rationalist Associations Prof. Narendra Nayak, who was also present at the protest, stated that the “ghastly rape and murder” of the young woman in Hathras is a depiction of the failure of the Central government, as well as UP government.
He then reminded the gathering of the 2013 rape that occurred in Dharamasthala.”Even though she (the victim) was abducted in broad daylight, those who witnessed the crime did not come forward or speak out,” he said.
“The manuvadi governments are always anti-Dalit and only care about vested interests. Now, the BJP governments at the Center and in Uttar Pradesh are trying to mislead the investigation and cover up the case. Dalits need to gain political power and act as a strong pressure group if they want to get justice. The manuvadi society will only listen when there is a strong voice,” he said, adding that the time has come for those with the right thinking to support the movement for justice for the Hathras victim and fight till the culprits are brought to justice.
“Your caste is not important, but what matters is with whom you stand and fight,” Nayak added.
Member of All India Congress Committee (AICC) P V Mohan said, “The recent incidents have shaken the consciousness of the commonners who had faith in democracy and the Indian Constitution.” He was speaking about the court’s decition to acquit the conspirators in the Babri Masjid demolition case and the brutal gang rape of the Dalit woman in Hathraas. “These are the biggest blots on the government and is a setback for secular values,” he added.
He added, “When the culprits assaulted the girl by injuring her spinal cord, they injured the spine of the Constitution and democracy. It is not in our culture. In Hinduism, we give importance to women. They say that divinity blossoms where women are honoured. It is only in Hindutva that women are treated as slaves. Manu Smrithi says ‘Women don’t deserve freedom’. Hindutva proponents are the Taliban of India.”
Citing the growing number of rape cases in the country, Mohan said, “After Modi came to power, atrocities against women have been on the rise. As many as 87 rapes are reported every day and 10 Dalit women are raped every day in India. The BJP is the biggest pandemic we have witnessed and it will soon finish the country unless everyone fights against the injustice.”
DSS members Raghu K Yekkaru, M Devdas, Sarojini Bantwal, M Somashekhar, and others handed over a memorandum to the President of India Ram Nath Kovind to Deputy Commissioner Dr K V Rajendra.
