Fight Back Sexual Violence Against Women!
Punish the guilty of Sexual Violence!
No to Khap panchayats, ‘honour killings’ and ‘Love Jihad’ myths!
16th December 2014 would mark two year since the brutal, inhuman gang rape and physical violence against a young woman in Delhi resulting in her death. This evoked upsurge of students, youth, women and citizens of Delhi and many other parts of the country. This countrywide upsurge brought focus on the sexual violence against women in different spheres. This Day should be observed as Day against sexual violence against women in different spheres, in public places, at work place, in homes, during communal violence, against dalit women.
Under the pressure of the movement Govt. formed Verma Commission which made several suggestions and for some time change was seen in the dealing of the state and judicial authorities in cases of sexual violence against women, at least in major cities. However the suggestions too were overlooked. The Act on Sexual Harassment at Work Place is pro-employer ad anti-woman employee on the demands of corporate. Registration of cases in sexual violence is still carelessly done, and speedy justice still not answerable except in certain high publicity cases.
In communal violence targeting Muslims in Muzaffarnagar last year started by Hindutva organizations and carried on in connivance with state agencies, Muslim women were gang raped. Gradually victims dared to file FIRs. However, the SP Govt. of UP has not arrested even a single rapist till now and there is a danger that these women may be denied justice all their lives. Women have borne the brunt of violence including sexual violence in communal violence. A number of such cases had been documented in 1984 anti-Sikh violence too and there were a number of such cases in 2002 anti-Muslim violence in Gujarat. A number of such incidents came to light. In Haryana last year a spate of rapes of dalit girls and women were reported and protests were held. In nationality movements in J&K and Northeast, women are routinely subjected to rapes and murders by security forces. Delhi police brutally beat up Muslim women in ‘sear’ operations in Trilokpuri on the night of 25th October 2014.
In addition, semifeudal values dominate Indian social attitude towards women. These deny their right to make their choices. Patriarchal system tries to force down women in all walks of life.
Let us mark 16th December as a day of struggle against sexual violence on women, emphasizing justice to women victims of sexual violence including those in communal violence and right of choice of women against the fetters imposed by khap panchayats and Hindu communal forces.