UP government’s response has been even more shameful
Ubaidullah Nasir
The shameful “Nirbhaya two” incident that unfortunately took place in Hathras district of Uttar Pradesh has sent a shock wave all over the country. It has once again reminded that howsoever stringent laws are framed women from the age of 90 years to 9 years are not still safe in our country. They could not only be molested, raped anywhere any time by anybody but may even be subjected to worst form of brutality and finally murdered. After infamous Nirbhaya case of Delhi the then Manmohan Singh government formed a legal committee under Justice Verma to amend the existing laws against atrocities on women to make it more stringent and to ensure quick and harshest possible punishment to such criminals and subsequently more hard provisions have been included in the law but the mind set of our society towards women has not changed so the more stringent and affective law has just became another piece of legislation in the rule book and has hardly deterred offenders from committing such horrible crime like rape and murder.
The Hathras incident that took place on 14th September where a 19 year old Dalit girl was subjected to gang rape allegedly by boys belonging to upper caste. She was brutally subjected to horrible physical torture her spinal cord was broken and tongue was cut. But shamefully the response of police and district administration towards this poor girl and her family was not only illegal but brutal. Though the case was registered but medical checkup that is necessary in such cases was delayed for more than a week. Initial delay in forensic examination may have led to crucial evidence being lost. The injured girl gave the statement which may be her dying declaration that she was gang raped but section of this crime was included in the FIR after about ten days. Even she was not provided quick and effective medical help. Inspite of such severe injuries she was first sent to district hospital then to Aligarh and finally to Safdarjung Hospital of Delhi where she breathed her last. But it was not the end of her and her family’s trauma. Her dead body inspite of request from the parents and other family members was not given to them so that her last rites could be performed according to Hindu rituals. Family members of the victim were locked inside and some members were forcibly taken to cremation site in the dead of night. The parents who could not decorate her “DOLI” (for wedding) were not given even the opportunity to decorate her “ARTHI” and her dead body was burnt in most inhuman way by pouring kerosene oil and petrol that too in the night which is against the Hindu rituals.
It may be reminded here that when Nirbhaya case took place in Delhi the response of the government was prompt and effective the girl was provided best possible treatment in AIIMs and when her condition further deteriorated she was sent to Singapore by air ambulance where she unfortunately could not survive. When her dead body arrived Delhi Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh and UPA Chairperson Mrs. Sonia Gandhi was present at airport in chilled night of January to receive the dead body and in this case what was the response of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and UP Chief Minister Yogi Aditya Nath? Even National and state women’s commission headed by BJP leaders and national and state human rights commission are maintaining criminal silence on this most tragic incident. Modi ji expert in tweeting did not spoke even a single word of sympathy and condemnation of this ghastly crime and Yogi ji too was not so responsive as he was ought to be. Though he issued statement assuring harsh punishment and sanctioned Rs.25 Lakh to victim’s family but the main effort of the district administration was of threatening the victim’s family compelling them to keep silence. District Magistrate was heard saying to victim’s father “Take the money and keep silent after few days media people will leave your village but I and you have to live here” This was an open threat but the DM has yet not been even transferred from the district though few officers including SP have been removed.
Government took unusual step of sealing Hathras borders not only political and social workers but even media persons were not allowed to visit the village of the victim. District administration naturally under instructions from “ABOVE” tried its best that media people and opposition leaders could not reach to the family of victim that means they were trying to hide something. But few brave lady journalists mustered the courage inspite of police manhandling reached the family . Congress leaders including Rahul Gandhi Priyanka Gandhi PL Punia Jitin Prasad etc. were first day forcibly stopped from reaching the village even Rahul Gandhi was manhandled by police he fell Priyanka Gandhi too was subjected to manhandling Delhi women Congress chief was so badly manhandled and her clothes torn she wrapped her Dupatta to cover her body.All the Congress leaders were packed back to Delhi by Police the next day they again started for Hathras and finally a delegation was allowed to meet the victim’s family similarly the delegation of Trinamool Congress consisting of their MP’s too was subjected to lathi charge by the Police. Rashtriya Lok dal leader Jayant Chaudhary and his companions too were subjected to brutal police lathi charge. Even the supreme court term the incident as horrible and put some tough questions before the UP government and asked to submit affidavits about the steps it is taking to ensure justice to victims family.