‘When we felicitate Bano’s rapists, what kind of a message are we sending to our society?’
‘When we felicitate Bano’s rapists, what kind of a message are we sending to our society?’
Scores of students and activists of various women’s organisations on Saturday staged a protest at Jantar Mantar against the remission of life sentences given to 11 convicts in the 2002 Bilkis Bano gang-rape case.
The protest was called by 18 organisations that condemned the decision of the Gujarat government. The protesters reiterated the need to fight against caste and religion-based crimes.
The 11 convicts had walked out of the Godhra sub-jail on 15 August and were later garlanded by groups like the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP).
Against secular fabric
While the protesters applauded Bilkis Bano’s courage where she fought against the State to get justice for herself and her family, they however, felt that the release of 11 convicts was against the idea of constitutional values and secular fabric of the country.
AISA president Neha said, “This pattern can be seen in various cases – from Kathua to Unnao to Hathras and Gujarat – the rapists are being shielded by those in power. We, as a collective, demand to revoke the decision to release the 11 convicts.”
The protesters carried placards that read “Rapists walk free on India’s 75th Independence? No country for women! no country for minorities,” and “rapists released = justice revoked”.
“The 11 men weren’t accused, they were guilty of the crime,” Ms. Neha said. She said the men were released on the same day when the Prime Minister Narendra Modi had talked about women empowerment. “We cannot ask for a safer society for women if people who are guilty of raping women are let free in the society,” she said.
Shabana Azmi, veteran Indian actor, who was also present at the protest site, questioned the order issued by the Gujarat government, “As citizens, we must ask how was this order issued, is it possible to issue an order like this,” she questioned.
‘Apologise to Bano’
“We should apologise to her for setting these men free,” Ms. Azmi said, demanding that the rapists should be sent back to the prison. “The people of our country united to protest for Nirbhaya, then why not come together for Bano now?,” she added.
“When we felicitate Ms. Bano’s rapists, what kind of a message are we sending to our society?” Ms. Azmi added.
Victory of fear
After this decision, how can we ensure that Ms. Bano is safe wherever she is? a student activist from AISA, Aditi said. She said that the Gujarat government has set an example that is triggering and traumatising for all women. “This is the victory of fear, the fear women will continue to live with, these rapists are out on the streets and we’ve to fight our own war, something that Ms. Bano did for years,” Ms. Aditi added.
“This wasn’t a remission, we shall call it a reward,” CPI(M) activist Kavita Krishnan said. She said that the men were welcomed with garlands and sweets for committing a heinous crime every woman fears. “The Centre is playing politics over religion, yet again,” she added.
Ms. Krishnan added that if there’s anything that we as a society can do, then the government should apologise to Ms. Bano.
The 11 men were found guilty of gangraping Ms. Bano in a village near Ahmedabad on March 3, 2002, during the riots in Gujarat. The victim was 19 years old and pregnant at that time. Fourteen members of her family were also killed in the violence, including her three-year-old daughter.
