Naliya sex scam is tip of the iceberg: What kind of International Women’s Day are we celebrating in Gujarat?

By Dwarika Nath Rath*
8th March, the International Women’s Day, always comes in a year to make firm pledge for the rights of the women. The women all over the world come forward to raise voice against the discrimination of women, sexploitation, which has become the order in the era of liberalization, privatization and globalization or LPG.
The concept of socialist women is becoming a vanishing concept. The historical significance of women’s day is diluted by promoting consumerism and promoting women as sex object by the corporate world. The dignity of working women is purposefully undermined. As May Day is the working class day, so also the 8th March is known as International working women’s day which has been deliberately used as International Women’s Day only. But the honour of women has been shadowed by governments and the corporate world.
In Gujarat, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is celebrating the day in Gandhinagar. He is addressing the elected women sarpanches of India. He wants to celebrate the empowerment of women. Who does not know the women elected sarpanchs are the “yes yes” ones only, devoid of freedom. They are the worst victim of saffronisation, growing communalism and enchained in the so-called sacred spiritual, superstitions by organised holy organisations sponged by the ruling parties.
The slogan of this All-India Sarpanch Sammelan is Swacch Shakti, and what does it imply!
As Prime Minister, Modi is celebrating women’s day, the women of Ahmedabad and in the adjacent places there are facing prohibitory orders issued by the police on procession, meetings, congregation etc. Women’s organisations are not being allowed to celebrate women’s day in public places. The prohibitory order stands till 11th March. So in Ahmedabad there won’t be any public programmes on 8th March or thereafter.
As a matter of fact, it can be termed as the Modi-fied Women’s Day.
Remember, this Modi-fied women’s day is being celebrated in Mahatma Mandir, Gandhinager, in the backdrop of the shameful Naliya sex racket, which has exposed the direct and indirect involvement of hosts of persons belonging to the ruling BJP. Schemes are going on to sabotage enquiry into the racket. An atmosphere is created to scare the 35 women victims of the sex racket, in which about 65 persons are involved. A vigilantism is pursued, such that no one open their mouth.
Naliya sex racket is only tip in the iceberg.
Ironically Modi has not spoken a single word on the Naliya sex racket, though he so enthusiastically tweets on trivial issues.
Under the BJP rule in Gujarat, sexploitation has been rampant, whether it is Patan or Parul, where persons enjoying the clout of the rung party are licensed to commit crime on women. Now this sex racket has come to light. There may be so many Naliyas.
It is a matter of grave concern that sexploitation in Gujarat is becoming an epidemic. There is no sight of cessation. After the exposure of Naliya sex racket, about seven incidents of rape by powerful persons have come lime light only in the district of Kutch.
Several incidents have also been recorded throughout Gujarat within this short span of time about women’s oppression. Why? Perhaps because the predators of sex crimes are enjoying the impunity of the government and the administration. Figures of sex crimes are increasing day by day, but more than 90% of the crimes go unrecorded. The reasons are social as well as those related to fear.
Voices of protest are being gagged, freedom is being suppressed. Women as the second sex are pushed to the market forces.
So wither the women in Gujarat? How safe are they?
And what kind of International Women’s Day are we celebrating in Gujarat?
---
*With Socialist Unity Centre of India

Comments

Aarti said…

Gujarat is a land of silence now. No one speaks, no one hears. If you try to speak, they will detain you.

March 09, 2017

Modi’s Israel visit strengthened Pakistan’s hand in US–Iran truce: Ex-Indian diplomat

By Jag Jivan M. K. Bhadrakumar , a career diplomat with three decades of service in postings across the former Soviet Union, Pakistan, Iran, Afghanistan, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Germany, and Turkey, has warned that the current truce in the US–Iran war is “fragile and ridden with contradictions.” Writing in his blog India Punchline , Bhadrakumar argues that while Pakistan has emerged as a surprising broker of dialogue, the durability of the ceasefire remains uncertain.

Why Indo-Pak relations have been on 'knife’s edge' , hostilities may remain for long

By Utkarsh Bajpai* The past few decades have seen strides being made in all aspects of life – from sticks and stones to weaponry. The extreme case of this phenomenon has been nuclear weapons. The menace caused by nuclear weapons in the past is unforgettable. Images of Hiroshima and Nagasaki from 1945 come to mind, after the United States dropped two atomic bombs on the cities.

Incarceration of Prof Saibaba 'revives' the question: What is crime, who is criminal?

By Kunal Pant* In 2016, a Supreme Court Judge asked the state of Maharashtra, “Do you want to extract a pound of flesh?” The statement was directed against the state for contesting the bail plea of Delhi University Professor GN Saibaba. Saibaba was arrested in 2014, a justification for which was to prevent him from committing what the police called “anti-national activities.”

Food security? Gujarat govt puts more than 5 lakh ration cards in the 'silent' category

By Pankti Jog* A new statistical report uploaded by the Gujarat government on the national food security portal shows that ensuring food security for the marginalized community is still not a priority of the state. The statistical report, uploaded on December 24, highlights many weaknesses in implementing the National Food Security Act (NFSA) in state.

Manufacturing, services: India's low-skill, middle-skill labour remains underemployed

By Francis Kuriakose* The Indian economy was in a state of deceleration well before Covid-19 made its impact in early 2020. This can be inferred from the declining trends of four important macroeconomic variables that indicate the health of the economy in the last quarter of 2019.

The soundtrack of resistance: How 'Sada Sada Ya Nabi' is fueling the Iran war

By Syed Ali Mujtaba* The Persian track “ Sada Sada Ya Nabi ye ” by Hossein Sotoodeh has taken the world by storm. This viral media has cut across linguistic barriers to achieve cult status, reaching over 10 million views. The electrifying music and passionate rendition by the Iranian singer have resonated across the globe, particularly as the high-intensity military conflict involving Iran entered its second month in March 2026.

School closures across states raise concerns amid Govt of India claims of improved access

By A Representative A recent report has raised concerns over the closure and merger of government schools in several Indian states, particularly in Bihar, where a significant number of institutions have reportedly been shut down or earmarked for closure.

Health activist group raises concerns over HPV vaccination drive, seeks temporary halt

By A Representative Swasthya Adhikar Manch, a public health advocacy group, has urged the Union government to ensure greater accountability and transparency in the ongoing Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination campaign, and called for its temporary suspension pending a comprehensive review. In a letter addressed to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India, the group flagged what it described as unresolved concerns surrounding the nationwide rollout of the HPV vaccine, which began on February 28, 2026. The campaign targets 14-year-old girls and involves administering Gardasil, a quadrivalent vaccine intended to protect against certain strains of HPV linked to cervical cancer.

Beneath the stone: Revisiting the New Jersey mandir controversy

By Rajiv Shah A recent report published in the British media outlet The Guardian , titled “Workers carved the largest modern Hindu temple in the west. Now, some have incurable lung disease,” took me back to my visits to the New Jersey mandir —first in 2022, when it was still under construction, though parts of it were open to visitors, and again in 2024, after its completion.

Search This Blog