Symbolic rite in memory of Hathras gangrape victim performed by women in 1,000 villages

By Our Representative

About 30,000 people participated in over 1,000 villages of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal, Odisha, Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Tamilnadu and Karnataka in the Prerna Sabha (sacred get together), organised on October 14, to give respects to the Hathras teenage girl, who was gangraped on September 14. The died a fortnight later in a Delhi hospital.

The programme, which marked the day on which top Dalit icon Dr BR Ambedkar embraced Buddhism, October 14, 1956, was held a symbolic protest against the refusal of the authorities to allow the girl’s family members a respectable funeral. As she was cremated past midnight without even permitting her mother to apply “haldi-tilak” (turmeric mark) to her body, a religious rite, Dalit rights leader Martin Macwan announced the programme of “haldi-tilak” ceremony on October 10.

In an email alert to Counterview, Macwan said, on October 14, when the ceremony was held in 1,000-odd villages, “women participated in a greater number, and so did the children.” Stating that “personally, it was very inspiring”, Macwan declared, in another programme, the haldi (turmeric) collected from all these villages will now be handed over to the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh to be immersed in Ganga, since the state did not respect religious/cultural rites of the Dalit victim.

Macwan announced, haldi collected from all the villages will be handed over to the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh to be immersed in Ganga

Founder of the Gujarat Dalit rights NGO Navsarjan Trust, Macwan said, “Our own expenditure for the poster-banner, especially designed for the occasion, was maximum Rs 62 per village and nil in other villages, as many people painted it on the wall. The programme was important for us all personally as well as collectively, as we see how this was able to connect to many faces who have never been seen in public programmes.”

He added, “We were able to reach the last person, and it was the symbol of haldi, a language of the common people, that made it possible. While applying haldi some women broke down because bringing haldi from home and applying it to the face of the girl, the victim of sexual abuse, even though representational, brings out ones own personal memories. The programme continued in many villages till last night.”

Comments

Unknown said…

Thanks for the story. This whole event and it’s aftermath have been sickening.

October 16, 2020

Clive Lloyd legacy reminds us of the golden era that reshaped cricket

By Harsh Thakor* As August 31 marked the 80th birthday of cricketing icon Clive Lloyd, it also heralds the impending 50th anniversary of his ascension to the captaincy of the West Indies team. Under his leadership, a collection of extraordinary talents coalesced to create one of the most formidable teams in cricket history. The roots of West Indian cricket dominance trace back to a colonial past.

A Hindu alternative to Valentine's Day? 'Shiv-Parvati was first love marriage in Universe'

By Rajiv Shah* The other day, I was searching on Google a quote on Maha Shivratri which I wanted to send to someone, a confirmed Shiv Bhakt, quite close to me -- with an underlying message to act positively instead of being negative. On top of the search, I chanced upon an article in, imagine!, a Nashik Corporation site which offered me something very unusual.

Narmada valley again facing flood disaster, exacerbated by Sardar Sarovar dam 'mismanagement'

By Our Representative The environmental advocacy group South Asia Network on Dams, Rivers and People (SANDRP) has issued a warning , supported by detailed diagrams, that the Sardar Sarovar Dam (SSD) is at risk of causing flash floods in the Narmada Valley this year, similar to incidents that occurred last year.

Swami Vivekananda's views on caste and sexuality were 'painfully' regressive

By Bhaskar Sur* Swami Vivekananda now belongs more to the modern Hindu mythology than reality. It makes a daunting job to discover the real human being who knew unemployment, humiliation of losing a teaching job for 'incompetence', longed in vain for the bliss of a happy conjugal life only to suffer the consequent frustration.

Impact of water anxiety, stress and trauma on women: World Water Week 2024 talkshow

By Mansee Bal Bhargava, Durga Das, Garbhit Naik, Sromona Burman* A newly formed no bet-for-profit organization, WODER , dedicated and motivated to work towards water security for all for all the time, was at the World Water Week (WWW) 2024 organized by the Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI) from August 25 to 29th. The WWW2024 theme was, ‘Bridging Borders: Water for a Peaceful and Sustainable Future’ and centered around water cooperation for peace and security. The event underscored the collaborative effort needed to achieve a peaceful and sustainable future.

Damaging signal sent to various levels of judiciary? Modi at religious function at CJI's residence

Counterview Desk The civil rights group, National Alliance for Justice, Accountability and Rights (NAJAR), has expressed its "grave concern" over the Prime Minister’s recent presence at a religious event at the Chief Justice of India's residence, underlining, "Independence of Judiciary from Executive must be ensured in all circumstances".

Unwavering source of ideological inspiration in politics, life: Personal tribute to Yechury

By Bhabani Shankar Nayak Sitaram Yechury was everyone's comrade. He lived his life in public like an open book of praxis. Everyone was familiar with his family background, student life, many talents, achievements, and political journey that defines his everyday life as a committed communist.

Will Bangladesh go Egypt way, where military ruler is in power for a decade?

By Vijay Prashad* The day after former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina left Dhaka, I was on the phone with a friend who had spent some time on the streets that day. He told me about the atmosphere in Dhaka, how people with little previous political experience had joined in the large protests alongside the students—who seemed to be leading the agitation. I asked him about the political infrastructure of the students and about their political orientation. He said that the protests seemed well-organized and that the students had escalated their demands from an end to certain quotas for government jobs to an end to the government of Sheikh Hasina. Even hours before she left the country, it did not seem that this would be the outcome.

Trailblazer in literary innovation, critic of Indian mythology, including Ramayana

By Harsh Thakor* Ranganayakamma, commonly known as RN, stands out as a transformative figure in promoting Marxist thought, democratic ideals, and anti-caste principles through her remarkably clear and engaging writing style. A trailblazer in literary innovation, her works span a broad array of topics, from critiques of Indian mythology and revivalism to discussions on civil liberties, the Indian Communist Movement, and Maoism in China.

Search This Blog