Skip to main content

Is this Nari Shakti? 6,000 citizens ask Modi on release of 11 convicted of gang-rape, murder

Counterview Desk 
Expressing their "shock and horror" at the premature release of 11 men convicted of gang-rape and mass murder, about 6,000 ordinary citizens, grassroots workers, women’s and human rights groups and activists, eminent litterateurs and scholars* have said regretted that even as the Prime Minister in his Independence Day address spoke of women’s rights, dignity and nari shakti, Bilkis Bano, a woman who embodies ‘nari shakti’, learned that the perpetrators who killed her family, murdered her 3 year old daughter, gang-raped and left her to die, had walked free.
In a statement, they feared, "The remission of sentences for the 11 convicted of gang-rape and mass murder will have a chilling effect on every rape victim who is told to ‘trust the system’, ‘seek justice’, ‘have faith’," adding, the remission of these men "is not only immoral and unconscionable, it violates the State of Gujarat’s own existing remission policy” and “the guidelines issued by the Central government to states."

Text:

  • We stand in support and solidarity with Bilkis Bano’s 20 year struggle for justice.
  • We demand that the release of the 11 convicted of gang-rape and mass murder be immediately revoked.
  • It has a chilling effect on the fight for justice by all rape victims.
  • We call upon the supreme court of india to undo this grave miscarriage of justice.
  • We call upon all citizens to stand with all victims of rape, against this injustice.
On the morning of August 15, 2022, in his Independence Day address to the nation the Prime Minister of India spoke of women’s rights, dignity and Nari Shakti. That very afternoon Bilkis Bano, a woman who embodied that ‘Nari Shakti’ in her 17 year long struggle for justice, learnt that the perpetrators who killed her family, murdered her 3 year old daughter, gang-raped and left her to die, had walked free. No one asked for her views, or enquired about her safety. No one sent her a notice. No one asked how she, a gang-rape survivor, felt about the release of her rapists.
Bilkis has always said that her struggle for justice is a struggle for all women, and on August 15th the rights of each rape victim in India has received a blow.
It shames us that the day we should celebrate our freedoms and be proud of our independence, the women of India instead saw gang-rapists and mass murderers freed as an act of State largesse. The remission of sentences for the 11 convicted of gang-rape and mass murder will have a chilling effect on every rape victim who is told to ‘trust the system’, ‘seek justice’, ‘have faith’. The early release of these murderers/rapists only strengthens the impunity of all men who commit rape and other acts of violence against women. The remission must be revoked.
Bilkis was just 21 years old, and 5 months pregnant in 2002 when she was gang-raped, watched her 3 year old daughter Saleha’s head smashed on a rock, watched 14 members of her family murdered. Saw several female members of her family raped and murdered. It was the most heinous of crimes. As the sole adult survivor of this horrific massacre, Bilkis Bano then embarked upon on a brave and long battle to secure justice. She did what we tell all rape victims to do – she found inner strength, stood her ground, testified to her truth and trusted the criminal justice system. It was a long journey but justice came. All perpetrators were convicted by the Special CBI Court in Mumbai in 2008. The conviction was upheld by the Bombay High Court, and by the Honorable Supreme Court. As Bilkis herself said in 2017, when the Bombay High Court upheld life sentences for the convicts - “.. this verdict does not mean the end of hatred but it does mean that somewhere, somehow justice can prevail. This has been an long, seemingly never ending struggle for me, but when you are on the side of truth, you will be heard, and justice will be yours in the end.”
Today, that justice stands undone.
The remission of these sentences is not only immoral and unconscionable, it goes against the State of Gujarat’s own existing remission policy which expressly states such remission is “NOT” for those convicted of rape or gangrape.
Additionally, it violates the guidelines issued by the Central government to States on a prisoner release policy to coincide with Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav which also clearly states that among the categories of prisoners NOT to be granted Special Remission are “those convicted of rape”.
Most importantly, in a case investigated and prosecuted by the CBI, no remission can be granted by a State without concurrence by the Centre. That such a remission was even considered and then permitted reveals the hollowness of the public posturing about Nari Shakti, Beti Bachao, women's right and justice for victims.
To those who facilitated the release of 11 murderers and gang-rapists in contravention of the law of the land, we say this: You have let down every woman in the country. Made us more unsafe, more threatened and more at risk of violation. You have diluted our faith in the idea of justice for women of India.
We end with reaffirming our solidarity to Bilkis Bano and every other victim of sexual assault who has the courage to stand up for justice today. We express deep concern for her safety and that of her family. We are pained that this brave woman has to relive the trauma of the past 20 years.
We demand that women’s faith in justice be restored. We demand the remission of sentences for these 11 convicts be immediately revoked and they be sent back to prison to serve the remainder of their life terms.
---
*Click here for important signatories

Comments

TRENDING

'Very low rung in quality ladder': Critique of ICMR study on 'sudden deaths' post-2021

By Bhaskaran Raman*  Since about mid-2021, a new phenomenon of extreme concern has been observed throughout the world, including India : unexplained sudden deaths of seemingly healthy and active people, especially youngsters. In the recently concluded Navratri garba celebrations, an unprecedented number of young persons succumbed to heart attack deaths. After a long delay, ICMR (Indian Council for Medical Research) has finally has published a case-control study on sudden deaths among Indians of age 18-45.

SC 'appears to foster' culture of secrecy, does not seek electoral bond details from SBI

By Rosamma Thomas*  In its order of November 2, 2023 on the case of Association for Democratic Reforms vs Union of India contesting constitutional validity of electoral bonds, the Supreme Court directed all political parties to give particulars of the bonds received by them in sealed covers to the Election Commission of India. SC sought that information be updated until September 2023. 

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. 

Only 12% of schools RTE compliant: Whither 6% budgetary allocation for education?

By Ambarish Rai* Despite Indian state’s commitment of 6% GDP on education, the Finance Minister completely ignored right to education for children and strengthening implementation of RTE Act which makes education a fundamental right in her budget speech . The Right to Education (RTE) Forum, which is a collective of different stakeholders in education, condemns this neglect of a legal entitlement, which is unconstitutional and demand for overall increase in the budget to ensure improvement in learning outcomes and overall enhancement of quality education.

Savarkar in Ahmedabad 'declared' two-nation theory in 1937, Jinnah followed 3 years later

By Our Representative One of the top freedom fighters whom BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi revere the most, Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, was also a great supporter of the two nation theory for India, one for Hindus another for Muslims, claims a new expose on the man who is also known to be the original proponent of the concept of Hindutva.

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.

Buddhist shrines were 'massively destroyed' by Brahmanical rulers: Historian DN Jha

Nalanda mahavihara By Our Representative Prominent historian DN Jha, an expert in India's ancient and medieval past, in his new book , "Against the Grain: Notes on Identity, Intolerance and History", in a sharp critique of "Hindutva ideologues", who look at the ancient period of Indian history as "a golden age marked by social harmony, devoid of any religious violence", has said, "Demolition and desecration of rival religious establishments, and the appropriation of their idols, was not uncommon in India before the advent of Islam".

'Ambiguous policy': India late in advocating EVs as energy storage in national grid

By Shankar Sharma*  This is regarding the points raised by the Chief Electricity Authority’s (CEA's) advocacy for usage of electrical vehicles (EVs) as energy storage technology, and few associated issues . An objective reading of what he states should reiterate the enormously growing importance of battery energy storage systems (BESS) in our need to transition to a net-zero carbon scenario for the country.

Union Health Ministry, FSSAI 'fail to respond' to NHRC directive on packaged food

By Our Representative  The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has expressed deep concern over the adverse health effects caused by packaged foods high in salt, sugar, and saturated fats. Recognizing it as a violation of the Right to Life and Right to Health of Indian citizens, the quasi-judicial body called for a response from the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) regarding its selection of front-of-pack labels aimed at providing consumers with information to make healthier choices.

Is India emulating west, 'using' anti-terror plank to justify state-supported violence?

Fahad Ahmad, Baljit Nagra*  Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has accused India of being involved in the assassination of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Canadian Sikh leader, on Canadian soil. Narendra Modi’s right-wing Hindu nationalist Indian government is defiant and denies involvement. Indian officials have instead admonished Canada for being a “ safe haven ” for Sikh “terrorism,” a pejorative for Sikh self-determination .