Skip to main content

Denying dissent democratic space in Gujarat: 'sad narrative of eroding ethical values'

By Sandeep Pandey* 

A padyatra (foot march) was to be taken out between 26 September and 4 October, 2022 from Randhikpur village in Dahod district of Gujarat to Ahmedabad to apologise to Bilkis Bano. Randhikpur is Bilkis Bano’s village. In 2002 Gujarat communal violence she was gang raped, her 3 years old daughter, another child in womb and a total of 14 family members were killed. 11 people were convicted and sentenced for life in 2008.
However, on 15 August, 2022 after Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a speech from Red Fort appealing to people to change their attitude towards women and treat them with respect, a district level committee of Panchmahal decided to release the 11 rapists and murderers. A Bhartiya Janata Party leader described four of these criminals as virtuous Brahmins.
Before the padyatra could begin from Randhikpur, on 25 September night, 7 activists were picked up from Godhra corporator Hanif Kalandar’s house where they had gone for dinner. The detainee included Tanushree Gangopadhyay, D Gopalakrishna, Nitesh Gangaramani, Kausharli Saiyed, Noorjahan Dewan, Hanif Kalandar and myself.
A crowd had gathered outside Hanif’s house as the police were taking away the detainees in their vehicles. Crowd became more restless as Hanif and Noorjahan were continuously raising slogans demanding justice for Bilkis Bano. It followed the vehicles to police station. The only wise decision of police that night was to let Hanif and two ladies go back to his house otherwise the volatile situation could have become worse.
Rest of the detainees and another Dalit activist Advocate Narendra Parmar was picked up from outside his house were taken to Kankanpur police station, 15 kms outside Godhra. The detainees were kept for the night at police station.
I started a fast as penance for what was done to Bilkis. If the convicts and the government don’t feel any remorse for the incident and try to justify the release, then as a society we need to be worried. Essentially we are asking the victims to live with their tormentors.
The victim has to fear for her life whereas the rapists and murderers are garlanded and offered sweet upon release from jail. The erosion of values and upturning of ethical standards must be arrested otherwise we are headed towards a jungle raj. It is hoped that the society will think what kind of people we are electing to govern ourselves.
At about 3 pm the police decided to release the detainees on the condition that they would not go to Godhra but would begin their padyatra from the borders of District Panchmahal and Kheda.
No soon had the padyatris crossed the Mahisagar river which borders the two districts, the police of Sewaliya police station were waiting to the greet the padyatris. Another night was spent in the police station. 
Tanushree Gangopadhyay, D Gopalakrishna, Nitesh Gangaramani, Kausharli Saiyed, Rajeshwar Brahmbhatt, Pravin Patel, Haresh Raval, Rajeev Singh Kushwaha, Krishnendu Chaterjee and myself were detained. The police was very vigilant and was keeping close watch on all our movements including visits to toilets.
Sandeep Pandey
Tanushree was told that she would be taken to her home in Ahmedabad as she could not be kept at the police station but she was taken to a local hotel and had to spend the night guarded by 3 women police personnel. On 27 September morning she was brought to the police station and later all the 10 detainees were driven to Ahmedabad’s Odhav police station and released from there.
Thus a 180 km, 9 days padyatra was completed in a couple of kms and the remaining distance in police vehicles in 2 days.
I had broken my fast when we were allowed to walk from inside the Panchmahal district but started it again on the morning on 27 September from Sewaliya police station when it became clear that we were not going to be allowed to walk.
In Ahmedabad the police denied permission for the fast to be carried on at a public place. I tried to sit at Satyagrah Chhavni, the designated protest area in Gandhinagar, the capital of Gujarat, but the intelligence personnel did not allow that without a permission of district authorities. 
It is a commentary on the democratic space for dissent in Gujarat that not a single demonstration was going on at Satyagrah Chhavni when we visited it. I then decided to carry on with my fast at a friend’s place.
The penance fast continued till 2 October and was broken on its sixth day at Kochrab Ashram of Mahatma Gandhi by the hands of two women who were detained by police on 25 September, Tanushree and Noorjahan.
However, the struggle for dignity of women will continue. The women can feel safe in only two conditions. One in which the men, who dominate the society, become sensitive to women and second, women themselves become empowered and prevent men from exploiting them. 
Although both processes are going on but they are very slow. Large numbers of women continue to be under patriarchal rule and have to suffer daily violence, at home as well as outside.
It is said that among all the struggles against inequalities of different varieties the gender inequality will be the most difficult to overcome. That is why probably the famous socialist thinker and politician Dr Ram Manohar Lohia in his enunciation of seven revolutions necessary for society kept gender equality at the top.
---
*Magsaysay award winning academic and social activist, general secretary of Socialist Party (India)

Comments

TRENDING

How community leaders overcome obstacles to protect forests and pastures in remote villages

By Bharat Dogra  Dheera Ram Kapaya grew up in such poverty that, unable to attend school himself, he would carry another boy’s heavy school bag for five kilometers just to get a scoop of daliya (porridge). When he was finally able to attend school, he had to leave after class five to join other adolescent workers. However, as soon as opportunities arose, he involved himself in community efforts—promoting forest protection, adult literacy, and other constructive initiatives. His hidden talent for writing emerged during this time, and he became known for the songs and street play scripts he created to promote forest conservation, discourage child marriages, and support other social reforms.

Workers' groups condemn Gujarat Ordinance increasing working hours, warn of statewide agitation

By A Representative   At a consultation organised today by the Asangathit Shramik Hit Rakshak Manch at Circuit House in Ahmedabad, leaders of major trade unions and labour rights organisations strongly opposed the Gujarat government’s recent ordinance amending the Factories Act and the draft rules notified under the Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Code, 2020. Around 50 representatives from central trade unions, independent unions, and labour welfare organisations participated in the meeting.

Deaths in Chhattisgarh are not just numbers – they mark a deeper democratic crisis

By Sunil Kumar  For a while, I had withdrawn into a quieter life, seeking solace in nature. But the rising tide of state-sponsored violence and recurring conflict across India has compelled deeper reflection. The recent incidents of killings in central India—particularly in Chhattisgarh—are not isolated acts. They point to a larger and ongoing crisis that concerns the health of democracy and the treatment of marginalised communities.

'Bengali Muslim migrant workers face crackdown in Gurgaon': Academic raises alarm

By A Representative   Political analyst and retired Delhi University professor Shamsul Islam has raised serious concerns over the ongoing targeting and detention of Muslim migrant workers from West Bengal in Gurgaon, Haryana. In a public statement, Islam described the situation as "brutal repression" and accused law enforcement agencies of detaining migrants arbitrarily under the pretext of verifying their citizenship.

Gender violence defies stringent laws: The need for robust social capital

By Dr. Manoj Kumar Mishra*  The tragic death of Miss Soumyashree Bisi, a 20-year-old student from Fakir Mohan College, Balasore, who reportedly self-immolated due to harassment, shocked the conscience of Odisha. Even before the public could process this horrifying event, another harrowing case emerged—a 15-year-old girl from Balanga, Puri, was allegedly set ablaze by miscreants. These incidents are not isolated; they highlight a disturbing pattern of rising gender-based violence across the state and the country.

The GMO illusion: Three decades of hype, harm, and false hope

By Sridhar Radhakrishnan  Three decades of hype, billions of dollars spent, and still no miracle crop. It's time to abandon the GMO biotech fairy tale and return to the soil, the seed, and the farmer. “Trust us,” they said. “GMOs will feed the world.” Picture a world where there is plenty of food, no hunger, fields grow without chemical pesticides, children are saved from malnutrition, and people live healthily.

The myth of population decline: India’s real challenge is density, not fertility

By N.S. Venkataraman*   India’s population in 2025 stands at approximately 1.4 billion. In 1950, it was 359 million, rising sharply to 1.05 billion by 2000. The population continues to grow and is projected to reach around 1.7 billion by 2050.

How natural and organic farming can be a key to combating the climate crisis

By Raj Kumar Sinha*  On July 9, while addressing the “Sahkar Samvad” in Ahmedabad with women and workers associated with cooperatives from Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, and Rajasthan, Union Home Minister Amit Shah emphasized that natural farming is essential for both our health and the health of the soil. This is a significant statement in the context of addressing the climate change crisis. Natural farming can play a crucial role in combating climate change. Also known as organic farming, it is a system of agriculture that can increase food production without harming the environment. Natural farming has the potential to reduce carbon emissions by 35% to 50%.

Indigenous Karen activist calls for global solidarity amid continued struggles in Burma

By A Representative   At the International Festival for People’s Rights and Struggles (IFPRS), Naw Paw Pree, an Indigenous Karen activist from the Karen Human Rights Group (KHRG), shared her experiences of oppression, resilience, and hope. Organized with the support of the International Indigenous Peoples Movement for Self-Determination and Liberation (IPMSDL), the event brought together Indigenous and marginalized communities from across the globe, offering a rare safe space for shared learning, solidarity, and expression.