'In Oct 2022, Gujarat cops stopped us on way to Bilkis' village to express solidarity'

Tanushree Gangopadhyay with Sandeep Pandey, others

By Tanushree Gangopadhyay*

Supreme Court's judgement on Bilkis Banu revives our faith in the Indian judiciary.
Justice Nagarathna' s firm stand on reversing the Gujarat government revoking the premature remission of the 11 convicts of gang raping five month pregnant Bilkis Banu and seven members of her family and murdering women, including her mother and three year old daughter.
Few of us, including Magsaysay Award winner Dr Sandeep Pandey, planned a padyatra to meet the brave Bilkis Banu in October 2022, soon after the 11 convicts were prematurely remissioned.
Not surprisingly, we were not allowed to reach Bilkis's village. Not only were we not allowed there , we were almost banished from Panchmahals district (where she belongs) and sent to the neighbouring Kheda district.
The Gujarat government refused to allow us to drive in our vehicles and bundled us in police jeeps which eventually took us back to Ahmedabad.
While we were in Sevaliya town of Kheda district, all men were compelled to spend the night at the mofussil police station, while I, the only woman member and senior citizen, was in the worst position.
I had the fortune of being given a room in a hotel with three plainclothes police women who ushered me around.One of them shared the Double bed. The other two class IV women shared a mattress on the floor. They parked themselves adjoining my bed.
Next morning when I looked for a newspaper, I wasn't allowed to go out to the market. They followed me to the shops when I looked for toiletries.
We were eventually driven in their jeeps to Odhav Police Station on the outskirts of Ahmedabad, almost 25 kms from any point in the city.
Fortunately, I shared a trip back with a friend miles away to his residence in Juhapura in Ahmedabad, where my vehicle was parked.
What an experience from the world's largest democracy!
---
*Senior journalist based in Ahmedabad

Comments

Gujarat's high profile GIFT city 'fails to attract' funds, India's FinTech investment dips

By Rajiv Shah While the Narendra Modi government may have gone out of the way to promote the Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (GIFT City), sought to be developed as India’s formidable financial technology hub off the state capital Gandhinagar, just 20 km from Ahmedabad, a recent report , prepared by Tracxn Technologies suggests that neither of the two cities figure in the list of top FinTech funding receiving centres.

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.

Why Ramdev, vaccine producing pharma companies and government are all at fault

By Colin Gonsalves* It was perhaps Ramdev’s closeness to government which made him over-confident. According to reports he promoted a cure for Covid, thus directly contravening various provisions of The Drugs and Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisements) Act, 1954. Persons convicted of such offences may not get away with a mere apology and would suffer imprisonment.

Decade long Modi rule 'undermines' people's welfare and democracy

By Ram Puniyani* Modi has many ploys up his sleeves when it comes to propaganda. On one hand he is turning many a pronouncements of Congress in the communal direction, on the other he is claiming that whatever has been achieved during last ten years of his rule is phenomenal, but it is still a ‘trailer’ and the bigger things are in the offing as he claims to be coming to power yet again in 2024. While his admirers are ga ga about his achievements, the truth lies somewhere else.

Malayalam movie Aadujeevitham: Unrealistic, disservice to pastoralists

By Rosamma Thomas* The Malayalam movie 'Aadujeevitham' (Goat Life), currently screening in movie theatres in Kerala, has received positive reviews and was featured also on the website of the British Broadcasting Corporation. The story is based on a 2008 novel by Benyamin, and relates the real-life story of a job-seeker from Kerala tricked into working in slave conditions in a goat farm in Saudi Arabia.

Belgian report alleges MNC Etex responsible for asbestos pollution in Madhya Pradesh town Kymore: COP's Geneva meet

By Our Representative A comprehensive Belgian report has held MNC Etex , into construction business and one of the richest, responsible for asbestos pollution in Kymore, an industrial town in in Katni district of Madhya Pradesh. The report provides evidence from the ground on how Kymore’s dust even today is “annoying… it creeps into your clothes, you have to cough it”, saying “It can be deadly.”

Can universal basic income help usher in sustainable egalitarianism in India?

By Prof RR Prasad* The ongoing debate on application of Article 39(b) in the Supreme Court on redistribution of community material resources to subserve common good and for ushering in an egalitarian society has opened new vistas wherein possible available alternative solutions could be explored.

Plagued by opportunism, adventurism, tailism, Left 'doesn't matter' in India

By Harsh Thakor* 2024 elections are starting when India appears to be on the verge of turning proto-fascist. The Hindutva saffron brigade has penetrated in every sphere of Indian life, every social order, destroying and undermining the very fabric of the Constitution.

Press freedom? 28 journalists killed since 2014, nine currently in jail

By Kirity Roy* On the eve of the Press Freedom Day on 3rd of May, the Banglar Manabadhikar Suraksha Mancha (MASUM) shared its anxiety with the broader civil society platforms as the situation of freedom of any form of expression became grimmer in India day by day. This day was intended to raise awareness on the importance of freedom of press and to pay tribute to pressmen who lost their lives in the line of duty.

Ahmedabad's Muslim ghetto voters 'denied' right to exercise franchise?

By Tanushree Gangopadhyay* Sections of Gujarat Muslims, with a population of 10 per cent of the State, have been allegedly denied their rights to exercise their franchise in the Juhapura area of Ahmedabad.

Search This Blog