Skip to main content

'Dismayed by NCW's poor response': Karnataka sexual violence case

Counterview Desk 
Responding to a petition initiated by the All-India Feminist Alliance (ALIFA) and the Women for Democracy (WFD), 700 plus concerned citizens from across India, including feminists from women’s groups, social and human rights activists, trade unionists, academics, scientists, lawyers, former bureaucrats, film makers, students and others have written to the National Commission for Women (NCW), calling for strong legal action against Prajwal Revanna (MP) and HD Revanna (MLA), from Karnataka, including swift inquiry and arrest, for the alleged offences of sexual violence faced by numerous women and video recording of the same.
The petition conveyed their deep dismay at the lack of prompt and strict action by the NCW (beyond issuing a notice to the State DGP), not just in this instance, but in a series of cases of women’s rights violations, especially where members of the ruling party or its affiliates have been involved, thus weakening the authority, independence and legal mandate of the Commission.

Text:

We, the undersigned signatories from the All-India Feminist Alliance (ALIFA), Women for Democracy (WFD), other women’s rights, democratic collectives and concerned citizens across India are writing to you, deeply dismayed at the lack of prompt and strict action by the NCW in the Prajwal Revanna and HD Revanna case, in which numerous women have faced sexual violence and sexual assault. We strongly condemn the impunity with which Prajwal Revanna and HD Revanna have abused their positions as MP and (former) Karnataka Minister respectively and call for their immediate arrest.
The deep sense of outrage is not just to the survivors of the crimes perpetrated here, but to all citizens of India, and all custodian institutions that are supposed to uphold women’s constitutional rights in this country. An open, unconditional and immediate apology is owed to each of the women subjected to the horrendous violence here. The Prime Minister himself should apologize in this case and ensure stringent action, even though it is not surprising to see his silence yet again after Manipur and many other incidents.
In the past decade, there have been many ‘high-profile’ cases in which members of the ruling party BJP and its other allies in NDA were accused of sexual violence and the consistent inaction / weak action of the NCW in many of these cases has been telling! The current case seems to be yet another shameful addition to the list and is shocking, both in terms of the scale of abuse and the impunity of the perpetrators. This erodes public confidence in the NCW, and the trust of women of the country in such bodies, meant for redressal and for systemic or structural changes in our institutions and society.
It has come to light that close to 2,976 videos of sexual abuse and violence against numerous women, at the hands of Prajwal Revanna have been circulating via hundreds of pen drives and social media handles. An FIR has also been filed, based on the complaint of a domestic worker, alleging Prajwal Revanna [MP of JD(S) from Hassan, which is an ally of ruling BJP], and his father HD Revanna (MLA of Holenarasipura) of sexually violating her and her daughter.
We are aware that acting upon complaints of women’s rights groups in Karnataka and the letter from the Chairperson of the State Women's Commission, the Chief Minister of Karnataka has announced the constitution of an SIT to investigate into this matter and issued summons to both Prajwal Revanna and his father HD Revanna, currently an MLA and a former minister in the state government. The SIT has also filed an FIR against the two accused, including charges of abduction. Public protests have been reported from different places by outraged women’s groups and citizens. After a major public uproar, NCW had to write to the State DGP, seeking a report within 3 days. However, this action alone is insufficient.
By campaigning for a sexual abuser, what message are the Prime Minister and the Home Minister conveying to the women of India?
As feminist, women’s rights activists and deeply concerned citizens, we demand answers to the following questions:
  • Why has the response of the custodian of women’s rights in the country (NCW) remained so minimal, when no less than a Member of Parliament and a sitting MLA face grave charges of sexual abuse and violence against multiple women, that too in an unprecedented manner?
  • How was Prajwal Revanna allowed to flee the country on a ‘diplomatic passport’, without having to face the consequences for his atrocious and criminal unlawful actions, and who all in positions of power, facilitated the same?
  • Why was Prajwal Revanna allowed to contest the Hassan Lok Sabha seat from the NDA, even after his actions of wide-spread sexual abuse were known and even communicated through a letter dated 8th Dec, 2023 by Mr. Devaraje Gowda, a BJP MLA candidate to no less than the Home Minister, Mr. Amit Shah?
  • By campaigning for a serial sexual abuser like Mr. Prajwal Revanna and allowing him to contest on an MP seat, what message are the Prime Minister and the Home Minister conveying to the women of India?
  • If only the NCW had taken timely and stringent action in many previous cases, such incidents would not have happened. We do not hesitate in saying that the NCW has failed the women of this country, by allowing the institution to become an agency for political vendetta and agendas of the ruling party at the Centre. The lack of swift action in numerous cases of violations of women’s rights only establishes that the Commission is no longer keen on upholding women’s rights as per its mandate in the NCW Act of 1990. We hope that at least now, NCW will live up to its mandate and do the needful.
In the light of the above, we call upon the NCW to immediately:
  • Ensure the immediate arrest of Prajwal Revanna and HD Revanna based on the FIRs filed against them, as well as arrest of all those involved in concealing or facilitating the offences by Prajwal Revanna and HD Revanna.
  • Issue summons to Prajwal Revanna and HD Revanna, to initiate a swift inquiry and proceed to recommend appropriate legal and criminal action against them as per the powers vested in the NCW.
  • Recommend cancellation of Prajwal Revanna’s diplomatic passport and ensure his return to India immediately.
  • Ensure protection of identities of survivors as well as adequate safety and security to all the women who have faced sexual abuse, who have complained, are likely to complain and are potential witnesses in the case, as per the Witness Protection Scheme, 2018.
  • Ensure necessary psychological, medical, financial and legal support to all the survivors of the sexual assault, as well as rehabilitation in terms of NALSA’s compensation scheme for Women Survivors of Sexual Assault, 2018.
  • Recommend the disqualification of HD Revanna as an MLA and that Prajwal Revanna should not be allowed to assume charge as MP, even if he is declared a winner, until the charges against him are judicially settled and he is held fully accountable for all offences committed.
  • Issue summons to the BJP President to inquire into information available to the ruling party about the criminal activities of Mr. Prajwal Revanna since December 2023 and why no action was taken by it in this regard, when BJP decided to allow the accused to contest as an MP from BJP-led Alliance of NDA, with the Prime Minister himself campaigning for him.
  • Direct all online platforms and digital search engines to de-index and take down the videos and images immediately, to protect the safety and dignity of the survivors. Circulation and distribution of this content online and offline must be strictly forbidden and stern legal action must be taken against those who circulate the videos or images of the women survivors.
We hope and trust that the Commission will ensure effective action on all the above counts and rigorously pursue the case until, all the perpetrators of the offences are brought to justice and all the survivors are fully supported.
---
Click here for signatories

Comments

Post a Comment

TRENDING

Urgent need to study cause of large number of natural deaths in Gulf countries

By Venkatesh Nayak* According to data tabled in Parliament in April 2018, there are 87.76 lakh (8.77 million) Indians in six Gulf countries, namely Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). While replying to an Unstarred Question (#6091) raised in the Lok Sabha, the Union Minister of State for External Affairs said, during the first half of this financial year alone (between April-September 2018), blue-collared Indian workers in these countries had remitted USD 33.47 Billion back home. Not much is known about the human cost of such earnings which swell up the country’s forex reserves quietly. My recent RTI intervention and research of proceedings in Parliament has revealed that between 2012 and mid-2018 more than 24,570 Indian Workers died in these Gulf countries. This works out to an average of more than 10 deaths per day. For every US$ 1 Billion they remitted to India during the same period there were at least 117 deaths of Indian Workers in Gulf ...
Post a Comment
»

A comrade in culture and controversy: Yao Wenyuan’s revolutionary legacy

By Harsh Thakor*  This year marks two important anniversaries in Chinese revolutionary history—the 20th death anniversary of Yao Wenyuan, and the 50th anniversary of his seminal essay "On the Social Basis of the Lin Biao Anti-Party Clique". These milestones invite reflection on the man whose pen ignited the first sparks of the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution and whose sharp ideological interventions left an indelible imprint on the political and cultural landscape of socialist China.
Post a Comment
»

History, culture and literature of Fatehpur, UP, from where Maulana Hasrat Mohani hailed

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat*  Maulana Hasrat Mohani was a member of the Constituent Assembly and an extremely important leader of our freedom movement. Born in Unnao district of Uttar Pradesh, Hasrat Mohani's relationship with nearby district of Fatehpur is interesting and not explored much by biographers and historians. Dr Mohammad Ismail Azad Fatehpuri has written a book on Maulana Hasrat Mohani and Fatehpur. The book is in Urdu.  He has just come out with another important book, 'Hindi kee Pratham Rachna: Chandayan' authored by Mulla Daud Dalmai.' During my recent visit to Fatehpur town, I had an opportunity to meet Dr Mohammad Ismail Azad Fatehpuri and recorded a conversation with him on issues of history, culture and literature of Fatehpur. Sharing this conversation here with you. Kindly click this link. --- *Human rights defender. Facebook https://www.facebook.com/vbrawat , X @freetohumanity, Skype @vbrawat
1 comment
»

India's health workers have no legal right for their protection, regrets NGO network

Counterview Desk In a letter to Union labour and employment minister Santosh Gangwar, the civil rights group Occupational and Environmental Health Network of India (OEHNI), writing against the backdrop of strike by Bhabha hospital heath care workers, has insisted that they should be given “clear legal right for their protection”.
Post a Comment
»

Uttarakhand tunnel disaster: 'Question mark' on rescue plan, appraisal, construction

By Bhim Singh Rawat*  As many as 40 workers were trapped inside Barkot-Silkyara tunnel in Uttarkashi after a portion of the 4.5 km long, supposedly completed portion of the tunnel, collapsed early morning on Sunday, Nov 12, 2023. The incident has once again raised several questions over negligence in planning, appraisal and construction, absence of emergency rescue plan, violations of labour laws and environmental norms resulting in this avoidable accident.
Post a Comment
»

Job opportunities decreasing, wages remain low: Delhi construction workers' plight

By Bharat Dogra*   It was about 32 years back that a hut colony in posh Prashant Vihar area of Delhi was demolished. It was after a great struggle that the people evicted from here could get alternative plots that were not too far away from their earlier colony. Nirmana, an organization of construction workers, played an important role in helping the evicted people to get this alternative land. At that time it was a big relief to get this alternative land, even though the plots given to them were very small ones of 10X8 feet size. The people worked hard to construct new houses, often constructing two floors so that the family could be accommodated in the small plots. However a recent visit revealed that people are rather disheartened now by a number of adverse factors. They have not been given the proper allotment papers yet. There is still no sewer system here. They have to use public toilets constructed some distance away which can sometimes be quite messy. There is still no...
Post a Comment
»

Women's rights leaders told to negotiate with Muslimness, as India's donor agencies shun the word Muslim

By A Representative Former vice-president Hamid Ansari has sharply criticized donor agencies engaged in nongovernmental development work, saying that they seek to "help out" marginalizes communities with their funds, but shy away from naming Muslims as the target group, something, he insisted, needs to change. Speaking at a book release function in Delhi, he said, since large sections of Muslims are poor, they need political as also social outreach.
1 comment
»

Sardar Patel was on Nathuram Godse's hit list: Noted Marathi writer Sadanand More

Sadanand More (right) By  A  Representative In a surprise revelation, well-known Gujarati journalist Hari Desai has claimed that Nathuram Godse did not just kill Mahatma Gandhi, but also intended to kill Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. Citing a voluminous book authored by Sadanand More, “Lokmanya to Mahatma”, Volume II, translated from Marathi into English last year, Desai says, nowadays, there is a lot of talk about conspiracy to kill Gandhi, Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, and Shyama Prasad Mukherjee, but little is known about how the Sardar was also targeted.
Post a Comment
»

Bihar’s land at ₹1 per acre for Adani sparks outrage, NAPM calls it crony capitalism

By A Representative   The National Alliance of People’s Movements (NAPM) has strongly condemned the Bihar government’s decision to lease 1,050 acres of land in Pirpainti, Bhagalpur district, to Adani Power for a 2,400 MW coal-based thermal power project. 
Post a Comment
»