Shreen Hamdani
An unpleasant incident of December 16, 2012 reflected the veracity of Indian government, how devoted they are towards their capital city and other states. Police or concerned authorities in the capital city of India are supposed to serve welfare to the society.
It was disgraceful to the center because this time incident was not about Kashmir, where police has no role to play and AFSPA (Armed Force Special Power Act) and other security forces have their own norms on doing such crimes.
In Kashmir, rape and murder case, voyeurism, molestation, eve teasing, harassment and acid attacks on Women is no longer a hard news. However, in New Delhi, rape and murder of a 23-year old paramedical student shook the whole nation and triggered protests for greater protection for women from sexual violence. The protests lasted merely until December 29, 2012, the day she breathes her last in Singapore hospital. After seven months of query, the victim’s family has got justice on September 11, when the four accusers – a bus cleaner, gym instructor, fruit seller and an unemployed man will be sentenced.
In Kashmir the kunan – Poshpora (kupwara) mass rape case in 1991, Shopian Duo Rape and murder in 2009, Tabinda Gani rape and murder and many such cases have been buried by the same system, which demands amendments in crime laws now.
There are number of such cases in Kashmir that are unheard, prejudiced, suppressed and unknown to the world. Why politicians only sympathize with selective cases? I do not understand whether they really feel the pain of victims.
The accused, whether they are drunkards, juvenile or AFSPA are purely responsible for such atrocious crime but their punishment should not be averted off with suggestions like 20 years imprisonment, life imprisonment, or withdrawal of forces (which goes on snail’s pace). They should be hanged in a public square.
If there is law abiding of PSA (public safety act), then what happened to parliamentary bill passed for women rights. Undoubtedly Kashmiri’s can feel the pain and outrage of victim’s family. However, it is fact on the very same time that they botched to understand our pain that we are suffering since decades.
Indian media, be it print, electronic, or alternative media which is internet (online media) gave full coverage to this incident, now the follow-ups I had gone through seems another way to keep this case alive. Girls were taking self-defense (judo, karate) classes with involves Survival Sciences in South Delhi, snapping up pepper sprays and booking cabs with female drivers. How long it would be effective for women to protect themselves?Is that so, there would be no such case in upcoming time. What about the Mumbai Rape case or Asaram Babu’s crime?
Bureaucrats, film stars, politicians reacted on those heinous crimes but no one uttered a word on Kunan Poshpora Mass Rape in Kashmir. It has been 22 years now that the victims couldn’t get justice and even after that dreadful night, the women of these two villages are struggling to be heard.
While reading “The assault on the 23-year-old – who was raped by six people and tortured with an iron bar on a bus, then left bleeding on a highway”, these lines stunned me without remembering the impartiality of Indian government towards Kashmir all the time. On humanitarian basis, apart from ideological clashes, religion, political disturbances with India, there is no other prism to look upon and react on those appalling issues. But after reading some baseless statements that girls should wear proper clothes. I had a sad gesture on my face and stroked my mind. How clothes of a girl can decide for being raped or not. If clothing literally matters then why females in Kashmir, where majority of girls are covered with veils and yashmaks are still victims.
Post Delhi gang Rape
