MAKING a mockery of the BJP slogan of ‘Beti Bachao’ (save our daughters), the last few months have seen an exponential and very disturbing increase in incidents of horrific violence against women and children. Many of the cases include rape and murder of the victims. India is now witnessing more than 86 cases of rape in a day and at least 49 cases of crimes against women every hour. Most of these incidents have been taking place in BJP-ruled states like Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Bihar. TMC-ruled West Bengal has also witnessed horrific crimes against women and minors. An MP in Karnataka who belongs to a powerful political party which is part of the NDA and who was defeated in the last Lok Sabha election was guilty of the rape and sexual abuse of hundreds of women which he filmed and saved on his mobile phone. Many of his victims belonged to his own party.
Protests against these incidents have been organised in a few places but, unfortunately, they have not had much effect. The ongoing protest by doctors in government hospitals in West Bengal which has been supported by huge, unprecedented outpourings of anger and disgust of hundreds of thousands of men and women in both urban and rural areas is a significant exception. What we are seeing in West Bengal is a protest transforming into a peoples’ movement which has not only exposed the government and its role in shielding and abetting criminals but has also tried to ensure that roadblocks on the path to justice are removed. There are important lessons to be learned by our comrades in other states.
There are many aspects that are common to cases across states. In most of the cases, the police have been found either wanting or downright obstructive as far as the survivor’s or family members’ fight for justice is concerned. In case after case it is reported that the police refused to even listen to the complaints of harassment and even of rape. This often led to the emboldened perpetrators committing violence, rape and even murder.
Another common feature is the protection given to the accused by the state government when he or they are seen to be supporters of the ruling dispensation. This has been a regular feature in BJP-ruled states. In Uttar Pradesh, a BJP MLA accused of the rape of a minor was only arrested, tried and punished after the High Court and then the Supreme Court intervened. More recently, 3 BJP media cell leaders who were arrested for the gang-rape of a BHU student only after massive student protests were released on bail after a few months while the students leading the protest were suspended and face rustication. The shameful role of both the Gujarat government and the central government in not only granting repeated parole to those convicted of gang-rape and murder in the infamous Bilkis Bano case but also in remitting their sentences and releasing them is only too well known. The Haryana BJP government has been regularly granting parole to Baba Ram Rahim who has been convicted of both rape and murder so that he can campaign for the BJP in various elections.
The media that plays an important role in bringing many of these cases to light, is also guilty of sensationalism, sexist and humiliating language and also of showing the victim or survivor as somehow being responsible for the violence endured. This last is often achieved by the reporting of comments and statements made by various people in public life, including elected representatives and representatives of the government and members of the police and administration.
To combat this growing violence against women and children, the CPI(M) Central Committee meeting held in September gave a call to all Party committees to organise campaigns on this issue. This campaign must not only focus on the incidents of atrocity but also raise important demands like punishment of police and administrative personnel responsible for dereliction of duty and acts of omission and commission. If the state government is seen to be protecting the accused, this must be exposed and a strict watch should be kept on media reporting of such cases. All democratic organisations must provide support and legal help to the survivors and victims and try to ensure that justice is done.
(October 16, 2024)
