On the second day of the protest dharna by the national women’s organizations including AIDWA, AIDMAM, CBCA, Himmat, NFIW, All India Insurance Employees Association, BGVS Samata, today, it was highlighted that there was a complete lack of institutionalized provisions for the rehabilitation of rape survivors. As the testimonies of two minor sexual assault survivors from Haryana were heard by hundreds of women and representatives from National Commission for Child Rights at Jantar Mantar, it became clear that rape and sexual violence is only the beginning of trauma. The survivors are forced to undergo various medical and legal procedures while facing social, psychological, financial and physical hardships. The protest meeting noted that not only were the survivors denied justice by the law enforcement machinery but were deprived of any support in the form of decent rehabilitation.
Brinda Karat, leader, CPIM said that almost 40 per cent of the total rape victims in India were minors. She said any civilized society is liable to provide security to the children of its working women. However, the Indian government is cutting down on its policies which have provisions to look after the children of working class mothers like anganwadi. Government must ensure that there was a government supported crèche in all working class areas.
Jagmati Sangwan, vice-president, AIDWA said most of the survivors of rape in Haryana are from extremely poor backgrounds and unfortunately the fight for justice costs not just physical and social hardship but also a lot of money from the first day of the incident.
Anupama Sachdev from All India Insurance Employees Association said that women all over the country are angry at the increasing crime against women. The organization extended its full support to the women’s organizations in their struggle to ensure women’s safety.
Indu Agnihorti, Director, CWDS said that several political and cultural organizations who have been making extremely insensitive statements in the backdrop of the recent gang rape have been trying hard to divert the attention from the real issue by putting the blame of the rape on the victim herself.
Shanta Sinha from National Commission for Protection of Child Rights said under the Protection of Child Against Sexual Offences we have a separate wing where complaints are being invited in the cases where proper justice is not being provided to the victims of sexual offences. The commission tries to oversee that the investigation of any sexual offences against children are done according to the given guidelines.
Ranjana Kumari from Centre of Social Research said that while fighting for women’s safety we have realized that people sitting on high positions in the country have the same patriarchal mindset because of which the crime against women is increasing. The government should be made liable to take the responsibility of the rape survivors and their families.
Shubha intellectual from Haryana: The fight for justice in these cases is going to be very long for the women’s organizations and we have to not just ensure that there was justice ensured to the survivors, but also the social and political leaders including the khap panchayats have to be held accountable for making anti-women highly undemocratic statements. The onus of crime has to be shifted on to the accused.
Cases:
- Place: Garhi Moholla, Rohtak.
Girl’s age: 16 Years old
Accused: Residents of the same area.
Details: In this case, the rape survivor was taken by three of her female relatives and abducted by the accused who took her to a secluded industrial site where she was raped. It appears that the accused tried to settle scores of a family dispute by raping her.
- Place: Gurgaon
Girl’s age: 6 years old
- The girl who belongs to a very poor background was playing outside her house when one of the accused who lives in the neighbourhood offered her a toffee and took her to his room. Here he had invited another accused and both raped the girl. The victim’s father found the child bleeding and contacted the police. In this case, the police played a very negative role and instead of providing the girl with some medical assistance immediately infact prolonged the process.
