The All India Democratic Women’s Association (AIDWA) condemns the recent attacks on the editor of the Kashmir Times, AnuradhaBhasin, in Jammu who has been outspoken in her criticism of the Government of India’s attacks on the rights of the people of J&K inflicted on Aug 5, 2019. Not only did she speak up against these but she also went to the Supreme Court in August itself against the complete ban on communication imposed by the Government. In the last 3 weeks, she has been forcibly evicted from her Government allotted residence and her newspaper office has been locked. She has announced that she will continue to speak the truth.
In another shocking incident, Advocate DeepikaRajawat who had bravely fought the case against those accused of raping, torturing and killing the 8 year old Bakarwal child by a temple priest and others affiliated to the SanghParivar, had to face a mob, baying for her blood because she had forwarded a cartoon depicting the hypocrisy of those who molested women for most of the year and then ‘worshipped’ them during Navratri. Although the mob was finally dispersed, an FIR has been registered against her for ‘hurting Hindu sentiments’ on a day that she herself was observing the Navratra fast.
AIDWA stands with both these brave women who refused to be cowed down by intimidation and cowardly threats. AdvDeepikahad addressed the huge demonstration of thousands of women organisedin Delhi in 2018 and Anuradha has delivered a lecture on the situation in Kashmir on the UP AIDWA Facebook Page. AIDWA expresses solidarity with them and demands that the Government ensure their safety and also delivers justice.
