An AIDWA delegation led by its General Secretary Jagmati Sangwan visited Landeke village in Moga district of Punjab on 2 May 2015. They met the family of the 13 year old Dalit girl who died tragically after being molested and thrown of a bus, sharing their grief and expressing support to them. They met her father Sukhdev Singh and her aunt Kirandeep, along with others. “Where should we hide our daughters?” asked Kirandeep tearfully, adding that the incident happened even though she was accompanied by her mother and several other co-travellers in the bus. Yet, they had lost their daughter. The delegation also met many neighbours and friends of the family, who sharply criticized the arrogance displayed by the staff of Orbit Aviation, the bus company involved in the incident and associated with the Punjab Chief Minister Prakash Singh Badal and his family.
Earlier, Jagmati Sangwan also addressed the Dharna that is continuing outside the hospital where the badly injured mother Chhinder Kaur, the mother of the brave heart who died, is undergoing treatment. The body of the 13 year old has not been taken for cremation by the protesting family. Chhinder Kaur narrated that there was no CCTV camera in the bus, there were curtains all around and both the conductor and driver spoke utterly filthy language.
Under the circumstances, the All India Democratic Women’s Association demands:
1. Immediate FIRs to be lodged against the owners and management of Orbit Aviation
2. A minimum of Rs 1 crore compensation to be paid to the family of the deceased 13 year old
3. Proper medical treatment, and ensuring safety and security of the mother Chhinder Kaur by the Punjab government
4. Strict norms to ensure the security of women to be put in place for private transport operators immediately and immediate penal action to be taken against those who fail to ensure safety and security of women in their vehicles.
