People's Democracy

 Outcry Against Atrocities 

On Women In Capital

SEVERAL women’s organisations held a protest demonstration at the police headquarters in Delhi on October 17 against the growing atrocities on women in the capital and the complete failure of the law and order machinery in preventing the present large scale sense of insecurity among women and girls.

The demonstration was held under the aegis of AIDWA, NFIW, CWDS, GOS, JWP, MWF, YWCA, Forces, JAFW, MDS,  AIWC, Jagori, Ankur, Saheli, Nirantar and Sama. The women expressed their anger against growing number of rape cases in the last few weeks in Delhi.

Subhashini Ali, AIDWA president, Sehba Farooqui, general secretary NFIW and representatives of other organisations addressed the women.

Later, a delegation of women leaders met the Delhi Police Commissioner and submitted a memorandum to him. The commissioner assured them that all efforts would be made to ensure security to women and create an atmosphere of safety. To this end the Joint Police Commissioner (who was looking after PC’s work in his absence) said that a monthly meeting would be called with women’s organisations to review the safety situation in Delhi. He also promised that the vulgar songs played in buses will be stopped immediately as they provoked eve teasing.

The CPI(M) Delhi state committee expressed deep shock and concern at the spate of instances of rape in the capital. In a statement it strongly condemned the central government and Delhi police for their criminal callousness and inability to curb the occurrence of such bestial crimes against women. “The routine regrets expressed by the union home minister and police chief in the wake of the rape of a Swiss diplomat sound more like a cruel joke in light of their inability to guarantee women in the capital even a modicum of security against rapists. The seriousness of the situation is underlined by the fact that reported cases of rape represent only a small part of the total number. The totally insensitive attitude of the police towards rape victims is a major reason for a large number of rape cases going unreported”, the Party observed.

It felt that the situation is further worsened by the attitude of sections of the judiciary towards this heinous crime, which is exemplified by the granting of bail by the Delhi High Court on October 15, 2003 to a doctor accused of raping a 13-year-old girl. “Such decisions of the judiciary only embolden these criminals. It is common knowledge that large numbers of rapists go scot free because of loopholes in law and legal procedure”, felt the CPI(M). It demanded the central government and Delhi police to take immediate and effective steps to halt the spiral in cases of rape and other crimes against women in the capital and ensure the strongest possible action against the perpetrators of such inhuman crimes.