People's Democracy

GANG RAPE CASE

Criminals Must Get Most Stringent Punishment: CPI(M)

The Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) issued the following statement on December 29, 2012.

THE Polit Bureau of the CPI(M) expresses its deep sorrow at the tragic death of the brave young woman who had been a victim of brutal gang rape in a moving bus  in the heart of the capital. It extends its heartfelt condolences to her family. It calls upon the government to extend all possible help now and in the future to them. It is even more tragic that had the government and the police done its duty the horrific incident could have been avoided. 

The Polit Bureau of the CPI(M) demands the most stringent punishment  to the accused criminals.

This is not an isolated incident. Sexual assault cases are the fastest increasing crimes in India. It is essential for the government at the centre and in the states to put into place long pending required measures to prevent violence against women which have been demanded by women's organisations and Left parties and which the government has failed to accept and implement. Such measures should include steps to ensure security, easy access to time-bound justice, punishment to officials for non-implementation, referring all pending cases to fast track courts and reformed and stringent laws against sexual assault.

DEATH MUST NOT GO IN

VAIN: MASS ORGANISATIONS

On the same day, the All India Democratic Women’s Association (AIDWA) expressed its deepest condolence on the passing away of the young 23-year old girl who bravely fought the perpetrators of the gang rape in Delhi on December 16, 2012.

The AIDWA statement said in this girl’s death India has lost yet another brave woman who resisted the horrific violence caused by an unequal social order and patriarchal values that our society has come to represent, as is visible from the shameful record of crimes against women. 

The statement said, “In expressing solidarity with her both in her struggle and in her death, we the women and men of India, even as we hang our heads in shame at what has happened, resolve, that her death shall not be allowed to go in vain. This crime will not go unpunished.

“Her struggle, both in life and in death, shall act as a signal to all, that India’s women are determined to say no to gender violence; no to sexual assault and no to the denial of dignity to women citizens of this country.”

The AIDWA further said the widespread resistance and protest that the assault on this brave young citizen of India has signalled should serve as a clarion call of zero tolerance to sexual assault.

Joining the women and people of this country in expressing solidarity with the victim’s family, the AIDWA also pledged to take forward the fight for justice, against all forms of violence and against the inequalities which bolster such attacks on women.

In another statement, the Central Executive Committee of the Students Federation of India (SFI) pointed out that the crime was committed barely 15 km away from the centre of the world’s largest democracy. The SFI CEC also said that in the thirteen days from the perpetration of the crime to the victim girl’s sad demise, “there was an unprecedented reaction from the common people of our country, especially the students, the youth and women, and they spontaneously came out to express the outrage in large numbers demanding women’s safety. Now this popular consciousness has to be translated into concrete movement. At this juncture, we should press for concrete demands like fast track courts for speedy convictions, punishment to police officials for non-fulfilment of duties, gender sensitisation of the police force, establishment of anti-sexual harassment committees in all coeducational institutions and better public transport system.”

While condoling the victim’s demise, the Central Executive Committee of the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) pointed out that “the tragedy has forced India to confront the reality that sexually assaulted women are often blamed for the crime, which forces them to keep quiet and not report it to authorities. Also, the police often refuse to accept complaints from those who are brave enough to report the rapes, and disposal of rape cases are extremely slow as evidenced by records.”

All the units of the DYFI and SFI organised candle light vigil on December 30, mourning the girl’s extremely sad death and protesting against the awful inactiveness of the central government in bringing out positive measures to curb incidents of sexual violence. DYFI units were also to organise a week long campaign against violence on women which is a manifestation of the deep rooted social norms and cultural values of societies. The campaign would also highlight the urgent need to combat the retrograde and anti-women values that are dominant in the society.