The death of a 19-year-old Dalit girl at a Delhi hospital on Tuesday after she was allegedly gang-raped and brutalised in Western Uttar Pradesh’s Hathras has triggered national outrage and political slugfest. While the police which have arrested all four suspects said sexual assault was yet to be established, the victim’s family members sat on a dharna, saying the body was forcibly taken away from them.
On India Today TV Consulting Editor Rajdeep Sardesai’s show News Today at 9, on Tuesday night, Dr. Vikram Singh, former UP DGP; Shalini Singh, Director, Programs & Innovations, Creative Resources for Empowerment in Action (CREA); Prof. Vimal Thorat, National Convenor, All India Dalit Mahila Adhikar Manch; Anila Singh, spokesperson, UP BJP; Asha Devi, Nirbhaya’s mother; and Shama Mohamed, Congress spokesperson, tackled the crucial question: have we not learnt any lessons from the 2012 Nirbhaya case in Delhi?
Asha Devi said she was hearing and seeing everything but had no words to react to what’s happened. “I have gone through this. Nothing has changed in these eight years. The police are trying to cover up the case. They must be investigated. People were not bothered till the girl died. Governments change but the reality doesn’t. Tomorrow, this will happen to someone else’s daughter.”
Earlier, the inconsolable Hathras victim’s mother told India Today how she had discovered the body. “Her tongue had been chopped off. Blood was oozing out of her mouth,” she said.
Reacting to that, Asha Devi said, “I want to assure you that you’re not alone. We’ll stand with you. Don’t cover your face. The killers and their families should.”
Shalini Singh highlighted the poor conviction rate in such cases. “Women are now coming forward to report despite difficulties. But the problem is, the perpetrators think they can get away.”
When asked if the old caste system still operates and if Dalits find it more difficult to report cases, Prof. Vimal Thorat cited a large number of rapes, assaults and kidnappings of Dalits in UP between 2014 and 2018. She, however, said such cases were also being reported from states like Madhya Pradesh and Bihar. “It’s a picture of the whole country,” Vimal Thorat said.
UP BJP spokesperson Anila Singh said she didn’t agree with the accusations against the Yogi Adityanath government as the Chief Minister’s stand was very clear on such issues. “He is committed to reducing crime against women.”
Congress spokesperson Shama Mohamed said that as a mother, she was shocked. “The police must admit it was a brutal rape and murder. Listing recent cases, she said had Yogi Adityanath been serious, he would have taken action. “Cops took eight days to lodge the FIR. I want to ask why PM Narendra Modi is silent.”
Reacting to the charges, Anila Singh said she could also mention crime cases in states like Maharashtra and Rajasthan. She, however, said, “The show is being watched and the message will be conveyed to the government.”
Former UP DGP Dr. Vikram Singh admitted that it’s more difficult for Dalits to report cases. “The police are caught in caste system. That leads to partisan attitude. Cops often don’t register cases.”
What’s the way forward? “The caste system must end. Women must get security,” said Vimal Thorat.