Source: kracktivist.wordpress.com
By: Guneet Kaur Ahuja, HNLU
Barely a fortnight has passed since the protests after the Delhi rape case have cooled down. The Verma Committee is out with its report. The trial of the Delhi rape convicts has started in a fast-track court (and in all probability the whole country is praying for death for the rapists, although most would have preferred castration but thank God that option is not there in our laws currently). The country cried for speedier justice for rape victims the whole of Dec-Jan, with the Supreme Court Chief Justice inaugurating the fast track court and saying he feels the pain of the after rape protestors. Soni Sori’s case came before the Supreme Court on January 8 in a bench that included our Hon. Chief Justice Altamas Kabir. While she was to be shifted from Raipur Jail to Jagdalpur Jail, her bail application will only be heard in March because the counsel was too busy before that. There goes our fast-track justice for rape victims. Here is a woman who has accused the police authorities of sexually torturing her but she has been forced to be under those very police authorities for almost about one and a half year now. Noone burns candles for her. She is a tribal woman who doesn’t watch movies in a south Delhi cinema. For Delhi’s protesting middle class, Soni Sori doesn’t exist. For the Media (except for Tehlka), she doesn’t count if the middle class is not interested in her story. It took hours of refreshing the homepages of most of the media houses before I finally got an update on her case on January 8 and that too from senior social activist Himanshu Kumar’s facebook feed. For those who are hearing Soni Sori’s name for the first time can read her story here.[1] While protests were going on from a small section of civil society against the President’s medal that was awarded to the policeman SP Ankit Garg who allegedly raped her and inserted stones inside her vagina, our new president decided to award another policeman from Chhattisgarh with President’s Medal. This policeman IGP Kalluri has been implicated in the rape of Ledha Bai.[2] It seems if you are police officer from Chhattisgrah, then rape is a benchmark for meritorious service. Kalluri is also accused of fake encounters including that of Ledha Bai’s husband and the attacks on Jean Dreze and Swami Agnivesh. He created quite a stir two years back when he called international humanitarian relief organisations like ICRC and Doctors Sans Frontiers naxals in a press statement. That was quite a meritorious service to the state for which he was awarded a President’s medal this republic day. I often wonder what is it that we celebrate on 26th January? The birth of a constitution through which we promised ourselves a sovereign, socialist, secular and democratic republic? Res publica: the realisation of justice, liberty, dignity and equality to citizens. Are we ready to celebrate this Republic?
Fortunately, Justice Verma Committee for the first time has recognized sexual crimes by our armed forces and uniformed men and has asked for their trial under ordinary criminal laws. This fight for woman’s equality and freedom will be very narrow if we don’t stand up today for Soni Sori, Ledha Bai and others like her. International Law obligates states to respect, protect and guarantee human rights. India as a signatory to CEDAW, ICCPR and UDHR has failed in all these three duties when it comes to its indigenous populations. But while the state has failed them, its time we don’t fail them too. Stand Up for Soni Sori and Ledha Bai. Write a letter to the President of India to take back Ankit Garg’s and Kalluri’s medals. Spread the word. Their story deserves to be heard too.
HUMAN RIGHTS ON CAMPUS 