Anisha Sheth | The News Minute | May 31, 2014 | 1.48 pm IST
The gang-rape and subsequent hanging of two Dalit minor girls is not a just a sexual offence. Indian society, legislators, police and the media have a lot to answer for.
The two Dalit cousins aged 14 and 15 went missing on the night of May 27 when they went to relieve themselves. They were found the next day hanging from a mango tree. Villagers reportedly refused to take the bodies down for hours in protest of alleged police inaction. One of the girls’ mothers was assaulted to intimidate her.
The family of the two girls has alleged that even though they asked the police to begin a search for the missing girls after their uncle raised an alarm on May 27, the police refused to do so. According to the family, the police officials’ inaction was due to the fact that the accused belonged to the same caste as the officer concerned. This officer and two others have since been suspended.
As has often been pointed out, violence against women occurs every day. So why is this particular case so important? The answer perhaps, lies in the questions that have not been asked by Indian society as a whole.
Legislators
The latest to join the list of political leaders who have made insensitive comments about women is the Chief Minister of the state where this incident occurred. After the incident occurred, Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh Akhilesh Yadav said that justice would be ensured. Read The News Minute report here.
However, during a press conference on Friday, to questions from a woman reporter about the rising crimes against women, he snapped back at her saying: "Have you faced any problem? You are safe, why are you bothered? No other state has the kind of police control room we have here. If there is any incident, we will take action.” How do we respond to a statement like this?
This is how the police respond
On the same day, Uttar Pradesh Director-General of Police Ashish Gupta denied that there was a sudden spurt in the case of rape.
"According to National Crime Record Bureau, UP is at the 22nd place as far as crime is concerned. Here, 10 rapes are reported everyday on an average, of which 60-65 per cent took place when women went to attend nature's call in the open," inspector general of police (STF) Ashish Gupta told reporters in Lucknow.
This is from the state’s police chief. The jurisdictional officers in the case have been accused of complicity in the crime by siding with the accused because they all belonged to the same caste. If these allegations are true, does it mean that India’s Dalits are second-class citizens?
Was the media too graphic?
Some newspapers showed the photos of a crime that would have been horrific even if it weren’t for the manner in which the girls were later found. Was it necessary to publish the photos of the girls? The use of graphic images accompanying reports of sexual violence needs to be debated not just because in this instance, the girls' identities could have been revealed in contravention of Indian law.
According to a report by Neha Dixit published by India Ink, a New York Times blog, says that the recent rape and kidnapping of a Dalit girl and three of her friends from a Haryana village (and who were later found in Bhatinda, Punjab) was not just rape, but a demonstration of caste power over a land dispute. With allegations of complicity against the police, has this angle in the instant case been properly explored? Read the full report here .
The streets of Delhi are empty
The outrage that erupted onto Delhi’s streets after a physio-therapy student was gang-raped and brutalized in Delhi, is conspicuously absent. Judging by “shock-value”, perhaps the two cases come close. But we need to ask ourselves why, if the two cases are horrific enough, did they not get the same response. Was it because these two girls come from a rural area of UP, because of caste, or because of class?