Missing the point: What the protesters against the Kathua rape-murder haven’t got it right?

Samvartha ‘Sahil’ | coastaldigest.com
April 16, 2018

The rape of a minor in Kathua in Jammu and Kashmir, followed by her brutal murder has gained the attention of India, even if it is after three months. In these three months the civil (?) societies, the lawyers, the politicians belonging to the right wing in Jammu have without any hesitation come out in public to shield the perpetrators. These facts when brought to light, the liberals of India rightly got enraged as much as they got outraged on hearing about the rape of the minor girl belonging to the Bakarwal community, a nomadic tribe.

While nothing better than supporting perpetrators could be expected from the right wing, my disappointment is with the liberals, though I believe that the protest being registered is a necessary gesture. Here I would just like to list my disappointments…

Firstly, the case of Kathua and Unnao, though barbaric and unacceptable, are being mentioned in one breath as if they are similar. No, they aren't, even when both of them are inhumane. The question how will be answered through my elaboration of the other disappointments.

The case of Kathua temple rape is not being communalized and politicized by the ones underlining the religious and political identity of the girl. The rape happened because of her religious and political identity. So if anyone brought religion and politics into this, it is not those who are highlighting the identity markers but those who perpetrated violence. The cry of some liberals requesting to not make the incident “about religion and politics,” marks their ignorance of the details in this case.

The issue of Kathua cannot be seen in isolation, distancing it from the history of rape used as a weapon by the Indian state in Kashmir and on Kahsmiri people. Had the girl been raped for being a girl alone, we could have spoken only about humanity and patriarchy. But since she was raped for being a Muslim and a Kahsmiri, let’s talk primarily about the state of minorities and the way Indian state has conducted itself in Kahsmir, especially with relation to women.

Amidst all this, I fail to understand the tweets of people like Javed Akhtar who wants to remind people of the ways in which Bakarwal people showed their loyalty to India and asking us to be in solidarity with the victim. The question to be asked is, what if Bakarwal people were anti-Army? In that case would Javed sahab be okay with the rape? Or does he want us to be okay with rape?

The issue of Kathua rape and murder, for many liberals, has become a scoring point against the Bharateeya Janatha Party. I have no doubts about the BJP being a disgrace to democracy, which one needs to get rid of. But I find it morally disturbing when the issue of Kathua rape is being used to churn anti-BJP public opinion alone. If at all the Kathua incident has troubled the Indian liberals then it should enable them to see the connection between the Kashmir dispute and the rape and murder of Kathua. To see it as a symbol of the maliciousness of BJP alone is to not understand the context of the Kathua rape and murder. Restricting the discussion to the role of BJP alone is parking the vehicle mid-way and aborting the truth before one has arrived at it completely. More importantly it will be dilution of the matter. The interconnectedness between occupation of Kashmir and the Kathua incident exists beneath the surface and one more round of scratching is enough to reach there. Very hesitantly I make this statement: If intelligence is a slave to convenience, then it is not just a moral corruption but also a sign of opportunism.

The liberal discourse around Kathua has been reeking of poverty of understanding, knowledge, sensitivity and imagination too. In extreme conditions of history, such as this, to be a liberal centrist is to let down the victims and let violence continue on the socially, politically vulnerables.

If the Indian liberals are actually horrified, as they claim to be, then the question is if the Indian liberals will at least now acknowledge Kunan Poshpora and innumerable such rapes in Kashmir (Handwara, Shopian, Islamabad, Trehgam, Doda etc) orchestrated and conducted by the Indian army? Will they stop seeing the Kathua incident out of context? If not then the liberals need to reimagine their politics.

 

[Samvartha ‘Sahil’ is a freelance writer based out of Manipal, Karnataka. An alumnus of Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi and the Film and Television Institute of India, Pune he has earlier worked as an academician at Manipal University and as a journalist with The Hindu. He is a columnist with The State now and earlier with Karavali Karnataka and Kannada Prabha. His book on the travel experiences in Jammu and Kashmir during the 2016 uprising is about to be published by the Karnataka Sahitya Akademi.]

Comments

Danish
 - 
Monday, 16 Apr 2018

Still, the protests are not in organised form and failed to meet its goal. Diverts from the actual goal.. It became just to vandalise properties in many states

Unknown
 - 
Monday, 16 Apr 2018

Along with protests, there is some moves to defame entire india with some photoshoped images.. People already started to send those with some fake msgs like BBC carried etc. Because of Modi and almost all perveted minds of BJP shaming entire country.

justiceforasifa
 - 
Monday, 16 Apr 2018

ಆಶಿಫಾಳ್ ಸಾವಿನ ಸುತ್ತ ನೂರೆಂಟು ಸಂಶಯದ ಹುತ್ತ

 

ನಮ್ಮ ದೇಶದ ಕಾನೂನಿನ ಪ್ರಕಾರ ಅತ್ಯಾಚಾರಕ್ಕೊಳಗಾದ ಹೆಣ್ಣಿನ ಹೆಸರು ಐಡೆಂಟಿಟಿ ಬಹಿರಂಗಗೊಳಿಸುವುದು ಕಾನೂನುಬಾಹಿರ. ಆದರೆ ಹೆಣ್ಣಿನ ಧರ್ಮ/ಜಾತಿ ಬಹಿರಂಗಗೊಳಿಸುವುದು ಕಡ್ಡಾಯ!! ಶಭಾಶ್. ಯಾಕಂದ್ರೆ ಇಲ್ಲಿ ಅತ್ಯಾಚಾರಕ್ಕೊಳಗಾದ ವ್ಯಕ್ತಿ ಮುಖ್ಯವೇ ಅಲ್ಲ. ಅವರ ಜಾತಿ ಧರ್ಮವೇ ಮುಖ್ಯ. ಅದೇ ತಾನೆ ರಾಜಕೀಯ ಲಾಭ ನಷ್ಟಗಳಿಗೆ ಮೂಲ!?

ಅತ್ಯಾಚಾರ ಆರೋಪ ಎದುರಿಸುತ್ತಿರುವ ಆರೋಪಿಯ ಪರ ಸಾವಿರಾರು ವಕೀಲರು ರಸ್ತೆಗಿಳಿದು ಹೋರಾಟ ಮಾಡುತ್ತಿದ್ದಾರೆಂದರೆ ಈ ಪ್ರಕರಣದಲ್ಲಿ ಸಾಕಷ್ಟು ಗೊಂದಲಗಳಿವೆ ಮತ್ತು ಸುಳ್ಳಾರೋಪ ಕೋಡಾ ಇರ್ಬಹುದು.

ಮೊನ್ನೆಯಿಂದ ನಾನು ನೋಡುತ್ತಿದ್ದೇನೆ ಕೆಲವು ಸಾಮಾಜಿಕ ಜಾಲತಾಣಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಈ ಅತ್ಯಾಚಾರದ ಪ್ರಕರಣಕ್ಕೆ ಧಾರ್ಮಿಕ ಲೇಪನ ಅಂಟಿಸುತ್ತಿದ್ದಾರೆ ತೊಂದರೆ ಇಲ್ಲ ಮತ್ತು ಇದೆನ್ನು ಹೊಸದೇನಲ್ಲ

 

೧ ) ಆಶಿಫಾಳ್ ಅತ್ಯಾಚಾರ ಯಾವ ದೇವಸ್ಥಾನದಲ್ಲಿ ನಡೆದಿತ್ತು ಆ ದೇವಸ್ಥಾನದ ಹೆಸ್ರಯಾಕೆ ಬಹಿರಂಗ ಪಡಿಸುತ್ತಿಲ್ಲ

 

೨ ) ( ಆಶಿಫಾಳ್ ತಂದೆಯ ಹೇಳಿಕೆ ) ಒಂದು ವಾದವರೆಗೆ ಆಶಿಫಾಳನ್ನು ಎಲ್ಲಾ ಕಡೆಗೇ ಹುಡುಕಿದೀವಿ ಎಲ್ಲಿಯೂ ಸಿಗಲಿಲ್ಲ ಕೊನೆಗೆ ದೇವಸ್ಥಾನದಲ್ಲಿ ಮೃತಪಟ್ಟು ಶವಯಾಗಿ ಸಿಕ್ಳು. ಹಾಗಾದ್ರೆ ಒಂದು ವಾರದವರೆಗೆ ದೇವಸ್ಥಾನಕ್ಕೆ ಯಾರು ಬರಬಾರದಂತ ಸರ್ಕಾರ ರಜೆ ಕೊಟ್ಟೀತ್ತಾ ?

 

೩ ) ಇನ್ನು ಕೆಲವರ ಹೇಳಿಕೆಯ ಪ್ರಕಾರ ಅತ್ಯಾಚಾರಿ ಅತ್ಯಾಚಾರ ಮಾಡುವಾಗ ಜೈ ಶ್ರೀ ರಾಮ ಅಂತ ಘೋಷಣೆ ಕೂಗುತ್ತಿದ್ದಂತೆ ಛೇ ಎಷ್ಟ ಮಸ್ಕಾರಿ ಮಾಡ್ತಾರಲ್ವಾ ನಾಯಿಗಳು

ಅವ್ನು ಜೈ ಶ್ರೀ ರಾಮ ಘೋಷಣೆ ಕೂಗಿ ಅತ್ಯಾಚಾರ ಮಾಡುವುದನ್ನು ಯಾರು ಕೇಳಿಸಿಕೊಂಡಿದ್ದು ಅವ್ನನ್ಯಾಕ್ಕೆ ಆ ಬಾಲಕಿಯನ್ನು ರಾಕ್ಷಸರ ಕೈಯಿಂದ ಕಾಪಾಡಲಿಲ್ಲ ?

ಅಥವಾ ಅತ್ಯಾಚಾರ ನಡೆಯುವ ದೃಶ್ಯವನ್ನು ಮೊಬೈಲ್ನಲ್ಲಿ ಸೆರೆ ಹಿಡಿಯುತ್ತಿದ್ದ ?

 

೪ ) ಜಮ್ಮು ಕಾಶ್ಮೀರದಲ್ಲಿ ಪರ್ಸೆಂಟಕ್ಕಿಂತ ಹೆಚ್ಚು ಮುಸ್ಲಿಮರು ಇದ್ದಾರೆ ನೋಟ್ this point ಅಲ್ಲಿ ಹಿಂದೂಗಳಿಗೆ ರಕ್ಷಣೆ ಇಲ್ವೇ ಇಲ್ಲ ಈ ಹಿಂದೆ ಸಾಕಷ್ಟು ಭಾರೀ ದೇವಸ್ಥಾನಗಳು ದ್ವಂಸ ಗೊಂಡಿವೆ ಮತ್ತು ದೇವಸ್ಥಾನಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಮಾಂಸ ಎಸೆದು ಹಿಂದೂಗಳ ಭಾವನೆಗೆ ಧಕ್ಕೆ ತರುವ ಪ್ರಯತ್ನ ಕೋಡಾ ಆಗಿದೆ ಇದೇ ಕಾರಣಕ್ಕೆ ಅಪರಾಧಿಗಳನ್ನು ಹಿಡಿಯಲು ಎಲ್ಲಾ ದೇವಸ್ಥಾನಗಳಲ್ಲಿ  ಸಿ ಸಿ ಟಿ ವಿ ಕ್ಯಾಮೆರಾ ಅಳವಡಿಸುವುದು ಕಡ್ಡಾಯಗೊಳಿದ್ದಾರೆ

 

೫ ) ಅತ್ಯಾಚಾರಕ್ಕೇ ಒಳಗಾದ ಬಾಲಕಿಯ ಹೆಸ್ರು ಧರ್ಮ ಅತ್ಯಾಚಾರ ಗೈದ ಆರೋಪಿಯ ಹೆಸ್ರು ಧರ್ಮ ಅತ್ಯಾಚಾರ ನಡೆದ ಸ್ಥಳದ ಬಗ್ಗೆ ಬಹಿರಂಗ ಪಡಿಸಿದ್ದೀರಿ ಅಂದ್ಮೇಲೆ ಸಿ ಸಿ ಟೀ ವಿ ಪೋಟ್ಯಾಜ್ ಯಾಕೇ ಬಹಿರಂಗ ಪಡಿಸುತ್ತಿಲ್ಲ

ಅತ್ಯಾಚಾರ ಅಲ್ಲೇ ನಡೆದಿದೆಯೋ ಅದೇ ವ್ಯಕ್ತಿಗಳು ಅತ್ಯಾಚಾರ ಗೈದಿದ್ದಾರೆ ಅನ್ನುವುದಕ್ಕೆ ಸಿ ಸಿ ಟಿ ವಿ ಫೂಟ್ಯಾಜ್ ನಲ್ಲಿ ಇದ್ದೆ ಇರುತ್ತದೆ ಇದನ್ನು ಕೋಡಾ ಬಹಿರಂಗ ಪಡಿಸಿ ನೋಡೋಣ ಸತ್ಯ ಸತ್ಯತೇ ಗೊತ್ತಾಗುತ್ತದೆ

 

ಹೇಳುವುದಕ್ಕೇ ಇನ್ನು ಸಾಕಷ್ಟು ದೋಷಗಳಿವೆ ಚರ್ಚೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ನೋಡೋಣ

ಚಾರ್ಜಸಿಟ್ನಲ್ಲಿ ಸುಳ್ಳಾರೋಪ ಕೋಡಾ ಬರೆಯಬಹುದು

ಈ ಹಿಂದೆಯೂ ಸಾಕಷ್ಟು ಪ್ರಕರಣಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಬರೆದಿದ್ದಾರೆ

Anjana Sagar
 - 
Monday, 16 Apr 2018

Those who think that Kathua gang-rape and murder case is unnecessarily being communalized and blown out of the proportion for political reasons should understand following points:

 

1)When the mutilated dead body of the girl was found and the culprits were identified, the innocent parents of the victim did not give the case a communal tinge. Not a single Muslim organization in India tried to drag a community or religion into this case.

 

2)The preliminary investigation sent shockwaves across the world. The culprits reveled that they resorted to such a heinous crime just to threaten the community of the victim and drive them away from village. One of the rapists also revealed that he felt bad to rape a small girl but it was necessary for their “cause”!

 

3)After the arrest of the accused, Hindu Ekta Manch staged a protest demanding the release of the accused. They also demanded that the case should be handed over to the CBI which is fully under the control of union BJP government. Two of the prominent speakers at the protest said that the accused should be released because they are Hindus and victims is a nomadic Muslim. Two BJP ministers also took part in the protest and defended the accused.

 

4)When the two ministers who defended the rapists were forced to tender their resignation, the BJP said that they did not commit anything wrong!

 

5)When Deepika Singh Rajawat, a woman lawyer took up the case, she was threatened by the so called Hindutva groups. The president of the Jammu High Court Bar Association abused her and asked her to stay away from the case.

 

6)In spite of all these facts, the parents of the victim did see it as a communal case. In fact they don’t even know that communal hatred can instigate people to commit such heinous crime. When people started asking how can those Hindutva groups justify a rape saying that victim was a Muslim and culprits were Hindus, BJP leaders started accusing Opposition of communalizing the case! Who communalized the case: The self-proclaimed Hindutva groups or the family and supporters of the victim?

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News Network
November 12,2024

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The Palestinian Hamas resistance movement says its fighters have killed at least 20 Israeli soldiers in northern parts of the besieged Gaza Strip in just two days, in retaliation for the occupying regime’s genocidal war on the Palestinian territory.

In a statement on Monday evening, Hamas said that fighters of its military wing, al-Qassam Brigades, “killed at least five occupation soldiers” in northern parts of the coastal territory earlier in the day.

It added that Hamas fighters also killed 15 Israeli soldiers in the war-ravaged region on Sunday.

The resistance movement’s “qualitative operation … confirms once again the failure of the criminal Zionist entity to suppress and eradicate the Palestinian resistance, which continues to direct qualitative strikes against its terrorist soldiers,” Hamas further said on its Telegram channel.

Palestinians have increased their resistance operations in the face of intensified Israeli aggression in northern Gaza that has claimed the lives of more than 1,000 over the past weeks.

“Our valiant resistance is waging a war of attrition with the criminal enemy, inflicting daily losses on its soldiers and vehicles, and all of [Israeli prime minister Benjamin] Netanyahu’s bets and dreams of achieving any of his goals are failing,” the Gaza-based resistance movement added.

Hamas also vowed that Israel’s ongoing crimes and aggression against Gaza would be met with increased resistance and painful strikes, which will continue until the aggression against Palestinians ends and the regime fully withdraws from the blockaded territory.

As the war in Gaza enters its 14th month, the Health Ministry reports that Israeli attacks have killed at least 43,603 Palestinians and wounded 102,929 others.

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News Network
November 11,2024

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Mangaluru: In a deeply tragic turn of events, a 28-year-old woman named Ranjitha, who had recently given birth but tragically lost her newborn, ended her life by suicide on Monday. She reportedly leapt from the fourth-floor window of Lady Goschen Hospital’s luggage room.

Ranjitha, whose strength and resilience had carried her through a difficult pregnancy, was scheduled for discharge on Monday. Her journey to Lady Goschen Hospital began on October 24, when she was transferred from Karkala. She was a high-risk patient, battling both hypertension and diabetes. At the time of her admission, she was just 27 weeks pregnant.

Due to the complexities of her health, doctors made the difficult decision to perform an emergency C-section on October 30. She delivered a baby girl, premature and weighing only 960 grams. The newborn was immediately moved to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, where doctors did all they could. Despite these efforts, the baby passed away on November 3.

Ranjitha’s sorrow was profound. She stayed under hospital care even after her initial recovery and was preparing to go home on November 9. She had even requested a couple more days at the hospital, seeking time perhaps to cope with her unimaginable grief.

On the day of her discharge, a discharge card ready and her family eagerly waiting to take her home, Ranjitha reportedly made her way to the luggage room in the early hours. There, standing on a cot placed for patients' family members, she climbed to a window and fell from the fourth floor. Despite the attempts of another visitor to intervene, tragedy was inevitable. She was rushed to Government Wenlock Hospital, where doctors confirmed the worst—she was no more.

Dr. Durgaparasad M R, the Medical Superintendent at Lady Goschen Hospital, shared his grief and spoke of the ongoing investigation. A post-mortem is to be conducted, and the local Tahsildar will complete the necessary inquest procedures. Ranjitha’s exact reasons for taking this step are yet to be confirmed, though the weight of her recent losses paints a sorrowful picture.

If you or anyone you know is struggling emotionally, please remember that help is available. Reach out to mental health experts who can provide support and guidance. The toll-free helpline number 9152987821 is available to assist anyone in distress.

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News Network
November 12,2024

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Mysuru, Nov 12: Zameer Ahmad Khan, the Tourism and Waqf minister of Karnataka, who stirred a controversy by addressing the Union Minister HD Kumaraswamy as ‘Kaala Kumaraswamy’ has tendered apologies for his remarks.

Speaking to reporters in Mysuru on Tuesday, Minister Zameer stated that he will apologise if remarks have hurt JD-S workers.

“We both are very close. Then, in a total of 24 hours, we were together for 14 hours. He used to fondly address me as “kulla” (shorty) and I used to address him as “kariyanna” (blacky, kaalia),” Minister Zameer stated.

“I am not addressing him as ‘kaalia’ for the first time. I have not said something highly derogatory. It is being made as big in the backdrop of elections. With love, he used to call me a shorty and I called him a blacky. If I had caused pain to anyone by my words I apologise,” he said.

He further stated: “Kumaraswamy had said that he didn’t want the votes of the Muslim community. But now they are attempting to purchase Muslim votes. Against this backdrop, I have made the remark.”

Minister for Home G. Parameshwara stated on Tuesday, “Minister Zameer and Kumaraswamy are close friends. Their comments against each other are not significant.”

Zameer Ahmad Khan, the Tourism and Waqf minister of Karnataka stirred a controversy on Monday as he addressed the Union Minister as ‘Kaala Kumaraswamy’.

JD-S on Tuesday demanded a public apology and resignation of Minister for Waqf and Tourism Zameer Ahmad Khan over his ‘racist’ remarks.

“Remember, there is no place here for your divisive policies. You have insulted the people by making ethnic, racist and discriminatory statements. You should apologize to the people of the state and resign,” the JD (S) demanded in the post.

Union Parliamentary Affairs and Minister for Minority Affairs Kiren Rijiju reacted sternly to the racist jibe and stated, “I strongly deplore Congress Minister Zameer Ahmed calling Union Minister and former Chief Minister of Karnataka Kumaraswamy as 'Kaalia Kumaraswamy'.

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