AIDWA letter to National Commission for women against Police lathicharge in Haryana

Women’s organizations have written to the NCW demanding action against the Haryana police who lathi charged a peaceful demonstration in Rohtak on Oct 15th 2012. The rallyists were demanding that justice be done to rape victims in Haryana. The male police wielded batons mercilessly against the women, including young girls, within a short distance of the DC office. Inst ead of assisting the victims of rape to access justice, the police have actually filed cases against Brinda Karat, Jagmati Sangwan, and many other activists who were in the rally! Women’s organizations have severely condemned the illegal assault on women by male police, and are demanding action against those responsible for it. 

With thanks,
Sudha Sundararaman
(General Secretary, AIDWA)

copy of the memorandum

 To
The Chairperson,
National Commission for Women,
New Delhi.

Subject: Demanding enquiry into illegal lathi charge on women’s rally by male police in Rohtak, Haryana, and action against the police and authorities responsible for it.

Dear Ms. Mamta ji,
We wish to bring to your attention the inhuman and barbaric lathi charge that was unleashed against unarmed women by male police in Rohtak, Haryana, on October 15th 2012. 

The rally was being held to demand justice for victims of rape in Haryana. After a mass meeting, the participants were proceeding in a peaceful manner to submit their memorandum containing the demands charter to the Chief Minister. Many leaders of the women’s movement were present in the march, including- Ms. Brinda Karat (ex MP), Ms. Jyotsna Chatterjee (JWP), Ms. Kavita Srivastav, (PUCL) Ms, Shabnam Hashmi  (ANHAD), Ms. Suneeta Dhar( Jagori), Ms. Gargi Chakravarti ( NFIW), Ms. Leila Passah, (YWCA), Ms. Sudha Sundararaman (AIDWA) Ms. Ranjana Kumari, (CSR) Ms. Jagmati Sangwan, (AIDWA), etc. Families of the rape victims were participating in the earnest hope that the Haryana administration would come forward to listen to their plight, provide relief, and ensure that the perpetrators would be severely punished. Young girls and women from the most marginalized sections of society came along to raise their  voice against the spate of rapes, especially against dalits and minors. 

Instead of facilitating this process, so that the victim’s families could get the support of the state, the rally was attacked by the lathi wielding policemen when they tried to approach the DC’s office. The incident has been captured by the media, and has been widely aired by a number of channels. Many women have suffered injuries, 15 women have been hospitalized in Rohtak alone.

We call on the NCW to take note of the illegal action by the Haryana police, and ask the State Govt to take severe action against those policemen who were carrying out the lathicharge and those who authorized them to do so. Violations of such a serious nature by authorities sworn to uphold law and order must not go unpunished.