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.

AIDWA protest against atrocities against women in Haryana

Thousands of women, led by senior leaders of AIDWA including CPI (M) Polit Bureau member Brinda Karat, staged a protest march at Rohtak in Haryana on Monday against the failure of the State government to halt the continuing violence and rape of Dalit women and minors and also the reckless statements made by senior political leaders on issues related to women.

Taking serious exception to the unconstitutional solution by Khap panchayats to deal with rapes, the activists said silence of the government on Khap panchayats was a matter of serious concern. The panchayats had said lowering of the marriage age could help in containing rapes.

Families of victims, students and rural women from various districts gathered at the HUDA Complex where there was a public meeting. They then took out the march to meet District Collector. A statement on behalf of the organisations said they were not allowed to meet the Collector and police lathi-charged the protesters causing injuries to various protestors.

At the public meeting, Ms. Karat condemned the Hooda government for failing to first provide security to women and the police and administration for refusing to lodge FIRs or arrest the accused.

Slams Khaps

“She also took on the Khaps and INLD leader Om Prakash Chautala and wondered how they could even have suggested a solution of decreasing the age of marriage, which is against the law. Is legitimising rape within marriage a solution she asked? She also said that education and freedom from fear was the right of every girl and we all demand that women’s rights are not curtailed any more,” the statement said.

Sudha Sundararaman of AIDWA pledged that till justice was delivered to the victims and safety ensured for women they would not give up the struggle. Jagmati Sangwan, vice president of AIDWA, who has been spearheading the struggle in the State, placed a resolution against violence on women and it was passed unanimously.

The police registered a case under sections 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty), 332, 333 (voluntarily causing grievous hurt to deter public servant from his duty), 186 (obstructing public servant in discharge of public functions), 283 (danger or obstruction in public way or line of navigation), 427 (mischief), 148 (rioting, armed with deadly weapon), 149 (unlawful assembly) against protests . The police FIR named 12 persons including Karat, AIDWA activists Jagmati Sangwan, Iti Chaudhary, Dimpal, Shahnawaj, Prem Rani and male activists Satvir Singh, Ramesh Laura, Inderjit Singh, Preet Singh, Naresh and Ramniwas as accused besides a number of unidentified accused.