AIDWA welcomes the verdict of the Supreme Court in the Suryanelli case.

AIDWA welcomes the verdict of the Supreme Court in the Suryanelli case. The Kerala State unit of AIDWA has been involved with the case from the very beginning. Unfortunately, the UDF Govt. behaved in a rather partisan manner which was responsible for the fact that of the 40 accused, only one was sentenced. When the case came before the Supreme Court, the State unit of AIDWA got itself impleaded and its lawyers, VK Biju and V Giri, were responsible for bringing the case, that had been languishing for 8 years, to the attention of the CJI, who has ordered a speedy hearing of the SLP by the special bench constituted in the aftermath of the Delhi gang-rape case.

This horrendous incident of gang rape over 42 days of a young girl occurred 17 years ago, in 1995. She was duped and sold by a friend, and was then taken to several places in Kerala and Tamil Nadu where she was repeatedly abused. The UDF Govt. of the day did not prosecute the case seriously, perhaps because a prominent Congress leader was one of those named by the victim. When the LDF Govt. assumed power in 1996, it constituted a special court, the first of its kind, to try the case. In 2000, this trial court sentenced 34 of the accused to punishment ranging from 4 to 13 years in detention. However, the UDF came to power after this and the High Court not only acquitted all but one of them, but also passed very objectionable comments about the victim and insisted that she had participated in consensual sex because she was 3 months over the age of 16. Now, finally, the special bench to which the SC had referred the case has found the grounds on which HC acquitted the accused shocking. The bail of the accused has been cancelled and the case has been referred back to the High Court for fresh hearing within 6 months. 

The LDF Govt. had given the victim a Govt. job but she and her family were continuously harassed because they filed an appeal in the Supreme Court. She was suspended from her job by the UDF Govt. in a vindictive act and re-instated only when the AIDWA unit and others raised a hue and cry. For 17 years, she and her family have been living a life of isolation and humiliation.

The Kerala State President of AIDWA, TN Seema, MP, visited Suryanelli after the SC decision and met the victim and her family, who expressed their appreciation of AIDWA’s efforts. They were assured that AIDWA would fight the case till justice was done and until the big fish among the accused, like Congress leader PJ Kurien, are convicted.

CPIM West Bengal State Committee appeals for a Bigger Struggles

CPI(M) calls for organizing a bigger struggle consolidating people against incessant attacks on democratic rights by the ruling party and the state government. Party State Committee after the two day meeting has given the call. In a statement issued to the press the party state committee stated that the radical difference has to be drawn from the present Trinamool government by mentioning important contributions and successes of the Left Front government. To establish the consolidation of working class and poor people a relentless campaign against communal and separatist forces has to be launched.

The two day state committee meeting ended with an above note of future programme. Party Polit Bureau member Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee presided over the meeting. The meeting widely discussed about the preparation of imminent panchayat election, intensifying political organizational impulsion and mass organizations etc.

Party State Committee while supporting the call of All India General Strike by all trade unions employee federations on 20th and 21st February has also appealed to the people of the state to extend their support to the two day strike. The meeting stated that strike calls for betterment of the lives of working people. Various peasant organizations also supported the strike. The state committee has also appealed to the caller trade unions and organizations to broaden some sectors and aspects of lives beyond the strike particularly on 21st Februrary to celebrate the International Mother Language Day. The day has traditionally been observed in West Bengal with a special dignity.

The CPI(M) has decided to organize rallies campaigning the burning problems of the lives of common people in all corners of the country. The problems include price rise and food security issue, all pervasive corruption issue etc. The state has decided to organize such a rally marking the above protests on coming 25th February. A rally would enter the state on 25th February which is so far scheduled to meet Kolkata on 1st March. The rally will reach the Jharkhand border on 3rd March. Finally on 19th March a central meeting will be organized at Ramleela Maidan where delegates from West Bengal will also attend.

Ordinance: Uncalled For

 The Polit Bureau of the CPI(M) disapproves of the ordinance issued by the Central Government on the issue of sexual violence against women, on both procedural as well as substantive grounds. When Parliament is scheduled to meet in three weeks, it is against democratic norms to issue such an ordinance. The ordinance rejects the Verma Committee recommendations on issues like making rape a gender specific crime in the law, on increasing the punishment to public servants guilty of dereliction of duty, of increasing the punishment and also guaranteed compensation for victims of acid attacks and is highly selective about the other recommendations. The ordinance has thus done injustice to the Verma Committee report and appears to be a diversion from the serious issues raised of State culpability including on issues such as inclusion of armed forces in the ambit of criminal  law with a suggested amendment in the law.

 

As far as the death penalty is concerned, the category of rarest of the rare cases is already part of the legal framework and would include cases of rape and murder also, which has been reiterated by Justice Verma.