Females are prone to sexual exploitation in a place like India is a well known fact. Exploitation of vulnerable women by bureaucrats, politicians, policemen and whosoever is in a position to do so is also an open secret. But sexual harassment of women in broad day light by the same police which is supposed to protect their honor is indeed shocking. If all this is done in the presence of the Chief Minister of Punjab; such acts become a shame for Punjab and India.
What adds to the shock is that when the public protested and took the matter to the Chief Minister, he is quoted as saying that his police forces did the right thing and such kind of miscreants should be dealt in this manner only.
You may think what crime these young females committed which evoked such an inhuman action. Well, these young women (mostly Veterinary doctors) dared to exercise their democratic right of peaceful protest in Punjab during a public meeting in Ludhiana. They were raising slogans demanding jobs which were earlier promised by the government. The police immediately swung into action and while it packed all the male protesters in buses and took them to the police station; the female protesters were left to be dealt later. And the action which the police initiated later is visible in the pictures.
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| A policeman pulling the string of the "Salwar" and doing an act of sexually molestation (Indian Express) |
The Punjab Government cared two hoots to the public outburst against the criminal action by the Punjab Police. The CM and Punjab Police ignored the concerns of Punjabis and civil society organisations who wrote to him and none of them have a yet received any reply.
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| A policeman with his hands on the breast of a female protestor. (TOI) |
The National Commission for Women was no different. They still didn't evoked any response or action. The Punjab & Haryana High Court took suo motto action on the basis of the newspaper report and has issued notice of motion to the Punjab Government for October 10, 2006.
Subsequently "Punjab State Human Right Commission" also ordered an inquiry. The saddest part of the whole story is that the victims of the incident are too frightened to come out and speak up and this incident has further waned the faith of people in law and justice. The ordinary people have been successfully subdued by a corrupt, insensitive and unaccountable system. The victims and their families are too afraid of Punjab Police and the Punjab Government which is evident by the fact that not a single victim has lodged or initiated any form of complaint. They don’t want to talk to the press too lest the fury of the police may unfurl.
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9 comments:
BASTARDS
SHOOT THEM ALL
UDDAM SINGH CAE TO ENGLAND TO KILL DUSHTS
WHY CANT WE GO TO INDIA
SITTING HERE ALL COMFORTABLE IN OUR HOMES WHILE THEY DO OVER OUR SISTERS
SHOULD BE ASHAMED AND WE CALL OURSELVES SIKHS
KAUM PHIR SUANGEY
The cycle of impunity continues. The SGPC has so much political power and they can't address this kind of thing? Manmohan is the Prime Minister of India and he can't do anything for Sikhs? If the people of Punjab could organize together, there are more people than police, and something could be done. The media has pictures of their misdeeds and still people are too scared to stand up to the police. A real democracy would take notice of this kind of thing. Guru Ram Das Rakho Sarnaaee, please protect the people of Punjab.
Confused Khalsa ji
Humble request. Could you please take these photographs down. Isn't it enough that these women have suffered degredation.
I know we can't identify them but even so. Please have sympathy for their situation. I know if I was the victim I would not want my photograph viewed by all and sundry.
Bhull chuck maaf karni ji. But I had to say what I thought.
Apologies if my above comment seems harsh but I don't think such shock tactics are necesarry in educating people of the horror of rape and sexual exploitation. Actually it's not just exploitation, what you have depicted is a crime. I think most women know what it would mean to endure such a crime and men just have to take their word for it.
Really sorry for any offence but I am sincerely horrified at the images and I really do believe that we should offer these women dignity even if their identity is concealed.
this stuff happens all the time, yet we do nothing
its only when we realise the problem we can fix it. dont hide from the problem, fix it
Yes I agree that education of such "events" is important and yes it is important to act on such information. But honestly, how many of us has acted on this? Have we prepared a petition? Have we written to "authorities" in India? Would it make a difference?
I have no objection to education. I think it's great that these words have been shared. It's the images I have a problem with. I can't think of any woman that would want such images of her shared in such a manner.
Would be interesting to know what other women think?
this happens everday in india. in india a woman is raped every 30 minutes. women are groped, touched, teased ruthlessly, gawked at, tripped, made fun of, abused, manhandled, and touched inappropriately, unwantingly, by strangers often, in markets, trains, busses, even temples. it may not be as evident or apparant to you but it is to several women living there and visiting there. Some women have had mens private parts rubbed against them in markets. Other women have been chased into alleys and molested. Other women while peacefully walking have been forced to have men following them, touching themselves inappropriately. Women are depicted as sex symbols all over the media
and all the men are buying into it
all the men have their eyes on those ads
why do you think women are treated so badly
and by the way
there's not much more besti to be done to those girls than has already been done
those pics are in the front pages of newspapers in india
lets see if anyone gives a rats ass
oh wait, it's india, and yes, it's kaljug, so no one does give a shit, until its their own sister and by then its too late, isnt it.
No issues with your comments. I'm not entirely unaware of levels of sexual exploitation in the world, especially in "developing countries". Being a woman I am also fully aware of media expolitation of women and in turn the affect this has on the image of women in daily life.
all I would say is...
Is posting pictures of the crime going to help? If not then why post them? If it raises enough conscienceness for people to get up and address the issue and if the victims have been consulted then fine, do it... but, I repeat my question... how many of us have acted? How many of us even know what to do?
apols... I didn't mean to sound defensive / offensive in my comment. I guess I'm just thinking about it from a personal level and being a woman I don't I can help thinking about it at a personal level.
I know there's all sorts of stuff that goes on in India and in africa... as I'm sure there is all over and yes, I'm sure these images have been plastered all over the Indian media. I just can't help thinking that we shouldn't necesarrily apply the same standards when sharing "news"
Okay I think I've said enough on this issue. Sincere apologies for any unintended offence.
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