Two years ago on 16th December, a horrific incident of rape and murder happened in India's capital New Delhi. The brutality of the crime shook the entire nation, people were angry and frustrated about the regular occurrence of such crimes and the delay in delivering justice. This anger and nationwide protests forced the administration to deliver the judgment in a timely fashion in this particular case, but still, many victims are still waiting for justice for the crime that changed their lives. After going through the trauma of sexual abuse these victims have to relive that horror every time they go to court and come back without any solace. Our society and this system have to step up to end this trauma of these people.
This post is not about that incident but about a brave woman Bhanwari Devi who not only survived one such assault but also fought against the culprits, against the system that failed to deliver justice to her. She is still bravely fighting her battle and waiting for justice to be delivered. Nandita Das's movie Bawander is based on the story of her life, it is worth a watch if anyone wants to know her story. She faced many hurdles during her fight for justice, not only the criminals who committed this act were from the upper caste but they were also politically very powerful which helped them to manipulate the police as well as the judiciary. But this brave lady didn't lose her courage and hope, she didn't even leave the village no matter how much they taunted her and tortured her family with social boycotts. Her argument was, if she didn't do any wrong why should she be the one to suffer. It was not she who did anything shameful so why she should leave the village, why she should feel guilty? All who know how the caste system in villages works and the various roles it plays in politics can understand how much courage and conviction are required to fight against these things. In many villages, women are not even allowed to step outside the home or village unless it is for some work or medical treatment, so one can imagine how much resistance Bhanwari Devi must have faced to even register a case against the culprits who raped her. People like her don't get much national attention or recognition as their stories carry very limited use for media and politicians. No political party is interested in taking up such issues as caste dynamics is an integral part of the politics for all parties. They don't look at criminals just as criminals but their religion or caste also becomes very important as it can mess up their political equations depending on which religion or caste the victim belongs and which religion or caste the perpetrator belongs. So, each political party bases its reactions based on its political calculations related to caste and religion. This is disgusting but it happens all the time and so far no political party tried to break away from this pattern. Unfortunately, the victims of such heinous crimes have to face the brunt of all this mess. First, they suffer at the hands of criminals who commit the crime, and then at the hands of the system which fails to deliver justice to them.
I don't know how long Bhanwari Devi and people like her have to wait to get justice from this system. I am glad to see that she still has faith in this system and waiting patiently for it to deliver what it promises to every Indian (speedy and fair justice). She is a great example of courage and determination. She showed that if you are not at fault no need to feel any guilt or shame or run away avoid taunts or be scared of social torture. But not everyone who goes through this has courage and patience like her, for them, the system needs to step up. The story of her fight is a great inspiration for all of us. Bhanwari Devi is definitely a national icon, our politicians and justice systems need to learn something from her.
I don't know how long Bhanwari Devi and people like her have to wait to get justice from this system. I am glad to see that she still has faith in this system and waiting patiently for it to deliver what it promises to every Indian (speedy and fair justice). She is a great example of courage and determination. She showed that if you are not at fault no need to feel any guilt or shame or run away avoid taunts or be scared of social torture. But not everyone who goes through this has courage and patience like her, for them, the system needs to step up. The story of her fight is a great inspiration for all of us. Bhanwari Devi is definitely a national icon, our politicians and justice systems need to learn something from her.
Thanks for reading and please share your views on this topic.
[Copyright: Vinay Thakur. Please contact the author for re-posting or publishing]
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