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Restore the Dignity of Repressed Women

by Salma Ali
***In order to bring back the lost dignity of each and every repressed woman and to secure compensation and acquire justice, we need to continue our work.***
IN our society, especially when, a female related matter comes up. even responsible members of male dominated society raise many dusts, and weave’ concocted stories to give it religious'or moral blemish mainly to harass the victim and thev themselves to be in the lime light. On the other hand, if such victim, after relentless fight, establishes her rights, wins over any evil design, or gets legal redress of any wrong done to her. the attitude of the society takes the opposite turn. The horrendous story of a gang-raped girl in Howrah Station of Calcutta, revealed to BNWLA. is one of such examples. Woman to survive with dignity and honour has to fight for her rights and to claim due justice for any repression done to her.
Recently, the victim of Howrah incidence entered BNWLA with the clippings of national dailies of I February. She excitedly informed us that the Supreme Court of India had ordered a compensation of Indian Rupees 10 lakh for her suit. While she was narrating those. It seemed to us that she regained her lost confidence.
She also commented that, the society that once teased her. looked down on her. and showered caustic remarks had changed overnight surprisingly. They also became a part of her success and Joy She further added that as the news broke, the local people were so jubilant that they even started distributing sweets among the people and’ brought out a procession in that rejoicing mood. For her it was simply an unthinkable and unbelievable event. When, she went to the local market to get a copy of the newspaper for the total news, she round local people of many strata of life along with the Chairman waited fur her there. All said in a Jubilant mood. “It is our victory, let us take out a procession” and requested her to be in the forefront of that. The local market place was resonating with their slogans. She said could not even visit that market after *the incident (Howrah gang rape). I always umtI uj ir-el embarrassed as people showered remarks While after the Judgement, the attitude of entire community suddenly had changed. Now my victory Is their victory as well'. We efigrosx'iUy listened to what she was narrating In a mixture of emotionally excited, serious and vet in a jubilant mood.
Trie Supreme Court, comprising of Honorable Justice Saghir Ahrned and Honorable Justice R.P Sethi ordered the .Indian Government to pay the said Bangladeshi girl the amount of compensation through Bangladesh High Commission within 3 months of the Judgement- Before the verdict, as BNWLA we used to talk to the officials of human rights organizations of West Bengal at least for 2/3 times each month to know the progress of the case. Most of the time, we let the victim talk to them to make her feel well We have already established ccm-munication, with the concerned authorities, for working out modalities for qul 2k receipt of her said compensation.
Flashback on Pending Rape Case
The said girl was gang raped on 26 February 1998 at Howrah Railway Station. The following day a case was filed in Calcutta CMM Court (GRP case no. 49/98. under section 366. 376/34. 134. 325. 379 and 307). The nine accused of the case were. Ashok Singh. Slaram Singh. Rafiq Ahmed. Lalon Singh. Raj Saml-ran Sarma. Sitaram Singh. Udesh Singh. Umakundu and Mira Bar All nine accused were Railway workers and some were involved In ticket black marketing, After the hearing in camera trial, this criminal case awaited judgement.
The inciuent had moved the people of Calcutta tremendously. Il was a shame for ( em that a visiting Bangladeshi girl had been raped at such a crowded place like Howrah Station. Immediately human rights activists and the women rights activists came out in the road to protest this disgraceful act. In Howrah Station area, women rights activists took out a procession with brooms in hands and they even attacked the accused carrying police van ’with those brooms. At that lime women rights organizations-Swayam. Maitree. West Bengal Legal Aid Service and the like played an appreciable role.
Bangladesh National Women Lawyers Association (BNWLA). on receipt of the report look the initiative to help this unfortunate victim. At first we the BNWLA brought her back to Bangladesh and provided her shelter. She was very weak, ill and psychologically unsound. Continuously our counselors including me counseled her to bring her back to norma) mentai state. Side by side we contrived every possible way to help her legally. Through bilateral cooperation, the women organizations of two countries decided to work unitedly to help her. The lawyers of BNWLA several times accompanied her to Calcutta when she was required to go there during hearing of the case. BNWLA is working together with her counterparts in Calcutta.
Public Interest Litigation
At the request of human rights activists. Advocate C handrima Das filed a writ petition (No. 4949/98) under Public Interest Litigation In the Calcutta High Court. The Honorable Court declarejha historical judgment on 26 June of 1998. Tne Division Bench, consisted of Justice Pravasankar Misra and Justice Barin Ghosh delivered the judgement after a long trial. In that judgement, the General Manager of Calcutta Eastern Railway was ordered to pay the victim Rupees 10 lakh as compensation. The Judges stated that none could compensate her loss and there was no other way to compensate the aggrieved person. Hence, they declared such harsh decision to resist the recurrence of such heinous crime in future. The High Court also declared that other than this compensation. the victim had the right to file any case If she wished against any of the accused. Moreover, the court ordered the local Government to take the to Lal responsibility of her travel, accommodation, and security whenever she had to appear before the court.
This exemplary judgement of the High Court helped the victim to regain her confidence. She has now become an Important person among her relatives .and her society. "When will the money come?" She wanted to know from me and she was eagerly waiting for that as the proof of her victory She declared that with that money she would like to start a shelter home like Proshantt of BNWLA For distressed women and children and a shop for faxphone services. Beside these, she would work for the betterment of the people of her locality. After the declaration of High Court, she gave a surprising statement that watching the
satellite channels, she thought the girls and women of India were more secured than we
Subsequent Hassles
West Bengal Railway appealed in the Supreme Court against the said judgement. Long one year and eight months had passed between the judgement of High Court and the next hearing in the Supreme Court. It frustrated everyone as a shroud of uncertainty cast over all of us for that appeal of West Bengal Railway lay in hanging position. The victim was also getting frustrated. Every now and then she rushed to BNWLA. We counseled her to be patient. She told us that she had started to regain her lost dignity in the society as well as among her relatives. But the delay of Supreme Court had again been pushing her towards a disgraceful situation and she found it difficult to confront that situation all over again. There was nothing to do but to console her in that situation. She even caught a hijacker red-handed and handed him over to the police. We asked her as to why she showed such courage. lor it might be dangerous for her. She answered “I am a Living corpse, what else can happen to me”. Her destructive attitude made us anxious. Repeatedly we requested her to have patience and told her that soon and surely we would win. For last few days, sire used to come and sit mum beside me in our office and did not participate in the conversation properly. She even had a suicidal tendency for sometime. I counseled her for hours and tried to make her understand that in such scenario to remain patient is the most important factor. Frankly speaking, we ourselves also were anxious to know what would happen to her. Would justice be clone to her? Often these thoughts made us depressed. At last, she again became happy and confident. 1. on my part, got back my trust and strength. Our combined initiative did rioi go In vain, rather it made a glaring example among (hr people Irrespective of caste and creed after the favorable verdict ol the Supreme Court of India.
As a human rights activist what more could 1 expect? But yes. yet to go a long way! Ln order to bring back the lost dignity of each and every repressed woman and for her to secure compensation and acquire Justice. we will continue our work m that direction.
The writer is an advocate and Executive Director BNWLA