[Reader-list] Fwd: Fw: PRESS RELEASE_WSS Statement on Unethical Media Reporting

[Nagraj Adve]

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Ranjana <ranjanapadhi at yahoo.co.uk>
Date: 29 August 2010 18:28

*From:* Women Against Sexual Violence and State Repression <
againstsexualviolence at gmail.com>
*Subject:* PRESS RELEASE_WSS Statement on Unethical Media Reporting

*Women against Sexual Violence and State Repression** (WSS)* is deeply
concerned and disturbed by the news report *Raped repeatedly, Naxal leader
quits Red ranks* that appeared on page 1 of the Times of India, dated August
27, 2010.

*We unequivocally condemn any such violence and sexual assault inflicted on
women, irrespective of the perpetrator(s), whether state or non state, in
any situation, anywhere in the country.** If the story reported by the
leading daily Times of India is correct, it is very serious and condemnable
and the woman is not safe; the law should take its course and action should
be taken against the accused. And if the story has been planted or used by
the state and establishment as some seem to believe, we still fear for her
safety from the police and security forces now that she has surrendered. It
needs to be ensured that she will not be put under any pressure and that she
will get access to lawyers and family.*

However, we question the responsibility of the media and its credibility.
Such reporting has serious implications and we as feminists and women’s
groups wish to draw the attention of TOI and its readership to the following
points in the interest of the privacy, security and safety of women:

 Firstly, the woman’s name and position have been revealed in the report,
which is against the norms of reporting of rape.  The picture in the
newspaper is very clear and does little to hide her identity. TOI’s concern
for the woman in this respect is lacking.



Secondly, the report appears to be interested more in highlighting such
cases in a loose and highly sensational way rather than sticking to facts
with rigor. The report has conflated the very serious issue of rape and
sexual violence with issues of sexual choices. In fact, the report uses
statements like `she is caught in an ideology that she cannot understand’
but makes no attempt to engage with her at an intellectual level, even
though she is reportedly an experienced person and not merely a woman among
men.



Thirdly, the story has not been substantiated as per journalistic
obligations. Why has the reporter not made any effort to get any version of
other sources- of perhaps differing hues?



 Fourthly, TOI needs to be more impartial in its reporting of cases of rape,
irrespective of who the rapist is.  We find that sexual violence by the
army, police and paramilitary forces, in the ongoing military operations, is
routinely ignored by the TOI as well as other media sources. This continues
to place innumerable women across the country in extremely vulnerable
situations; rapes and sexual assault of women by police and paramilitary in
Orissa, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh, with the inordinate and suffocating
presence of the police and paramilitary, has risen so high that fear and
intimidation of women is high too.  It has become impossible for an
assaulted woman to even lodge an FIR. Many such survivors of rape in these
regions have been harassed and forced to withdraw their complaints.



Finally, the Home Minister has chosen to comment on the TOI story and claim
there are more such cases - whereas he has been studiously silent on the
many well documented instances where adivasi and poor women have tried to
pursue cases of rape against police, paramilitary and SPOs. A recent example
is that of an eighteen-year old girl in Gajapati district of Orissa,
allegedly Maoist, who was picked up from her village in February along with
another person, during combing operations by security forces, gang-raped and
is now languishing in jail. No charge sheet has as yet been filed even after
6 months. We urge TOI to bring such stories to its readership across the
country so that these women also get some justice. We urge the entire media
and the government to break its silence on the miscarriage of justice in the
Khairlanji case.



 *As a national forum against sexual violence and state repression, we
assert that violence against women cannot and should not be used as weapons
of war, by the warring sides to score points against each other. We are
equal citizens of India- our sexuality cannot be used against us. The state
should allow free movement in these areas so that it is possible to conduct
impartial investigations of reports of sexual violence against women.  *

* *

*Committed to the struggle against sexual violence and state repression,*

Women against Sexual Violence and State Repression











WSS  is a network of women's rights, dalit rights, human rights and civil
liberties organizations across India. It is a non-funded grassroots effort
by women to stem the violence being perpetrated upon our bodies and on our
societies by the State’s forces, by non-state actors and by the inability of
our government to resolve conflict in a meaningful, sustainable and
effective manner.

As represented by: AIPWA, AISA (Delhi), APDR (West Bengal), Action India,
All Tripura Indigenous and Minority Association, Alternate Law Forum, Ananya
(Karnataka), Anhad (Delhi), Baiga Mahapanchayat (Chhattisgarh), Bhopal Gas
Peedit Mahila Udyog Sangathan, CAVOW (India), CPDR (Maharashtra), Campaign
for Justice and Peace (Karnataka), Chhattisgarh Mahila Adhikar Manch,
Chhattisgarh Mahila Mukti Morcha, Dalit Adivasi Manch (Chhattisgarh), Dalit
Stree Shakti (Andhra Pradesh), HumAnE (Orissa), HRLN (Jammu & Kashmir), HRLN
(Madhya Pradesh), Hengasara Hakkina Sangha (Karnataka), Human Rights Alert
(Manipur), IRMA (Manipur), IWID, Jagori (Delhi), Jagrit Adivasi Dalit
Sangathan (Madhya Pradesh), Jan Jagruti Manch (Chhattisgarh), Lalgarh
Morcha, Lokayata (Maharashtra), MARA (Karnataka), Madhya Pradesh Mahila
Manch, NAPM (Karnataka), NBA (Madhya Pradesh), Namma Manasa (Karnataka),
Nari Mukti Sanstha (Delhi), Navsarjan Sanstha (Gujarat), Naya Chhattisgarh
Mahila Sangh, Nirantar (Delhi), PSSK (Chhattisgarh), Patel Pat Chaunki
(Chhattisgarh), Pratidhwani (Delhi), PUCL (india), Rachna Manch, Rohidas
Mahila Kalyan Samiti (Chhattisgarh), Saheli (Delhi), Sahmet (Madhya
Pradesh), Samajwadi Jan Parishad (Madhya Pradesh), Samata Vedike
(Karnataka), Samanatha Mahila Vedike (Karnataka), Sangini (Madhya Pradesh),
Vanangana (Uttar Pradesh), Vidyarthi Yuvjan Sabha, Women’s Right Resource
Center (Madhya Pradesh), Yuva Samvaad (Madhya Pradesh), Stree Adhikar
Sanghatan (Uttar Pradesh), Stree Jagruti Samiti, Trade Union Solidarity
Committee (Maharashtra), WinG, Women Against Militarization and State
Violence (The Other Media), Women's Commission(Jammu & Kashmir), Women’s
Right Resource Center, Women’s Education Forum (Chhattisgarh), and many
individuals.

Contact email id: againstsexualviolence at gmail.com







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