[Reader-list] From a Press release at a Protest against gender/caste violence, Indian High Commission, London.:

[Asit Das]

>From a Press release at a Protest against gender/caste violence, Indian
High Commission, London.:

Women's organizations, South Asian community organizations and Dalit and
anti-caste discrimination organizations in Britain will join in a large and
angry protest outside the Indian High Commission in London tomorrow about
the ongoing horrific murders and sexual assaults on Dalit women and children
across India, including the appalling gang-rape and lynching of two Dalit
girls aged 14 and 15 in Badaun, Uttar Pradesh, on Wednesday 28th May and
the rape of four teenage Dalit girls aged 13-18 by 'higher caste'
landowners in
Bhagana in Haryana in which the survivors are still fighting for the arrest
of all those they have named as perpetrators.

.       These caste/gender atrocities are not confined to one state but have
been occurring across the country - from Bathani Tola and Bathe in Bihar to
Khairlanji and Khadra in Maharashtra and now Bhagana in Haryana and Badaun

in UP.. Less than 1% of rape cases of Dalit women by non-Dalits end in
conviction. The level of impunity is so total that the perpetrators feel
confident to horrifically murder their victims and leave their bodies on
display.

.       These rapes and murders are taking place with the collusion of the
police as recently highlighted by the UN Special Rapporteur on Violence
Against Women. In many cases the police themselves are the perpetrators.
There has also been collusion by public prosecutors and the
judiciary, which has led to acquittals of the guilty.

.       Public figures responsible for rapes and murders of  minority, Dalit
and Adivasi women have been rewarded and promoted - two of many examples
are: Muzaffarnagar-accused Sanjeev Baliyan, now made a central government;
Minister, and Police Superintendent Ankit Garg awarded for gallantry after
supervising the rape and torture of Soni Sori.

A letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi has the following demands:

1.     In the Badaun case: The police involved in the rape-murders must be
prosecuted: In the FIR lodged by the police, the culprit policemen have been
charged only with abettment (120B) whereas they should be named as the
accused and

Section 166A (which refers to public servants perverting the course of
justice) also should be invoked in the case. The government must take
measures to guarantee the security of the families of the victims since
police are among the accused

2.     In the Bhagana case: the demands of the rape survivors and their
families who have been forced to protest in Delhi for many weeks must
immediately be met:  all those named by the survivors must be arrested; the
Dalit community in Bhagana must be given land and guaranteed security as is
their right; full compensation must be provided to the Bhagana rape
survivors.

3.     In the cases of the Bathani Tola and Bathe massacres and mass rapes
carried out by the Ranvir Sena in Bihar: all those convicted on the evidence
of eyewitness survivors have been subsequently acquitted by the Patna High
Court. These acquittals must be overturned. The Amir Das Commission
investigating the Ranvir Sena which was hastily disbanded before it could
make its findings public, must be reinstated.

4.     Sanjeev Baliyan who is a main accused in the Muzaffarnagar riots and
mass rapes of Muslim women in U.P. (and has continued to break the law,
taking out inflammatory victory processions against Prohibitory Orders) must
be removed from his post as Minister of State for Agriculture and Food
Processing in the central government immediately.

5.     The Atrocities Act which is specifically designed to address caste
violence must be applied in all cases of caste/gender violence.

Organised by: Freedom Without Fear Platform, a network of Black and minority
ethnic women http://freedomwithoutfearplatformuk.blogspot.co.uk Anti Caste
Discrimination Alliance; British Organisation of People of Asian
Origin;CasteWatch UK; Central Valmik Sabha UK; Federation of Ambedkarite and
Buddhist Organisations UK, Newham Asian Women's Project; South Asia
Solidarity Group; Southall Black Sisters; Sri Guru Ravidass Sabha, UK,
Europe and Abroad; Sri Guru Ravidass International Organisation for Human
Rights; Voice of Dalit International; Women's Networking Hub

Details:  <mailto:freedomwithoutfearplatform at gmail.com
<freedomwithoutfearplatform at gmail.com>>
freedomwithoutfearplatform at gmail.com Tel: 07749953087
John Dayal
john.dayal at gmail.com
www.johndayal.com