Monday, Nov 22, 2004
Women’s Payback Time at Nagpur
By - Samrat PhadnisSamrat Phadnis is a young journalist working with the reputed Marathi daily 'Lokmat' at Kolhapur in Maharastra, India. A Master's in journalism and communication science, he has covered a large area as a part of his profession. But gender and development issues is sumthing which has always pinched him from the inside. Water management, another issue that touches rural India strongly, is Samrat's strong point.He has travelled extensively for this and has even participated in a number of seminars on this issue. He has also been a part of the Water Yatra organised by Centre for Science and Environment.
At SAWF, he tries to keep the readers updated with whats happening in the rural world in Maharashtra.
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Incident 1: Mob of women stormed into Nagpur district court premises and killed a criminal named Akku Yadav. These women were residents of Kasturbanagar where notorious Akku had become a threat. He raped and molested anyone he set his eyes on. The women felt helpless, and even law could not nab him. He was arrested and granted bail several times, and each time he was released, he enraged more fury. At last, women decided to pay him back in the same coin and did it courageously. They killed Akku with stones…
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Incident 2: This time, it was the Khan brothers at Kharbi Layout area. Naiem and Faiem, two criminal brothers, engaged in extortion and harassing women were on their usual hanky-panky. They went to area for ‘Hafta’ and misbehaved with a young widow, trying to undress her at her own home in front of mob. Sensing problem, the women of Kharbi rushed in to help the widow, and also decided to end the horror created by Khan gang. They carried lathi’s (sticks) in their hands and beat them brutally, ending the reign of terror of the two brothers.
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These two incidents have shocked both the people and the media alike, not only in Maharashtra, but also throughout the country. Is the law and order nothing in front of these criminals? Would women be forced to stand for help themselves? Will every woman have to become Durga to save herself?
… Questions like these flashed in every mind across India.
The answer to the anger can perhaps be found in the Human Development Report (HDR) of Maharashtra.
There has been no decrease in the incidences of crime against women in last decade in Maharashtra. On the contrary, it is on rise. Around 1300 rape cases are registered each year on an average in the state where reformist like Mahatma Jyotiba Phule pioneered the movement for women’s betterment some 120 years ago. The number of minor crimes against women has almost doubled in last decade. In 1994, 541 cases of eve teasing were registered. This number has increased to 1222 in year 2000. These are the figures in documents published by the government. HDR of the state indicates 1293 suicides by women in year 2000. There were 10,875 cases registered in Maharashtra of crimes against women.
Another disturbing fact mentioned in the HDR is that average 6000 women file suit against their husbands and parents in law, for harassment; which defiantly shameful on part of the so called progressive state.
These are the registered cases. But number of unregistered cases is also too large, as most of women do not go to police. Further, the rate of conviction is also dismal, 94 out of 100 accused get released.
The women in Nagpur dealt with the crime in their own way. Both the incidents have striking similarity. Women of Khabi were inspired by the Kasturbanagar incident. And the message is loud and clear.
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