When insensitivity drives rape victims to brink of death…

There is no dearth of women's action groups and rights groups. There is no dearth of laws in the Indian Constitution to protect a woman's dignity.

It's a woman who heads the country's political order. And the political dispensation in a state headed by chief minister Narendra Modi has repeatedly claimed commitment to work for the women.

Then why is it that a rape victim is being slowly driven to find redressal in death?

Thirty-one-year-old Nirali from Dariapur, as we have been identifying her to save her from social stigma, ironically is being subjected to a far bigger trauma by the insensitivity of the police. Her life is hellish and so have been that of her family and many of her neighbours. So much so that she has no hopes of either justice or dignity from the society.

The tale of Nirali should be an eye opener for many who feel women are being treated well by our society. Nirali, whose father and mother died in 1995 after suffering from tuberculosis, barely manages to earn Rs50 to Rs100 after toiling for the whole day assisting a tailor in her neighbourhood.  Bharat (the accused) was assisting a tailor for whom Nirali used to do some job work. He used to deliver cloth and fetch back stitched clothes from her home. While it's not yet known what exactly transpired, but at some point he is believed to have seduced, raped and then filmed her. But, the woman refused to give in to his demands and blackmailing. Out of vengeance, the accused released her video clips to malign her.    

Interestingly, the police have still not arrested Bharat Makwana, who made video clips of their sexual act and distributed them to her neighbourhood and community. The insensitivity of the cops has made life miserable for the victim. What shocks one the most is the fact that police vans and uniform personnel keep frequenting the distressed woman's house; they also keep taking her to guest houses and rooms to identify the places where the clip was shot.

If that's not all, police also quizzed the 12-year-old son about his mother! Nirali has a daughter of 8 years too. Does the law, that punishes newspapers for publishing merely the original name of such a victim, permit all these insensitivities of the police towards a victim?

Our reporter, who went to meet the family, was shaken by the woman's plight. "My life has become hell. The only way out for me is to commit suicide," she lamented. After lodging the complaint, she has been able to step out of her house only twice. Ironically, so many women's rights groups which are plush with funds from women's welfare, are conspicuous by their absolute silence. No one has gone to offer help to the woman. Neither has anyone bothered to pressurise the police to arrest the culprit. Can someone explain why?

The family of the woman, despite belonging to economically weaker section of the society, which makes them more vulnerable, has so far stood by her. But after the police went hunting for the MMS from the phones of all those in the neighbourhood, irritated neighbours have pressurised the family that these 'deeds' were making life difficult for them. One of the woman's maternal uncles have taken her away to his home - a small room with 5-6 people living in it. He is a worried man, because he doesn't know how he will keep her for rest of his life.

This uncle has made a file and has approached all the state government departments concerned, but the result till date is nil. The culprit is still roaming free. What has sealed Nirali's plight is the fact that Makwana has also sent copies of the clippings to members of their community in the neighbouring states. This means, that the woman now sees no possibility of escaping from Gujarat into other state, incognito. 

On Wednesday a second such incident has taken place in the city in less than a month. This time an executive of a major corporate house leaked obscene pictures of his colleague on his Facebook page and has threatened of uploading some amorous videos too. However, the police has acted promptly and arrested the guy on the same day from his office. Hopefully, the police will not show the same insensitivity to this woman as they have done in case of Nirali. 

Hopefully, the society too will show more sensitivity towards economically and socially weaker women. Hopefully, some NGOS, activists and lawyers will fight Nirali's case and ensure her right to live with dignity. Hopefully, everyone will remember that the Constitution allows the same rights to women as to men, in making choices in their personal lives.