132 rape cases in a year, is Ahmedabad safe for women?

Raising slogans for justice, more than 300 social activists from over 20 NGOs and voluntary organisations took out a rally at Sardarbaug, Khanpur. Among the eminent personalities who joined the rally were Ela Pathak, president AWAG; Lila Desai, president, Gujarat Stree Kelvani Mandal; Suwarna, a social activist; Professor Nalini Trivedi and Saraben Daldiwala. 

"We organised the rally to lodge our protest against the indifferent attitude of police and government towards rape cases. It is time to take strict action against the culprits because the rape victims don't only go through physical and mental trauma but also face social stigma," said Meenakshi Joshi, convener, All India Mahila Sanskrutik Sangathan.
Gujarat for long was regarded a safe place for women, a myth which has been shattered by some rape cases in recent times.

In 2008, 374 cases of rape, 1,110 of abduction, 122 of sexual harassment and 6,094 cases of domestic violence were reported in Gujarat, with 132 rape cases reported in Ahmedabad alone, claimed the woman organisations. "The government should take appropriate action against such grave crimes," said Ela Pathak.

The Surat gangrape has brought to fore another disturbing trend - that of the lucrative business out of selling MMS clips of gangrapes. This has made rape a business to earn money, sometimes even through blackmailing the victim's blackmailing.