The incidents of sexual violence have increased in the past few years and most of the accused continue to roam free. Far from showing a resolve to address the increase in sexual violence, the government has more often been found to engage with blatant victim blaming. Time and again, the people of Bengal have been made to witness threats of sexual violence by those in power. It in this context that AIPWA organized a public hearing against violence on women and for demanding justice on 29 September in Dharmatala Y-channel . The survivors of Kadambagachi [near Barasat, N24parganas], Jagacha [Howrah], Hoogly, Bidhan Sarani[Kolkata]and from several other places of Bengal took part in the public hearing. The face of women’s movement like Mousumi and Toompa from Kamduni, Pramila Ray from Sutia(sister of the slain school teacher Barun Biswas’) and Aminul’s family members were also present in the hearing. The women’s movement activists like Soma Marik and Ratnaboli Ray, advocates like Rangta Munshi, Chandranath Banerjee, Ajanta Sarkar, Sharmila Dey, Nisha Biswas, and Dr Debasish Dutta were present as judges. AIPWA general secretary was also present during the hearing. The survivors shared their pain and agony and the form of violence they faced. They also described the problems they faced while lodging complaint in the police stations and while trying to get proper treatment in hospitals.
Rama Karmakar from Hoogly shared how during the court procedures when she clearly said that she had been raped by her brother-in-law, the public prosecutor advised her to compromise. Expressing her anguish she asked as to when will the courts focus on delivering justice rather than suggesting survivors to compromise.
Parboti, from N24parganas informed that though her daughter was killed by her in-laws, the culprits got bail. The women of Kadambagachi vividly described how she was tortured, her dress was torn apart making and how the culprits tried to insert bamboo stick into her vagina till she got senseless. All these were done by her in-laws in full public view on a road. Shockingly, the hospital denied her medical examination and also misguided her that if she does these medical tests she would face physical problems.
The director of transgender organizations ‘Kolkata Rishta’ , Dr Santosh Giri mentioned that not only women , transgender people also face sexual violence, however no discussion takes place on the subject and there are no demands for justice. Aditi, an organizer with Anjali [organization working for the rights of people having mental problems] said that nobody thinks about the people with mental problems. She pointed out that several of them were subjected to torture in government hospitals and even sexually harassed. Swati Chatterjee who deals with the acid attack cases said that if hospitals seriously follow medico-legal directives, the way to achieve justice would be smoother but most of the hospitals are not aware of the directives. The girl student of Bidhan Sarani Rape Case confirmed that the hospital did not follow health directives while doing her examination.
The representatives from domestic workers, mid-day meal workers, ASHA workers and construction workers also shared that sexual harassment often took place at their workplaces and they were regularly deprived of their proper wages .The stage of the public hearing became a stage of protest.
Toompa and Mousumi of Kamduni movement raised their voice of protest while saying that they were marked as Maoists as they protested against the rape cases and added the WB CM Mamta Banerjee had failed to keep her promise that she had made in front of the villagers.
The activists also strongly condemned the recent incident in Bakura Khayerberi Gram Panchayat where a class 12 student was killed in a salisi sabha [kangaroo court ] organized by Trinamool Congress for having an affair.
Towards the end of the hearing and protest, state AIPWA secretary Com. Chaitali Sen assured that this demand for justice would be turned into a powerful movement and to ensure swift action, a gherao of CM’s office would be called.
