"Gang rape triggers outrage in India" Associated Press, December 20, 2012
NEW DELHI — The gang-rape and near-fatal beating of a 23-year-old student on a bus in New Delhi triggered outrage across the country Wednesday, as Indians demanded action from authorities who have long ignored violence and harassment against women.
In the streets and in Parliament, calls rose for stringent and swift punishment against those who attack women, including a proposal to make rapists eligible for the death penalty. As the calls for action grew louder, two more gang rapes were reported, including one in which the 10-year-old victim was killed.
Thousands of demonstrators clogged the streets in front of New Delhi’s police headquarters and protested near Parliament. Hundreds rallied outside the home of the city’s top elected official before police dispersed them with water cannons.
As protests raged, at least two girls were gang raped, with one of them killed.
Well, we have five cases here -- only one of which will garner significant media attention.
A 23-year-old victim was in critical condition, doctors said. Police said that six men raped the woman, and that four men have been arrested.
--more--"
"Protesters decry gang rape on bus
NEW DELHI — Police used tear gas and water cannons Saturday to push back thousands of people who tried to march to the presidential mansion to protest the gang rape and brutal beating of a female student, 23, on a bus. Several suffered injuries when they tried to break through barricades."
Have you noticed the U.S. has been absolutely silent on this?
"Indian police seal city to halt protest" Associated Press, December 25, 2012
NEW DELHI — Authorities shut down roads in the heart of India’s capital on Monday in an attempt to end a week of demonstrations seeking better protection of women from sexual assaults.
All I can think of is how brokenhearted Gandhi would be were he alive today. Not because Indian authorities shut down the march so much, but because of the way women are being treated more than 50 years after independence. That, and the endemic poverty and hunger that I rarely read about in my prison, I mean, prism I call a newspaper.
Thousands of armed police and paramilitary troops blocked roads in central New Delhi to prevent protesters from marching to the presidential palace. A small group of demonstrators gathered at a venue less than a mile away from India’s Parliament to press the government to act after the gang rape and beating of a woman on a moving bus.
And the four other cases, right?
The city ground to a halt as commuters became caught in massive traffic jams after most roads in central Delhi were barricaded by police.
That's what you have to do to get authority to pay any attention to you!
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh appealed for calm and promised that the government would take tough action to prevent crimes against women. There has been outrage across India over the Dec. 16 rape that left the young woman in critical condition in a hospital.
Horse has already left the barn!
‘‘Anger at this crime is justified, but violence will serve no purpose,’’ Singh said.
It only does when government uses it.
Police have used tear gas and water cannons and hit protesters with batons during the protests.
Of course, violence serves no purpose.
--more--"
And look at them all scramble to get in on the action:
"Indian leader pledges to make women’s safety a top issue after brutal rape" by RAVI NESSMAN | Associated Press, December 28, 2012
NEW DELHI — Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh pledged on Thursday to take action to protect the nation’s women while the young victim of a gang rape on a New Delhi bus was flown to Singapore for treatment of severe internal injuries.
The Dec. 16 rape and brutal beating of the 23-year-old student triggered widespread protests, including a march on Thursday demanding a government crackdown on the daily harassment Indian women face, ranging from groping to severe violence. Some protesters have called for the death penalty or castration for rapists, who under current laws face a maximum punishment of life in prison.
Rape victims rarely press charges because of social stigma and fear they will be accused of inviting the attack. Many women say they structure their lives around protecting themselves and their daughters from attack.
Singh’s government set up two committees in response to the protests....
Pffft!
The rape took place on a moving bus that passed through police checkpoints....
What?
--more--"
"Indian rape victim dies in hospital" by Heather Tan | Associated Press, December 29, 2012
Then it is murder, isn't it?
SINGAPORE — The woman’s horrific ordeal galvanized Indians, who have held almost daily demonstrations to demand greater protection from sexual violence, from groping to rape, which affects thousands of women every day but which often goes unreported.
She and a male friend were traveling on a public bus on the evening of Dec. 16 when they were attacked by six men who raped her and beat them both. They also stripped both naked and threw them off the bus on a road.
The attack two weeks ago brought new focus on police and community attitudes toward women in India.
Why did it take something so horrific to do this, huh?
Demonstrators in New Delhi have demanded stronger protections for women and stronger punishment for rapists.
Indian authorities have been accused of belittling rape victims and refusing to file cases against their attackers, further deterring victims — already under societal pressure to keep the assaults quiet — from reporting the crimes....
Media reports have said that her assailants beat her and inserted an iron rod into her body during the assault, resulting in severe organ damage....
(Blog editor is absolutely horrified at what has gone beyond even rape and become sadistic torture)
Some politicians have come under fire for comments insulting the protesters and diminishing the crime.
On Friday, Abhijit Mukherjee, a national lawmaker and the son of India’s president, apologized for calling the protesters ‘‘highly dented and painted’’ women who go from discos to demonstrations.
‘‘I tender my unconditional apology to all the people whose sentiments got hurt,’’ he told NDTV news.
Separately, authorities in Punjab took action Thursday when an 18-year-old woman killed herself by drinking poison a month after she told police she was gang-raped.
That makes five cases that have not been given the same amount of attention.
State authorities suspended one police officer and fired two others on accusations they delayed investigating and taking action in the case....
Yeah, we see this rearrangement of deck chairs here in AmeriKa all the time.
--more--"
"Six men accused in rape, slaying as India mourns" by Heather Timmons and Niharika Manhana | New York Times, December 30, 2012
NEW DELHI — As protests grew in India on Saturday over the death of a young woman who was raped in New Delhi this month by several men on a moving bus, the police said six men accused of attacking her had been charged with murder.
A police spokesman, Rajan Bhagat, said that if convicted of murder, the men could face the death penalty in the Dec. 16 attack.
The crime shocked India because of its savagery, led to violent protests, and prompted demands for improved protection for women as well as calls for the death penalty in rape cases....
Why didn't the other five rapes reported in my AmeriKan paper shock? This whole post is shocking to me.
The woman, who has not been identified, has become a symbol for the treatment of women in India, where rape is common and conviction rates for the crime are low.
Oh, now I understand why, and I'm sure American women can relate.
The victim boarded a bus with a male friend after watching a movie at a mall, and was raped and attacked with an iron rod by the men, whom investigators later said had been drinking and were on a ‘‘joy ride.’’
It is TIME to BAN BOOZE!
She died Saturday morning....
As news of her death spread Saturday, India’s young, social-network-using population began to organize protests and candlelight vigils in places like the western city of Cochin in Kerala, the outsourcing hub of Bangalore, and New Delhi, the capital.
Just a tiny sliver of India’s population can afford a computer or has access to the Internet, but the young, educated subset of this group has become increasingly galvanized about the New Delhi rape case.
Late Saturday afternoon, thousands of people, most of them men, filled Jantar Mantar, an observatory and popular protest ground in New Delhi, where they waved placards and shouted slogans.
A good thing to see! They obviously love their wives and daughters like most people on this planet.
When Sheila Dikshit, the chief minister of Delhi, arrived in the afternoon surrounded by a police escort, she was booed, heckled, and jostled by the crowd. Dikshit, 74, stayed only a few minutes, lighting a candle and holding her hands together in prayer. She did not speak to the crowd....
Please tell me that is not her real name.
The roads leading to India Gate, the site of earlier protests that had turned violent, were barricaded by the police early Saturday, and nearby subway stations were closed.
More than 40 police units were deployed in the area, including 28 units of the Central Reserve Police Force, which are national antiinsurgency troops.
In South Delhi, hundreds of students from Jawaharlal Nehru University organized a silent march Saturday from their campus to Munirka, the bus stop where the New Delhi rape victim was picked up.
The crowd of protesters trudged along a busy road, a few holding hastily made placards with phrases like ‘‘You are an inspiration to us all.’’
On Saturday morning, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said in a statement, ‘‘It would be a true homage to her memory if we are able to channelize these emotions and energies into a constructive course of action.’’
He's right, but coming from Singh it sickens me.
***************
Sonia Gandhi, India’s most powerful female politician and the president of the governing Congress Party, made a rare televised statement that was broadcast Saturday.
“As a woman, and mother, I understand how protesters feel,’’ she said. ‘‘Today we pledge that the victim will get justice,’’ she said.
Absolutely huge sandals for you to fill, lady.
Even larger protests are planned for Sunday, protesters in Delhi said, including a so-called March for Freedom from the Delhi University subway station.
--more--"
"Body of rape victim brought home to India; Suspects could face death penalty" by Heather Timmons and Anjani Trivedi | New York Times, December 31, 2012
NEW DELHI — After news of her death spread Saturday, hundreds of thousands of Indians lit candles, held prayer meetings, and staged marches across the country, including New Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, and Calcutta.
The woman has become a symbol for the treatment of women in India, where rape is common and conviction rates for the crime are low. She boarded a bus with a male friend after watching a movie at a mall, and was raped and attacked with an iron rod by the men, who the police later said had been drinking and were on a ‘‘joy ride.’’
In a sign of how pervasive such crimes are, police in West Bengal state said Sunday they are investigating another suspected gang rape and death, the Associated Press reported.
I'm starting to lose track of how many there are now.
In the latest case, the family of a woman said she and her husband were attacked by six men as they returned home after working at a brick factory. The men dragged the woman into a nearby farm after pouring acid into her husband’s mouth, the family said. The woman was found dead with multiple injuries, said police Officer Bhaskar Mukherjee, adding he was waiting for an autopsy report. No charges have been brought, but four men have been detained for questioning.
Will my media return to that?
After the death of the bus attack victim, advocates used social networks to organize protests and vigils. Just a tiny percent of India’s people can afford computers or have access to the Internet, but young, educated Indians have become increasingly galvanized over the New Delhi case.
Dozens of protesters tried to break through a police cordon Sunday and march to the Parliament building in the Indian capital, but were pushed back, according to the Associated Press. The protesters, belonging to the student wing of main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party, shouted antigovernment slogans as they marched.
Hundreds of police officers have sealed off the high-security area, the seat of India’s government, in anticipation of more protests.
Gandhi assured the protesters in a statement Sunday that the rape victim’s death ‘‘deepens our determination to battle the pervasive, the shameful social attitudes and mindset that allow men to rape and molest women and girls with such an impunity.’’
The United Nations issued a statement saying Secretary General Ban Ki-moon ‘‘offers his sincerest condolences’’ to the victim’s family and ‘‘utterly condemns this brutal crime.’’
And the others, right?
‘‘Violence against women must never be accepted, never excused, never tolerated,’’ the statement said. ‘‘Every girl and woman has the right to be respected, valued, and protected.’’
Unless they are Muslims living in the hills of Kashmir, Afghanistan, and Pakistan, or the deserts of Yemen, Palestine, or Africa.
--more--"
"Five charged in fatal rape aboard bus in India" by Rama Lakshmi | Washington Post, January 04, 2013
NEW DELHI — The horrific assault caused a national uproar here. Thousands of young men and women marched through the streets, many of them holding placards demanding the death penalty for the accused.
The rape case will be tried in a new fast-track court that will hold hearings on a daily basis, a rarity in India’s crawling judicial system, where trials can drag on for decades.
Chief Justice Altamas Kabir, who on Wednesday inaugurated the first of four fast-track courts in New Delhi for cases of violence against women, said the judicial system must move more efficiently to avoid citizen attempts at vigilante justice.
‘‘People’s reaction has been: ‘Do not send the accused to trial. Hand them over to us. We will deal with them. Hang them,’ ’’ Kabir said. ‘‘But let us not get carried away.’’
Hard not to.
Hard not to.
--more--"
"India rape victim’s friend recounts ordeal" by Ashok Sharma | Associated Press, January 05, 2013
NEW DELHI — The companion of a woman who was gang-raped aboard a bus in New Delhi recounted in a television interview for the first time Friday how the pair was attacked for 2½ hours before being thrown on the side of the road, where passersby ignored them and police debated jurisdiction issues before helping them.
The Dec. 16 attack has outraged Indians and led to calls for tougher rape laws and reforms of a police culture that often blames rape victims and refuses to file charges against alleged attackers. The nation’s top law enforcement official said the country needs to crack down on crimes against women with ‘‘an iron hand.’’
The 23-year-old woman died last weekend from massive internal injuries suffered during the attack. Authorities charged five men with her murder and rape and were holding a sixth suspect believed to be a juvenile. A hearing in the case is scheduled for Saturday.
The woman and her male friend had just finished watching the movie ‘‘Life of Pi’’ at an upscale mall and were looking for a ride home. An autorickshaw driver declined to take them so they boarded the private bus with the six assailants inside, the companion told the Indian television network Zee TV.
Authorities have not named the man because of the sensitivity of the case. The station also declined to give his name, although it did show his face during the interview. The man has a broken leg and was sitting in a wheelchair during the interview.
After a while, the men on the bus starting harassing and attacking the pair, he said.
‘‘I gave a tough fight to three of them. I punched them hard. But then two others hit me with an iron rod,’’ he said. The woman tried to call the police using her mobile phone, but the men took it away from her, he said. They then took her to the rear seats of the bus and raped her.
‘‘The attack was so brutal I can’t even tell you . . . even animals don’t behave like that,’’ he said.
Afterward, he overheard some of the attackers saying she was dead, he said.
The men then dumped their bleeding and naked bodies under an overpass. He waved to passersby on bikes, in autorickshaws, and in cars for help.
‘‘They slowed down, looked at our naked bodies, and left,’’ he said. After about 20 minutes, three police vans arrived and the officers began arguing over who had jurisdiction over the crime as the man pleaded for clothes and an ambulance, he said.
The man said he was given no medical care. Instead, he spent four days at the police station helping them investigate the crime. He said he visited his friend in the hospital, told her the attackers were arrested, and promised to fight for her.
‘‘She has awakened us all by her courage,’’ he said. ‘‘People should move ahead in the struggle to prevent a similar crime happening again, as a tribute to her.’’
They have already happened before and after.
On Friday, Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde said crimes against women and marginalized sections of society are increasing, and it is the government’s responsibility to stop them.
‘‘This needs to be curbed by an iron hand,’’ he told a conference of state officials from across India that was called to discuss how to protect women.
He called for changes in the law and the way police investigate cases so justice can be swiftly delivered. Many rape cases are bogged down in India’s overburdened and sluggish court system for years.
‘‘We need a reappraisal of the entire system,’’ he said.
Several petitioners have appealed to the Supreme Court to take an active role in the issue of women’s safety.
On Friday, the court dismissed a petition asking it to suspend Indian lawmakers accused of crimes against women, saying it does not have jurisdiction, according to the Press Trust of India.
The Association for Democratic Reforms, an organization that tracks officials’ criminal records, said six state lawmakers are facing rape prosecutions and two national parliamentarians are facing charges of crimes against women that fall short of rape.
Now you can see why the system moves so slow or ignores completely.
"India rape victim’s friend recounts ordeal" by Ashok Sharma | Associated Press, January 05, 2013
NEW DELHI — The companion of a woman who was gang-raped aboard a bus in New Delhi recounted in a television interview for the first time Friday how the pair was attacked for 2½ hours before being thrown on the side of the road, where passersby ignored them and police debated jurisdiction issues before helping them.
The Dec. 16 attack has outraged Indians and led to calls for tougher rape laws and reforms of a police culture that often blames rape victims and refuses to file charges against alleged attackers. The nation’s top law enforcement official said the country needs to crack down on crimes against women with ‘‘an iron hand.’’
The 23-year-old woman died last weekend from massive internal injuries suffered during the attack. Authorities charged five men with her murder and rape and were holding a sixth suspect believed to be a juvenile. A hearing in the case is scheduled for Saturday.
The woman and her male friend had just finished watching the movie ‘‘Life of Pi’’ at an upscale mall and were looking for a ride home. An autorickshaw driver declined to take them so they boarded the private bus with the six assailants inside, the companion told the Indian television network Zee TV.
Authorities have not named the man because of the sensitivity of the case. The station also declined to give his name, although it did show his face during the interview. The man has a broken leg and was sitting in a wheelchair during the interview.
After a while, the men on the bus starting harassing and attacking the pair, he said.
‘‘I gave a tough fight to three of them. I punched them hard. But then two others hit me with an iron rod,’’ he said. The woman tried to call the police using her mobile phone, but the men took it away from her, he said. They then took her to the rear seats of the bus and raped her.
‘‘The attack was so brutal I can’t even tell you . . . even animals don’t behave like that,’’ he said.
Afterward, he overheard some of the attackers saying she was dead, he said.
The men then dumped their bleeding and naked bodies under an overpass. He waved to passersby on bikes, in autorickshaws, and in cars for help.
‘‘They slowed down, looked at our naked bodies, and left,’’ he said. After about 20 minutes, three police vans arrived and the officers began arguing over who had jurisdiction over the crime as the man pleaded for clothes and an ambulance, he said.
The man said he was given no medical care. Instead, he spent four days at the police station helping them investigate the crime. He said he visited his friend in the hospital, told her the attackers were arrested, and promised to fight for her.
‘‘She has awakened us all by her courage,’’ he said. ‘‘People should move ahead in the struggle to prevent a similar crime happening again, as a tribute to her.’’
They have already happened before and after.
On Friday, Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde said crimes against women and marginalized sections of society are increasing, and it is the government’s responsibility to stop them.
‘‘This needs to be curbed by an iron hand,’’ he told a conference of state officials from across India that was called to discuss how to protect women.
He called for changes in the law and the way police investigate cases so justice can be swiftly delivered. Many rape cases are bogged down in India’s overburdened and sluggish court system for years.
‘‘We need a reappraisal of the entire system,’’ he said.
Several petitioners have appealed to the Supreme Court to take an active role in the issue of women’s safety.
On Friday, the court dismissed a petition asking it to suspend Indian lawmakers accused of crimes against women, saying it does not have jurisdiction, according to the Press Trust of India.
The Association for Democratic Reforms, an organization that tracks officials’ criminal records, said six state lawmakers are facing rape prosecutions and two national parliamentarians are facing charges of crimes against women that fall short of rape.
Now you can see why the system moves so slow or ignores completely.
--more--"
"Indian judge bars reporters from gang rape trial; Media, angry lawyers besiege New Delhi court" by Niharika Mandhana | New York Times, January 08, 2013
NEW DELHI — A magistrate on Monday banned reporting on the New Delhi trial of a gang rape case that has attracted worldwide attention, reacting to a chaotic courtroom filled with members of the news media and a large number of female lawyers who said no one should represent the accused....
Calling the case an “unprecedented situation,” the magistrate invoked an occasionally used criminal statute that makes it illegal for anyone unconnected to a case to be in the courtroom during trial and makes it “unlawful for any person to print or publish’’ anything about the case without court permission.
The statute makes it illegal for the news media to report on what happens in the courtroom, even if they receive that information from someone present....
India's version of a gag order.
The case, and the punishment the men may receive, is being closely watched by lawyers, activists, and citizens across India and beyond as a test of the government’s commitment to deliver justice to victims of sexual assault and violence.
Gang rapes have become common in India, and some surveys suggest the country has one of the highest rates of sexual violence....
On Sunday, two of the defendants offered to become informers against the others, presumably in exchange for leniency, according to reporters present at the hearing....
The magistrate scheduled another pretrial hearing on Thursday that is expected to result in the case being sent to a special court, which could bring the case to trial in days.
Indian courts are considered very slow, with some cases dragging on for decades. Since the Dec. 16 attack, New Delhi has set up five fast-track courts to handle sexual assault cases.
The case has stirred strong emotions in India’s legal community. The 13,000-member Saket Bar Association, which represents lawyers in the district where the trial is being held, has vowed not to represent the defendants because of the nature of the crime.
“It is a heinous crime,” said Rajpal Kasana, president of the bar association. “There was a good response from the members, and they will not represent.”
But he also said that “somebody has to represent them,” and that if the defendants do not retain private lawyers, the court will appoint them counsel recruited from Legal Aid.
Dozens of female lawyers appeared in the court on Monday, many of them vocally objecting to the defendants’ right to any representation. Some scuffled with lawyers who volunteered to represent them.
The volunteers included Manohar Lal Sharma, who practices in the Supreme Court and has filed numerous public interest lawsuits against top public figures.
“I am only concerned with the judicial system,” Sharma said. “They should get a free and fair trial.”
Lawyers outside the courthouse on Monday said they planned to try to overturn the ban on reporting proceedings.
--more--"
"Lawyer in India rape case blames victims for assault" by Andrew MacAskill | Bloomberg News, January 10, 2013
NEW DELHI — The lawyer representing three of the men charged with the gang rape and murder of a medical student aboard a moving bus in New Delhi has blamed the victims for the assault, saying he has never heard of a ‘‘respected lady’’ being raped in India.
Wow.
Manohar Lal Sharma's comments come as Indians have reacted with outrage to the opinions of politicians and a religious preacher who have accused Westernized women of inviting sexual assaults.
Sharma said the male companion of the murdered 23-year-old was ‘‘wholly responsible’’ for the rape as the unmarried couple should not have been on the streets at night....
Sharma’s comments highlight frequently aired attitudes toward women in India. Activists say reporting of sex crimes and police investigations of rape are hindered by a tendency to blame the victim for not following the traditional, conservative social roles ascribed to women.
‘‘This is the mentality which most Indian men are suffering from unfortunately,’’ said Ranjana Kumari, director for the New Delhi-based Centre for Social Research. ‘‘That is the mindset that has been perpetrating this crime because they justify it indirectly, you asked for it so it is your responsibility.’’
A spiritual guru, Asharam, sparked an outcry earlier this week when he said the New Delhi victim was equally responsible and should have ‘‘chanted God’s name and fallen at the feet of the attackers’’ to stop the assault.
Mohan Bhagwat, the head of the pro-Hindu Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh that underpins the country’s main opposition political party, said rapes only occur in Indian cities, not in its villages, because women in cities adopt Western lifestyles.
Sharma said the man and woman should not have been traveling back late in the evening and making their journey on public transport. He also said it was the man’s responsibility to protect the woman and that he had failed in his duty.
It was six against one! You know what might have helped him? A GUN!!!
‘‘The man has broken the faith of the woman,’’ Sharma said. ‘‘If a man fails to protect the woman, or she has a single doubt about his failure to protect her, the woman will never go with that man.’’
Can this guy be disbarred for idiocy?
The gang rape of the woman on Dec. 16 provoked a sustained debate about the safety of women in the world’s biggest democracy. The brutality of the crime and allegations by a male friend of the victim that it took police 45 minutes to respond to calls outraged the nation.
--more--"
But once they did:
"Police beat India rape suspects, lawyer says; Paperwork delays court hearing" by Tim Sullivan | Associated Press, January 11, 2013
NEW DELHI — Police badly beat the five suspects arrested in the brutal gang rape and killing of a young woman on a New Delhi bus, the lawyer for one of the men said Thursday, accusing authorities of tampering with evidence in a case that has transfixed India.
‘‘They are innocent,’’ Manohar Lal Sharma said of the five suspects ahead of a court hearing, which ended quickly after officials said the court’s paperwork of the charges was illegible.
Sharma said police also placed prisoners into the suspects’ cells to threaten them with knives, adding, ‘‘You can’t believe the reality of Indian prisons.’’
Oh, I think I could.
Five men have been charged with attacking the 23-year-old woman and a male friend on a bus as it was driven through India’s capital. The woman was raped and assaulted with a metal bar on Dec. 16 and eventually died of her injuries. Rape victims are not identified in India, even if they die, and rape trials are closed to the media.
Sharma, who has made a series of inflammatory and often-contradictory statements over the past two days, at one point Thursday said the dead woman’s male companion, who boarded the bus with her after the pair saw a movie together, was ‘‘responsible for the whole thing.’’ He gave no details, though, and a few hours later said the man’s responsibility ‘‘was only my opinion.’’
The case has sparked protests across India by women and men who say their legal system doesn’t do enough to prevent attacks on women. Women have told stories of relentless abuse — from catcalls to rapes — and of a police and judicial system that does little to stop it, often accusing victims of unchaste behavior.
The woman and her male friend were coming home from a movie when they boarded a bus that police say was carrying the defendants, who were traveling together on a joy ride through the city. The woman’s friend, who has not been identified, has said he tried to defend the woman but was soon beaten unconscious. Authorities say the two were dumped off the bus, naked and bloody, later.
Sharma said that authorities, under pressure to quickly wrap up the case, would convict the suspects no matter what evidence, including forcing them to incriminate themselves.
That's law enforcement the world over.
‘‘What happened to this woman was so heinous, so horrible,’’ Sharma said, adding that, ‘‘the police will manipulate the facts.’’
Probably, but that also doesn't mean they didn't so it.
--more--"
"India struggles with social media after rape uproar" by Rama Lakshmi | Washington Post, January 13, 2013
NEW DELHI — Protests against a gang rape have galvanized thousands of young Facebook- and Twitter-savvy Indians, and they once again exposed the Indian government’s beleaguered and often blundering efforts to join the social media bandwagon.
The government appeared completely caught off guard by the outrage that started online and spilled into the streets over the Dec. 16 rape of a New Delhi woman, who died two weeks later. Its slow but eventual response was a series of bland, scripted statements by ruling politicians, some embarrassing bloopers, and a heavy police crackdown.
Governments are pretty much the same the world over these days. So out of touch with their own people.
Every misstep trended on Twitter, was liked on Facebook, and was amplified on YouTube, only exacerbating the image of a lumbering government that just could not match up.
Awww, the poor... government?
‘‘The government is completely disconnected with the reality of the 21st-century urban India,’’ said Reema Ganguly, 44, who posted Facebook messages, photographs, and videos from a protest in New Delhi. ‘‘They can’t keep talking down to us, but they must engage with us.”
‘‘Facebook is not just about making friends,’’ Ganguly added. ‘‘After the gang-rape incident, we aired our grievances, shared stories of our experiences of facing sexual violence daily in this city, and signed petitions. . . . Does the government even understand this anger?’’
Yeah, it's when they send out the security forces to crack some skulls.
But now, as it battles urban unpopularity and gears up for possible early national elections later this year, government officials are indicating a willingness to take steps — albeit baby steps — toward befriending social media....
In the past year, India’s government has approached social media with deep suspicion. It has sought to require websites and search engines to screen content it considers offensive; taken down lampooning Facebook cartoons; and blocked sites it said were inciting hate.
Censorship? In a democracy?
Now the government is formulating a new policy and will appoint a core team to train officials about social media, which, India’s recently appointed information and broadcasting minister, Manish Tiwari, 44, said in an interview, ‘‘needs to be embraced, not shunned, feared, controlled, or banned.’’
Translation: we need to get on top of this thing with our own propaganda.
There are signs of a grudging realization among politicians that many younger Indian voters form opinions by consuming information online, not by listening to traditional political speeches....
That goes out to all the political pricks of the entire world!
--more--"
"Judge fast-tracks trial for Indian gang rape suspects" by Muneeza Naqvi | Associated Press, January 18, 2013
NEW DELHI — Lawyers for the five have said police mistreated their clients, including beating them to force them to confess to the Dec. 16 crime.
I wouldn't doubt it.
V.K. Anand, a lawyer for one of the defendants, said Thursday that he would petition the Supreme Court to have the rape trial moved out of New Delhi because he doesn’t believe his client could get a fair hearing in the capital.
Police say the victim and a male friend were heading home from an evening movie when they boarded a bus, where they were attacked by the six assailants. The attackers beat the man and took turns raping the woman and penetrated her repeatedly with a metal bar, causing massive internal injuries, police said. During the attack, the bus drove through a series of police checkpoints without incident, police said.
The victims were eventually dumped on the roadside, and the woman died two weeks later in a Singapore hospital.
The attack focused attention on the little-discussed issue of sexual violence in a country where women are still often regarded as second-class citizens.
And yet so much of the focus in my agenda-pushing Jewish war daily is on Muslim treatment of their women. Of course, India is supposed to be an ally on the big WWIII map.
Victims are often blamed for sexual attacks — by their families or authorities — and the shame of rape keeps many women from reporting such attacks.
Since the gang rape, though, sexual violence has become front-page news nearly every day across the country, with demands that the government do more to protect women and prosecute those that attack them. The government has established several committees to look into how such a horrific attack could occur and recommend changes in the law.
--more--"
So what did they come up with?
"Rape panel calls for major changes in India" by Simon Denyer | Washington Post, January 24, 2013
So what did they come up with?
"Rape panel calls for major changes in India" by Simon Denyer | Washington Post, January 24, 2013
NEW DELHI — The three-member judicial panel was established to assuage national outrage over the gang rape and murder of a 23-year-old student last month....
That's why I didn't really take it seriously. It's a p.r. move.
In a 200-page report, the panel slammed decades of apathy and criminal behavior in the way the country was governed and said the nationwide protests were ‘‘a call to India to change the way in which women are treated.’’ It also laid bare a deep disconnect between India’s young people and its government....
The panel’s head, said Justice J.S. Verma, praised the young people who protested peacefully to demand change, saying they had taught the older generation a lesson....
In AmeriKa it is the other way around. The old are out in the streets; the young have their face buried in their phones.
Not only do the police frequently fail to report or investigate rapes, but officers are sometimes involved in child trafficking themselves, Verma said. He also called for the government to shake off its ‘‘apathy’’ toward the growing problem of missing children, abducted in large and growing numbers for forced labor or sexual exploitation.
First time that's come up!
The committee recommended that marital rape be criminalized and that India’s outdated rape laws be overhauled so that sexual assault would be subject to much tougher penalties. The committee also recommended that the law be changed to make the sexual assault of homosexuals a crime.
Verma blamed political corruption for the breakdown in law and order in the country and said politicians facing criminal charges should resign from parliament, a suggestion that could affect scores of lawmakers. ‘‘When people committing crimes are framing laws . . . well I don’t need to complete that sentence,’’ he said....
No, you don't.
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"India toughens laws on sexual assault, trafficking after bus rape" Washington Post, February 04, 2013
NEW DELHI — India dramatically tightened its laws on sexual assault and trafficking Sunday, with a far-reaching package of measures rushed through to satisfy public opinion following the horrific gang rape and murder of a young woman in New Delhi in December.
I never view that as a good thing given my experiences here in AmeriKa.
Women’s groups complained that the government had not gone far enough, particularly because it failed to outlaw marital rape and deal with the legal impunity enjoyed by members of the armed forces.
So when they rape a woman from Kashmir.... arrrrrrrggghhhhhh!
But other activists said the new measures, which imposed much stricter penalties for a range of crimes, marked one of the most significant changes to India’s laws protecting women in the nation’s history.
Because Parliament is in recess, and the government wanted to move quickly, it pushed through the changes in an ordinance that was approved by the Cabinet on Friday and signed into law by the president Sunday.
They come into effect immediately, but will need to be ratified by Parliament within six months.
‘‘This shows the intention of the government to take the issue very seriously,’’ said Bhuwan Ribhu, an activist who has spent the past decade fighting trafficking and child labor. ‘‘We now have to ensure this gets translated into law [by Parliament] and the law gets enforced.’’
Yeah, yeah, after HOW LONG? Why did it take SUCH a HORRIFIC CASE?
A high-level committee headed by retired justice J.S. Verma was set up in the wake of angry protests that followed the rape to look at ways to protect Indian women.
It went further than many people expected by recommending sweeping changes to Indian law and governance. Many of its recommendations have now been accepted.
In particular, India’s rape law has been changed to allow for severe penalties for all types of sexual assault.
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"Protesters call for death penalty in India bus rape" Associated Press, January 30, 2013
NEW DELHI — Scores of protesters gathered near India’s Parliament on Tuesday, demanding the death penalty for six men accused in the fatal gang rape of a young woman on a bus in New Delhi last month.
The protesters carried placards saying, ‘‘Give us Justice, Hang the Rapists,’’ and shouted slogans before conducting a mock hanging of the men who are facing trial in a special court in New Delhi.
Can we add looting bankers and war criminals to the line?
Meanwhile, India’s Supreme Court rejected a petition Tuesday to move the trial out of New Delhi.
The petition, filed by a Delhi-based lawyer, argued that the men would not get a fair trial because of the charged atmosphere in the capital following the rape and subsequent death of the woman.
The court declared the petition void because the lawyer who filed it was no longer representing one of the defendants.
Also Tuesday, the victim’s family said it would appeal a ruling by a juvenile court that one of the accused be tried as a juvenile since he was under 18 when the attack took place.
The court’s determination means the teenager would face a maximum penalty of three years in a reform facility. If tried as an adult, he could face the death penalty if convicted.
The victim’s father, who cannot be identified until the end of the trial because of a gag order, said a bone test should be conducted on the teenager to determine his age.
Meanwhile, a special fast-track court was hearing arguments in the trial of the men charged with attacking the woman and a male friend on a moving bus.
Details of the proceedings were not available because of the gag order against revealing what happens inside the courtroom.
Police say the 23-year-old victim and her friend boarded the bus on Dec. 16 after seeing an evening movie. But the bus turned out to be off-duty and was being driven by a group of friends who, police say, attacked the couple and then took turns raping the woman.
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Let the trial begin:
The extreme brutality of the attack has sparked weeks of protests and focused national and international attention on India’s rarely discussed crisis of violence against women.
And how do you plead?
"5 suspects plead not guilty in rape
NEW DELHI — Five men pleaded not guilty Saturday after being formally indicted in a special court on 13 charges, including rape and murder, in the fatal gang rape of a woman in a New Delhi bus, a lawyer said. The court will begin hearing witnesses on Tuesday (AP)."
Related:
6 arrested in new rape of a bus passenger in India
Also on Saturday, police arrested a 32-year-old man on allegations of raping and killing a 9-year-old girl two weeks ago in Ahmednagar District in western India, the Press Trust of India news agency reported.
That's two new rapes in addition to the other two that began this post and how many more during the creation of this post that were forgotten?
Also see:
Indian lawmakers face rape sanction
Outrage over the culture of rape in India
What you couldn't see on the Globe's website, but what I saw in print:
"STOPPED IN THEIR TRACKS -- Supporters of various women's organizations in India clashed with police Monday during a protest against the rising cases of rape and violence against women in Rohtak, west of New Delhi. Five activists were hurt as the demonstrators tried, but failed, to deliver a message to a government official (Boston Globe October 16, 2012)."
That was like two months before.
