People's Democracy

DURING the recent communal violence in Gujarat State, women were sexually assaulted or raped and innocent children were brutally killed. Several women organisations of Gujarat, condemned these attacks and submitted their demands to state governor through district collectors of different districts. They also performed ‘Dharana’ near collector office before submitting the memorandum for their demands.

Today, All India Democratic Women’s Association and other national women organizations had announced the day as the ‘Guajrat Day’ at national level opposing the violence took place against women during the recent riots. In Bhavnagar and Rajkot districts also, several women organizations got together near the collector offices of the respective districts and performed ‘Dharna’ before submitting the memorandum to the state governor through district collectors.

They expressed deep feeling of grief about the brutal/ inhuman sexual violence/ assaults took place on innocent women and children during the recent riots.

It is very difficult for the victim women to file FIR's and they have lost the faith about the possibilities of getting timely justice and rehabilitation. In this situation, different women organisations of the state have put three basic demands in their memorandum.

1. To immediately register FIR’s in all cases of rape and sexual assaults on women.

2. To set up special courts with a time bound mandate and special procedures based on international tribunals that have looked into such mass attacks.

3. To have special rehabilitation and compensation schemes for families where the main breadwinner has been killed and has therefore become female headed and also for children orphaned.

For immediate and impartial implementation of the actions on the above three demands, women representatives in large numbers from different organizations i.e. Nalini Jadeja, Iva Mehta, Gulshan Dard, Chandrika Adroja, Jayshri Mehta from All India Democratic Women’s Association, Bina Pathak from Subhag Mahila Utkarsh Trust, Bhavna Raval from Western Railway employees association’s women wing, Chetna Desai from Indian Council for social welfare, Lakshmiben Makwana from Bhavnagar Mahila Sangh got together and performed ‘Dharna’ before submitting the memorandum at Bhavnagar.

Similarly at Rajkot, All India Democratic Women’s Association, Rajkot District Committee, submitted the memorandum. Hundreds of women performed ‘Dharna’ at Collectorate office. This programme was lead by AIDWA, state president, Ms Kiranben Kalawadiya, state committee member Ms Shilaben Dobariya, Ms Manjulaben Sharma, etc. Good number of Women from Upeleta also participated at Rajkot.