Friday 29 August 2014

Is this called ‘safety for women’, asks Kalaignar: Jayalalitha’s 13-point action plan remains only on paper

Countering Chief Minister Jayalalitha’s claim that Tamil Nadu, under her regime was the safest State for women, DMK President Kalaignar on August 7 listed some of the instances of rape and murder of women in the last two years and said her announcement of 13-point programme for safety of women seemed to be only on papers.
In his epistle to party cadre on the day, Kalaignar said despite reports on increasing crimes os murders, robberies and rapes, the ADMK regime was cheating themselves and the people of the State as if the State remained as a garden of peace. The debate on demand for grants for Home department was usually taken up for two days which has now been shrunk to one day showing how much democracy was permitted in this regime.
It has been reported in dailies that in her reply to the debate on the grants for the department, Chief Minister Jayalalitha claimed that ‘Tamil Nadu is the safest State for women in India’. We do not know whether she had said so in her inability to say that TN was not safe for men, Kalaignar said and cited some instances to show how safe women were now in the State.
Under ADMK regime, two girls of a school hostel in Pollachi were raped. Vimala near Nannilam, Malar in Koyambedu, Dalit student Vinitha were raped and murdered. Further in the list of rape and murder were: 9-year old Gayathri in Andiappan village near Tirupattur in Vellore district 29.12.2012, Nandini in Sivagiri 22.1.2013, Vijaya in Saidapet 11.1.2013, 13-year old school student Punitha in Srivaikuntam in Tuticorin district 22.12.2012, 11-year old dalit girl in Nagapattinam district 23.12.2012, Suganthi on the banks of Manimutharu in Vriddhachalam 27.12.2012, young woman Sandhya in Manchakuzhi village near Chidambaram 27.12.2012, Menaka in Thatharavalasai village in Harur taluk, Dhamapuri 30.12.2012, Mariammal in Tuticorin 29.12.2012, student Kalki in Villupuram Vanur Rukmanipuram 5.1.2013, 12-year girl in Udamalpet, 18 year old woman gang raped near district collector’s office in Namakkal 6.1.2013, 17 year old Abhinaya in Thimiri near Arcot in Vellore district self immolated to save her chastity 6.1.2013, rape attempt on a plus 2 student in Mugapair 6.1.2013, Ambattur, Premalatha in Pozhichalur, Chennai raped and killed 6.1.2013, Meena abducted and gang raped near Thotttiam in Tiruchi district, Kannamma, servant maid raped by house owner in Koyambedu, Chennai 7.1.2013, 11 year old girl raped while shepherding 4.1.2013, a lady worker of a xerox shop raped in Adambakkam Chennai 4.1.2013, girl sexually assaulted in Mylapore and fleeing driver’s mother committed suicide on 6.2.2013, 16 old girl kidnapped and raped in Dharmapuri on 17.2.2013….. and the list goes long.
 ‘The Hindu’ daily published a lengthy article on 25.6.2014 relating to this sexual atrocity. Its heading is “Crime against women, especially against Dalits has been quite frequent in the central districts in the past few years; while the Police are tardy in registering complaints, the indifference of authorities to the plight of the marginalised sections continues- HURT and MUTE”. In that article, besides writing about the rape and murder of Vinitha in Karur, they have described that the dream of her parents about their daughter is shattered.
The daily has listed,
v In February 2012, 19 year old girl student was raped and murdered in Amoor and her decomposed body was found twenty months later in Cauvery bed.
v In March 2012 a 12 year old Dalit girl was raped and murdered in Sirkali of Nagapattinam district.
v In December 2012 in Thalaignayiru in Nagapattinam district, eight year old Dalit girl was raped.
v In January 2014, in the Nagudi police station limits of Puduckottai district, 17 year old woman was raped and murdered.
In April 2014, in Vedarayam of Nagapattinam district 8 year old girl student was sexually assaulted. 
Not only sexual crimes. ‘The Times of India’ on 20.6.2014 published a detailed article on robberies under ADMK regime. It stated that the State police were still unable to nab a gang which had been robbing by diverting attention. This group has so far stolen jewels and cash of Rs,20 lakh so far from 2013 in over 180 incidents. Among the cases filed in 2013, culprits in 85 cases were still to be nabbed. None of the 25 robberies by diverting attention had been solved.
But in her inaugural address at the conference of district collectors and police officers in Chennai, Jayalalitha claimed that as far as law and order situation was concerned all present there could feel proud and satisfied. Last year also in this conference she said the law and order situation was excellent in TN.
Kalaignar cited some instances to remind people about the law and order situation in TN now.
Sholavandan ADMK MLA Karuppaiah was saved by locking in a hotel room from the assault of an armed gang led by ADMK union secretary near Vadipatti. In the first week of November 2013, nine were murdered in one day in Tiruchi, Thanjavur and Nagapattinam.
Countering Jayalalitha’s claim that the government was granting permission to anybody who wanted to stage protests as it was their democratic right adding that Tamil Nadu could take pride in what was happening here, Kalaignar said the High Court judge Justice Sasidaran directed the police to grant permission for the public meeting of the DMDK in November 2013 to explain the resolutions of their general council at Cuddalore.
Orders prohibiting the entry of PMK leader Dr. Ramadoss into the districts of Madurai and Cuddalore, VCK President Tirumavalavan into Villupuram district were issued, and prohibitory order under sec 144 all over Dharmapuri district was promulgated by this regime thus suppressing democratic activities.
Only on Court orders permission was granted for the meetings of DMK Treasurer Thalapathi M.K.Stalin at Salem on 16.2.2013, at Karur on 15.12.2012 and in Tuticorin on 28.12.2012 after the police refused permission.
Not only for DMK meetings, Kalaignar said and asked whether permission was granted for the birth day functions of Super Star Rajnikanth and Vijay and for the TESO conference in Chennai.
The pro-ADMK daily ‘Daily Thanthi’ itself published a report under the heading ’16 murders in a month in Chennai’ among which in 5 culprits were not arrested. Another certificate issued to the police was: “The Madras High Court Bench here came down heavily on the police officers “who think they are a law unto themselves just because they are vested with certain powers under the Code of Criminal Procedure and that the common people are at their mercy” (The Hindu 14.2.2012).
Thus time won’t be sufficient for writing about instances to show that law and order were not properly maintained by the ADMK regime. But Jayalalitha invariably claimed on all occasions the TN excelled in maintenance of law and order and dailies in TN publishing them prominently. By repeatedly telling a lie it could not become true, Kalaignar said. To substantiate the situation, according to reports in dailies in the last three years there were 3,525 murders, 1,352 thefts, 1,023 wayside robberies and 1,120 chain snatchings.
Kalaignar cited the words of Mahatma Gandhi ‘Only on the day when a woman wearing jewels all over her body could freely walk alone in midnight without any danger that it means India has attained true independence”. It was 67 years since India became independent. But has Gandhi’s dream come true?
Even in Chennai city chain snatching incidents were reported daily. Is this the safety provided for women, Kalaignar asked. On 22.12.2012, ‘The Times of India’ published a lengthy article on rapes stating, ‘Up to September over 500 cases have been filed-9 percent increase in rape incidents in TN”. The website of the police department informed that there were 528 rape crimes from January to September 2012 as against 484 during the same period in 2011. Of these 528 incidents 75 were in Chennai. Jayalalitha has reported that in 2013 there were 923 cases of rapes. Is this the indication of reduction in such cases. But she has tried to defend saying other crimes were included under this heading by the police, thus trying to escape by blaming police department under her authority.
Kalaignar recalled the harsh remarks of Dharmapuri Sessions Court against police officers in the Dharmapuri bus burning case in which three Agricultural college girls were burnt to death.  Similarly no action has been taken against ADNMK MLA Paranjothi on the complaint of Dr Rani even after the court issued orders.
Kalaignar said on 1.1.2013, Jayalalitha announced a 13-point action plan to ensure women’s safety and prevent incidents of sexual harassment. She said steps would be taken to amend Goondas Act and set up Fast Track Mahila Courts in each district to investigate sexual assault cases in the state. Efforts would be taken to bring sexual assault cases under the purview of Goondas Act as such incidents have the potential to disturb peace.”The Goondas Act will be amended”.Incidents of sexual assault will be treated as a grave crime and top police officials would probe them, she said. Orders have also been issued to put in place close-circuit television (CCTV) sets in all public buildings to identify those who trouble women. Police personnel in plainclothes would be deployed at market places and women’s colleges to ensure safety of women. Besides meeting the entire medical expenses of women who suffered sexual assault, efforts would also be made for their rehabilitation, the Chief Minister said. Setting up of Women Helpline, engaging women lawyers and hearing of sexual assault cases on daily basis were some of the others measures, she said.
But what happened to this 13 point action plan? Possibly this announcement also remained only on papers as in the case of her other announcements, Kalaignar said.

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