Monday 15 July 2013

Widespread and unchecked sexual offences occur in State ruled by a woman: Kalaignar

Pointing out that the entire Delhi city was embroiling over reports of sexual offences and the Chief Minister of Kerala and Malayalees Associations were concerned over the gang rape of a seven year old child in Tirupur and extended support, DMK President Kalaignar regretted that widespread sexual offences were taking place unchecked in the State of Tamil Nadu ruled by a woman and the media in the state also underplayed them so as not to incur the displeasure of  the regime. 
In his epistle to Party cadre on April 28, Kalaignar said on the opening day of the second phase of the Budget session of Parliament on April 22, both Houses were paralysed by the Opposition parties raising the issues of the leak of JPC’s report on 2G spectrum allocation, irregularities in the allocation of coal blocks and the incident of rape of a five-year old child in Delhi and had to be adjourned.
All television news channels conducted heated debates on the nature of punishment to be imposed on the perpetrators of the horrendous crime on the 5-year old child. In December last, Parliament witnessed uproarious scenes on the rape of a medico in a bus in Delhi and the situation developed to the extent of women laying siege of Rashtrapathi Bhavan.
According to the information on the website of Tamil Nadu State Crime Records Bureau, contrary to 484 crimes of rape from January to September in 2011, there were 528 such instances during the same period in 2012, among which 75 instances were reported in Chennai.
Kalaignar said on learning the instance of 12-year old 7th standard girl Punitha subjected to sexual violence and strangulated to death near Srivaikundam in Tuticorin district in January last, he deputed DMK district secretary N.Periyasamy to meet the mother of the child to console her and offer financial assistance, he also sent Rajya Sabha member Kanimozhi to Tuticorin to console the family members. It was only after that the ADMK regime woke up and sent assistance through a minister.
Reports of poor women subjected to such atrocious sexual violence was pouring from all over India, particularly in Tamil Nadu in recent times. Severe punishment for those committing such crimes was solitary confinement for life for them. The State and Central governments should take a decision on this and put an end to sexual crimes.
But, as far as ADMK government was concerned, taking action on sexual crimes was only at the level of nominally registering a case in police stations.
But after Jayalalitha left for Kodanad on 1.1.2013 a lengthy statement in her name was released with the headline ’13-point plan to oppress crimes against women. As usual there were applauds and shining publicities for that announcement! There were reports exaggerating that the CM had turned Tamil Nadu into a state without sexual offences.
The first three of the 13-point plan announced by the CM, were administrative announcements about who would enquire and take action on cases of sexual violence- those pending and to happen in future. Fourth aspect was Goondas Act, which was already misused to the maximum extent by this regime. Next, they said they would take action to establish women’s fast-track courts in every district to enquire into cases of sexual violence. Another plan was to bear the medical expenses of women affected in sexual violence. What happened to these 13-point plan announced? Did these announcements also stop with letters as others, Kalaignar wondered.
Giving detailed account of the barbaric sexual violence committed on a five-year old child in Delhi, Kalaignar said 38,338 cases of sexual assaults on children had been registered in India from 1001 to 2011. When the case of rape of the child in Delhi was heatedly discussed up to Parliament, what is the situation in Tamil Nadu?
On April 12 last, when an eight-year old Malayali girl was alone in her house after returning from school, she was raped by a gang of four even as she was screaming. The mother of the girl Lalitha was living away from her husband Unnikrishnan working in Chennai. That child studying second standard in a private school used to attend ‘tuition’ till her mother returned from the industry where she was employed. But on that day school was over earlier and tuition was also cancelled. Hence the girl returned home and when she was about to take food one Kannan and three others entered into the house, raped and then also tortured her.
When her mother returned home and saw her daughter lying unconscious she had carried her to a nearby hospital. After the girl regained conciousness she had narrated the happenings after which a complaint was lodged in the police station. But in the beginning the police treated the issue lightly and only after the locals protested they had filed a case and arrested the four culprits. The four were working in a factory there and had threatened of dire consequences if they complained to the police.
Now the girl was undergoing treatment in Ganga Hospital in Coimbatore. The doctors of the hospital had told Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, when he enquired, that the girl was improving. The Kerala Chief Minister had spoken to the family members of the girl and assured them of all help. Moreover, associations of Malayalees had been consoling Lalitha who was still to recover from the shock on the condition of her daughter. In the meanwhile, as advised by Kerala CM, KPCC secretary C. Chandran came in person and enquired the girl’s relatives. He had also spoken to functionaries of Malayalee associations in Tamil Nadu.
Even after so many developments, it was height of pity that none of the ministers or local ruling party functionaries visited that child or console her mother or came forward to provide any assistance. When the Kerala Chief Minister was taking so many initiatives, the woman Chief Minister of TN did not even issue a statement about this. Instead, on April 23 she had brought pages of written reply on how the law and order situation was maintained ‘well’ and read it out for the debate on grants for police department in the Assembly.
“Not only the CM, while the dailies and media in Tamil Nadu were discussing over the Delhi incident for pages and for hours, why none of them was not even least concerned about Tirupur rape incident? Is it not because if they write about it or criticise on television they will have to incur the hatred of the CM in TN? When the Chief Minister of Kerala was directly intervening and pay attention because the raped was a Malayali child, is it proper for Tamil Nadu Chief Minster to ignore it?” Kalaignar asked.
One of the leader of the CPI Tirupur K.Subbarayan had demanded that justice should be rendered to the family of the affected girl and for the punishment for the culprits the State government should take suitable action, Kalaignar said adding instead of placing the demand to the State government, if Subbarayan just informed the state secretary of his party D.Pandian, a way for getting relief for the child will be created.
Not only in Tirupur, in the first week of this month SSLC student Nadhiya of Palakombai village near Andipatti in Theni district was raped and murdered. “Do the government here pay attention to all these? The Assembly session was going on and is there any chance to speak about these matters at least there?” Kalaignar asked.

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