By TwoCircles.net staff reporter
Ahmedabad: Noted social activist Ms. Shabnam Hashmi challenged Gujarat Chief Minister Mr. Narendra Modi on his proposal to give shelter to Taslima Nasrin.
Ms. Hashmi who have been working for promoting communal harmony in Gujarat for many years said that Mr. Modi should first provide justice to women who were raped and sexually assaulted in Gujarat.
In an open letter to Mr. Modi she said that “it is ironical that a Govt which refused to acknowledge the gang rape of more than 300 Muslim women during the Gujarat carnage of 2002 is proposing to give shelter to Taslima Nasrin.“
Abuse of women is not only limited to Muslim women but have spread to cover ordinary women of Gujarat. She blamed the forces of hatred unleashed by Mr. Modi and his government, whose latest victim seems to be women.
“If a society allows hatred to breed and spread against any section of the society it ultimately engulfs every other section too and has direct impact on the women in that particular society. The hatred and violence that you unleashed in 2002 against the women from a particular background has engulfed women of all classes, religions, castes and socio-economic backgrounds,” alleged Ms. Shabnam Hashmi.
A pilot study conducted by Ahmedabad Women’s Action Group (AWAG) under the ‘Mental Health Care Pilots in Gujarat’ project undertaken by the Indian Institute of Management , Ahmedabad (IIM-A ) revealed that a whopping 58 per cent of the surveyed women in ‘your mega city’ of Ahmedabad suffer significant mental distress.
The study revealed horrendous forms of physical violence which include slapping, punching, biting, kicking and even branding with cigarette butts!
According to the sample survey 65 per cent women conceded to being abused in public and in front of neighbours! 35 per cent women reported that their children, especially girls, were victims of violence and were physically and verbally abused by the father. 70 per cent reported verbal abuse, threats, 68 per cent reported slapping, 62 per cent reported kicking, 53 per cent reported punching, 49 per cent reported hitting with hard objects, 37 per cent reported biting, 29 per cent reported choking and 22 per cent reported branding with cigarette butts.
Referring to the grim statistics generated by this study, Ms. Hashmi blamed Mr. Modi directly for it saying “it is the result of the hatred which you have sown in the hearts and minds of the people. The men whom you encouraged and sent to rape and kill in 2002 were brothers and fathers and husbands. They were part of this society. Did you expect that they will indict violence on ‘other’ women and be very nice to women inside their own houses?”
Regarding Taslima Nasrin, Ms. Hashmi said India and Indians will protect and keep Taslima safely but Mr. Modi being the Chief Minister of Gujarat should put his house in order by protecting women in Gujarat