Submitted by dn.rath, New Delhi
The Visiting Team of NCW on Patan to Gujarat
National Commission for Women
4, Deen Dayal Upadhayaya Marg,
New Delhi-110 002.
Sub- Patan Gang Rape- Request Public hearings in Gujarat association with NCW
The All India Mahila Sanskrit Sanghathan and the All India Democratic Students Organisation Gujarat State Committees, express our deepest gratitude for the concern of NCW on Patan gang rape of shame. We welcome your second visit to Patan. Your visit is a welcome respite not only for the victim, her parents, guardians but for all the citizens of Gujarat, because it apprehended that the shameful incident of gang rape is handled in a sluggish way to subvert it by the Govt.and it’s machineries, such that it may meet the same fate of earlier cases related to sex exploitation.
The immediate intervention of National Commission of Women on Patan issue followed by the notice issued by the Governor of Gujarat, of course the media trial and the surge of protests through out the state for justice, punishment of the rapists have not only raised a hope but also girl students, teachers, professors, researchers, women are coming out openly against the sexual abuses that they had undergone in the past and undergoing now. They are slowly mustering courage and strength to speak out openly. If the girls and the women are assured of justice and the punishment of the abusers then it is expected that many more cases which went unreported or un recorded, or buried under the carpet for obvious reasons may surface in an unprecedented scale.
But, we fear, if the Patan Case is buried then the courage the girl students and the women had mustered will be suppressed. So, we request The National Commission of Women to take all measures to give an exemplary punishment to the rapist teachers, including the de-recognition of their degrees with the expedition of the enquiry either by CBI or the Judicial enquiry by a High Court or Supreme court Judge.
We are submitting the list of reports on sexual exploitations in the educational institutions after the exposure of Patan Gang Rape. Day by day the numbers are increasing. Under these circumstances we request NCW to institute a number of public hearings on sexual abuses in the educational institutions and other places through out the state. The public hearings will unearth the cases of sexual exploitations went under cover and there by restore the dignity of the women. The public hearing can be undertaken with the help of eminent concerned citizens of high repute and the concerned voluntary and social organisations.
The cases of sexual abuses came to lime light after the Patan gang rape exposure.
1.. Sexual exploitation of girls students in Vapi by the teachers
2.. Abuse by the drawing teacher in the Deaf and Dumb school of Ahmedabad- 7-2-08
3.. Abuse by music teacher in C.N. Vidyalay 10-2-08
4.. Call girls entertained the three teachers in the Primary school Virgamgam 20-2-08
5.. Teachers were punished by the villagers in Lilapur village of Dashkoi Taluka because of their sexual advancement towards girl students of Primary school– 29-2-08
6.. PTC girl students of Junagarh run by DIET complained of sexual harassment- 3-3-08
7.. A teacher and two clerks complaint of sexual harassment by the trustee in Paras School of Rakhail English medium school, Ahmedabad- 4-3–08
8.. A lady teacher of Dwarka forced to resign due to sexual harassment by BJP MLA- 4-3-08
In average there is one rape and one abduction of women per day in the state. Only in 2005 there were 2010 rape cases in the state.
The dignities of women are in stake. The rapes are spreading like an epidemic and the rapists are moving freely in the society which scares the women. Gujarat which was told a safe heaven for women is a talk of past only. A mechanism should be evolved of public and NCW participation to check the menaces of rape and crime against women and more on girl students.
We urge NCW to take our proposal of Public Hearing with all seriousness.
Thanking You
Yours truly,
Bhavika Shah and Bharati Parmar
On Behalf of All India Mahila Sanskrit Sanghathan, Gujarat
Jayesh Patel and Bhavik Raja
On behalf of All India Democratic Students Organisation, Gujarat
Date-4-3-08