June 08, 2023

To make an eight-year old a pawn in a political game and then use rape as the tool of instilling fear in a whole community is thing that is loathsome to the ultimate degree of tolerance. But such is the depths people can plunge to that not only did this happen in Kathua in Jammu & Kashmir but attempts were made to cover-up the incident and now people cutting across political affiliations are trying to protect the accused. But why is the violation and murder of the young girl being treated in such a cavalier manner by many people? Why, instead of being agitated, outraged and devastated by the act, some people are trying to get the accused off the hook?

If reports are to be believed, it is all happening because the girl belonged to a nomadic tribe called Bakherwals or Gujjars. And what is the Gujjars’ ‘crime’ that they were subjected to this kind of retribution? The nomads, who constitute around 8% of the population in the Jammu area, have been demanding that the Forest Rights Act be implemented in Jammu & Kashmir so that they would get the right to use forest land. By raising this demand, they have made enemies of powerful sections of society in Jammu who say that these people are encroachers and must be driven out. The rape was a direct action to intimidate and subjugate them into leaving the area.

The police have acted in a partisan manner in trying to cover up the act. Now, politicians and other ‘stalwarts’ of Jammu society are rushing to the defense of the accused who include Sanji Ram, the keeper of the temple 70kms from Jammu where the girl was held hostage and gang-raped by Vishal, Sanji Ram’s son who came from Meerut, Sanji Ram’s juvenile nephew who lured and kidnapped the hapless girl, his friend and two special police officers, Deepak Khajuria and Surendra Verma. All these people are vermin of the lowest order and they, along with others who are part of this conspiracy, must be handed out exemplary punishment so that such inhuman acts are not repeated.