AISA led JNUSU protests against the brutal rape of a minor girl from Manipur: the Culprits are Arrested

The shocking news of brutal rape of a minor 14 year old North-East girl in Munirka on Friday night (7th February,2014) has once again shaken all of us. The moment this gruesome news came out, the AISA led JNUSU gave the call for an immediate protest. At JNUSU’s call hundreds of students from the campus poured out in protest at the Vasant Vihar police Station. Students and activists from North-East also joined in large number in this spontaneous protest. It was only after hours of protest by around 500 students and citizens at the Police Station, did the Police finally file the FIR where, we have been told that the culprit has been booked under Sections 376(2i), 342, 324,363,366,509 of IPC. JNUSU along with numerous people from the city held a Candle light March from VV Police Station to the neighbouring area. Today JNUSU joined in solidarity with the students from the North-East, who organised a silent Sit-In at Patiala House to demand that the process of justice in the case is not subverted through crafty cover-up by any nexus of the  investigation agencies and local power groups.

Just last week, Delhi saw the brutal broad daylight murder of 19-year-old Nido Tania, from Arunachal Pradesh, in Lajpat Nagar market. A massive and sustained protest broke out in the city. But shockingly, even as the city-wide protest against this racist lynch-mob murder of Nido was at its peak, two Manipuri women were beaten up near Kotla. And now, we are witnessing this horrific barbarism against a minor North-East girl in the heart of South Delhi.

As the popular protest snowballed against in Nido’s murder, various ruling parties did make the mandatory ‘condemnation’ noises. But it is indeed revealing that while they continue to indulge in competitive blame game to reap political harvests, none of them have chosen to recognise the deep-seated racial and anti-women prejudices that dominate not just the social psyche but more dangerously the security agencies, police, State policy and politics, which they directly command and define. They refused to be accountable for the highly condemnable police inaction, ‘inefficiency’ and orchestrated ‘cover-up’ that local police routinely display in dealing with such cases of racist and sexual violence.  So we have to be extra vigilant that the vested power groups do NOT manage to subvert justice. We have to take to the streets with renewed vigour against  this growing trend of racist and sexual violence in the city. We must resolve to stop this shame NOW!