“वहाँ उपेक्षा कायरता है जहाँ उचित प्रतिकार
क्रोध ले न प्रतिशोध तो न हो सीता का उद्धार।”
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| Photo1:Daniel Berehulak;Source:The Atlantic |
इतिहास के व्योम विस्तार में अनगिन घटनायें उल्कापिण्ड की तरह गिरती उतरती विलीन होती रहती हैं और समय चक्र उसे पोंछ कर साफ कर देता है, किन्तु कोई घटना असन्निपात की तरह मर्मभेदी होती है और वह समय की पीठ पर सवार हो जाती है। वह समाज का दर्पण बन जाती है और हमें अपना मुँह देखकर ही उबकाई आने लगती है। ऐसी ही घटना विदा होते वर्ष के अंत में घटित हुई। राजधानी के राजमार्ग पर एक विहँसता खिला अनाघ्रात यौवन राक्षसी पुरुषों के कुलिश अनाचार से क्षत-विक्षत कर दिया गया। दामिनी सामूहिक बलात्कार की रौरव नारकीय यातना झेलते झेलते संज्ञा शून्य हो पथ पर बिखर गयी। अमानवीय कृत्य की पराकाष्ठा हो गयी। रात कलंकित हो गयी। परस्पर संबंधों की नींव हिल गयी। उसकी एक-एक चीत्कार हर संवेदनशील का दरवाजा खटखटा गयी। आँसू की बूंद से धूल गीली हुई। भीड़ उमड़ी। ‘We want justice’ की बुलंदी से दिल्ली दहल गयी। तेरह दिन की पीड़ा को अपने साहस से झेलते हुए वह संकल्पव्रती विश्व रंगमंच से विदा हो गयी। जीवन हाय-हाय कर उठा। ’मेघ वितान बीच विलसत सौदामिनी चंचला’-सी वह अदृश्य में चली गयी। किन्तु वह अनेक में एक हो गयी।
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| Photo 2: Kevin Frayer Source: The Atlantic यह चित्र स्वयं में एक पूरी कहानी है। अब हमें बचना नहीं, पीछे नहीं हटना। फुहार-जल की या रक्त की- विचलित नहीं करेगी हमें। यह कदम-ताल है संघर्ष को क्रान्ति तक ले जाने वाली। |
इण्डिया गेट पर उमड़ी युवक-युवतियों, नौजवान-वृद्धों की अपार भीड़ पुकार-पुकार कर कह रही है-बहुत हो चुका, अब और नहीं। न्याय मिले। कानून बदले। अपराधी प्राण-दंड की सजा भुगतें। शांति की कपोती मुक्त गगन विहार करे। कुछ करो, कुछ करो। केवल चित्र में नारी को देवी कह कर प्रणाम करने वाले, लज्जा करो, लज्जा करो। किन्तु यहाँ का नेतृत्व अंधा है, बहरा है। कुल कलंकिनी यहाँ की प्रथा अतल में धंस जाय। वातानुकूलित कक्षों में अंगरक्षकों से सुरक्षित तथाकथित ये जनसेवक आराम कर रहे हैं। कुछ ’प्रबुद्धों’ ने अपने-अपने प्रश्न और सानुकूल उत्तर रच लिए हैं। निरन्तर प्रश्नों में प्रश्न…उत्तरों के तले उत्तर। यह सब सवाल जवाब उनके कक्षों से निकल कर आ रहे हैं। वे वहाँ नहीं जाते जहाँ दुनिया के सवाल से या जवाब से उन्हें सामना करना पड़ता है। भीड़ भभक जाय, तो ये ठिठक जाते हैं। भीड़ की भूख से इनका कोई वास्ता नहीं। वह ज्यों की त्यों बनी हुई है। यह भूख किसी वादे, किसी विमर्श, किसी आयोग, किसी कानून की बात से भरने वाली नहीं। खरी भूख है। खरा भोजन चाहिए। सामान्य मन कहता है इन नेताओं की खबर ली जाय। दामिनी नाम की यह धधकती धरती की चिनगारी उनके स्वर्ग को जलाकर राख कर देती तो ही भला है। नेता दल रक्षक बनने का ढोंग रचता है। पुलिस की पीठ पर हाथ रख स्वयं की सराहना कर लेता है। वे तो
हाथ तापेंगे या सेकेंगे रोटियाँ अपनी
कौन आया है यहाँ आग बुझाने के लिए।”
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| हमें चाहिए देश भर में बलात्कारों के विरुद्ध फास्ट ट्रैक कोर्ट |
दामिनी चली गयी। इतिहास अंधा है। चकाचौंधी दुनिया का चितेरा। किन्तु सूर्य चन्द्र गवाही देंगे। यह आत्म-सम्मानी संघर्ष व्यर्थ नहीं जायेगा, न जाने दिया जायेगा। जानकी हरण, द्रौपदी वस्त्र हरण, जौहर व्रत हेतु सुन्दरियों का अग्नि-स्नान अपने बीच इस घटना को भी टाँक लेगा। हम लगातार न्याय की गुहार लगा रहे हैं। ईश्वर तंत्र को सुबुद्धि दे। ’फास्ट ट्रैक कोर्ट’# का गठन करके ’Justice delayed, justice denied’ की कहानी का अंत कर दिया जाय। मानवता की ऐसी त्रासदियाँ दुबारा न हों। फिर किसी को यह न कहना पड़े-
“झुला साँस पर, सुला पलक पर व्यथा-बालिका पाली।”
दामिनी को श्रद्धांजलि! यह स्मरण हममें आग भरे, जल कर विनष्ट हों विनाशक वासनायें। इस घने कुहासे में चमचमाता दिनमान दिखे, नये वर्ष में नया प्रस्थान दिखे।
अत्यंत महत्वपूर्ण:
# गिरिजेश जी ने बलात्कारों के विरुद्ध फास्ट ट्रैक न्यायपीठों हेतु जनहित याचिका तैयार कर अपने ब्लॉग पर प्रकाशित की है। गिरिजेश जी की संवेदना हम सबकी साझी संवेदना है, और यह पहल भी। हम प्राण-प्रण से हर कदम पर सहभागी हैं। यह पूरी याचिका यहाँ प्रस्तुत है-
बलात्कार के विरुद्ध फास्ट ट्रैक न्यायपीठों हेतु जनहित याचिका
Supreme Court of India
New Delhi
Ref.: Petitions against atrocities on women… rape.
Sub.: Public Interest petition for establishment of permanent fast track courts across India to expeditiously take up all the old and new rape cases where crime is self evident, speedy trial and to pronounce justice in time bound manner and ensure the punishment.
Honorable Chief Justice Sir,
1. I trust you with this petition to be put before the highest judicial body of the country. It may not be drafted well and may have numerous flaws but I know your kindness will take it as a petition and it comes from the trust I have in you.
2. There may be numerous executive, legislative and judicial hindrances in fulfilling my request but I know that in past the judiciary has surpassed all hindrances in matters of wide public and national interests. The matter I raise here is of national importance in the sense that it pertains to the dignity of human beings in general and the whole female population in particular which constitutes half of the nation.
3. The petition is in the context of brutal gang rape of a girl in moving bus in Delhi on 16th December 2012. She and her male friend were brutally assaulted and the violence on the girl, which resulted in her death, was the most heinous. The incident has shaken the entire country as is evident from the demonstrations across India.
But, it is and should be taken as applicable to all the rapes which have happened across country in the past and are still happening.
4. The petition is for establishment of permanent fast track courts across India to expeditiously take up all the old and new rape cases where crime is self evident, speedy trial and to pronounce justice in time bound manner and ensure the punishment.
It is also for directive by the supreme judicial authority to the executive to act on this front wherever required in a given time frame and also for inside changes in the judicial system.
5. I cannot go in to the technicalities of the rapes legally as I am ignorant but I trust that the supreme authority on the justice understands me. I have not endeavored to collect statistics as I trust that the Honorable court is aware of the quantum of the rape cases.
6. The slow speed and the complicated way with which things move when left to other institutions, fail to rouse trust in them on the matter which has become alarming and demands immediate action.
I trust that the supreme judicial authority, our Supreme Court, can mobilize all other institutions expeditiously towards achievement of a common goal.
7. Rape free society guarantees freedom to women for they can live and roam as fear free human beings. It ensures equality. Any society will fail to achieve all its potential if freedom of half of its population is curtailed by heinous crimes like rapes.
Newspapers and media are reporting daily that rapes are still happening unabated. Those who have conscience do not indulge in this, and those who do not have conscience look for chance. Only speedy punishment can bring fear of law in minds of potential criminals and it can liberate the people with conscience, of fear of such criminals.
I trust that under the scenario, only the highest judicial authority of the country can ensure the delivery of positive results.
8. Rape is used against the females to crush the very spirit with which they are marching with raised heads and with the steps in parity and in rhyme with the males, for their own glory as human beings and glory of the society as a whole, breaking all the shackles and chains of the past. It is used as a weapon against them by the anti-social and reactionary forces, who still want them to be veiled in darkness of suppression and exploitation.
If rapes are not stopped, it will jeopardize the silent and effective movement of gender equality, which has now base in villages, the reservoirs of the bulk of population.
9. Fear of violation of modesty strengthens the traditional reactionaries of the society who oppose even a slightest hint of gender equality in subtler or crude ways and intimidate the daring parents, who even go the extent of selling parental properties to send their daughters for higher education in remote cities. It hampers the primary education of the girl child also.
10. Rape is the most lethal weapon of the brute and totally unjustified dominance of force over the vulnerable. It is lethal as it kills the morale of victims, it damages the whole psyche of the victims irreparably and makes the future life of the survivors miserable. It is against the very basic ethos of the civilized society, where justice of life is not determined by the jungle laws. It is against humanity and so it deserves immediate attention, intervention and action from the supreme judicial authority.
11. Rape is used against the institution of the family. It is used against the females of the family even though there is no direct grudge against them. It sucks away all the spirit of life from a family and floods it with fear.
Since society is formed of family, the fear factor engulfs the whole society. This fear contributes to the bondage of the women, who constitute half of the society, and makes it sick. A nation constituted of a sick society cannot flourish and cannot keep pace with the developments which raise the overall living standard and quality of life.
Having such repercussions, crime of rape deserves immediate attention, intervention and action from the supreme judicial authority.
12. Thousands and thousands of pending rape cases pan India tell enough about the rot which is flourishing in the society. A sound judicial and executive system combined to ensure speedy trial and punishment will certainly do a lot in effect on the arrest of this rot.
Though women form half of the population, they are not so sufficiently organized as to form a single pressure group. They are double sufferers as vulnerable and being forced to remain silent mostly on rape, for it brings social stigma. Under such a scenario, positive steps from the supreme judicial authority will certainly bring desirable changes and will boost morale and self confidence of half of the populace.
13. I trust that the Honorable court will do the needful but I feel it proper to enumerate certain points which have come to my mind and have been communicated by some of my friends also:
(a) Often FIRs for rape are not lodged in police stations by police. The Chief of Police Administration should have a mechanism to ensure that the police stations do lodge FIRs and laws be drafted for action against those officials who don’t do this, not just for negligence of duty, but as accessories after the fact.
Investigation of rape cases should be taken up immediately by a Senior Police Officer and should be supervised on daily basis by the Head of the Police organisation in the city or district. A time frame may be fixed for completion of investigations.
(b) Strict action should be there against accused of sexual assault in police stations. There are reports of further rapes and assault on victims who had gone to the police to lodge an FIR.
(c) Due to fear of the tyrants, social stigma and absence of security net; often victims or families do not come forward to lodge FIRs in case of rapes. There should be a cell of police, eminent personalities, psychologists, sociologists, lawyers and NGOs to help them. With collaborative efforts of executive and judiciary such cells may be a reality. If the Honorable court feels so, these cells may be granted certain legal powers also.
These cells should be allowed to review progress of investigation and steps taken by police to avert future incidents.
(d) There should be at least one all-women functional police station in each Police Sub-division and all primary education centres should make the pupils learn its address and have a guest lecture from the police personnel working there at least once a year.
(e) A code of conduct should be there for investigators and media which reports such cases. A set of guidelines should also be there so that survivors are treated with dignity. If they are already there, mechanism should be there for implementation.
(f) Any person / persons convicted of rape should be forever banned from contesting elections, even after the completion of the sentence, whatever the length and intensity the sentence decided for the case may be.
(g) Use of foreign objects to harm or injure a person sexually should also be legally treated as rape resulting in applicability of all the existing and future rape laws, acts, judgements etc.
(h) There should be fast track courts depending on the pendency of cases in all the states to handle rape cases in time bound manner and with all the dedicated investigating and other functions solely answerable to such courts.
All existing and future rape cases where the crime is self-evident, should be handed over to such courts.
These courts should be empowered to act suo motu also.
(i) Dedicated information system cells should be established in Supreme Court and High Courts to monitor functioning of fast track courts. So also Police Chiefs should monitor progress in investigations.
(j) Pardoning power and scope of the executive heads in case of rape punishments should be reviewed.
I, as a citizen, constitute ‘the people’ which has given the constitution to itself. I am proclaimed in the preamble to the constitution as ‘We’ and today with that collective spirit I am before you in the supreme temple of justice asking for the justice.
I have read the preamble. I can understand the word JUSTICE in the present context, though I can’t express it eloquently. I have a firm belief that this understanding is universal and with this understanding I am before you demanding justice for half of ‘the people’.
I am before you for better half of the people which is mother in lineage of earth, the mother.
I am before you for that half which ensures continuity of life carrying the future of the people in her womb.
I am before you appealing that she does not delay in deliverance of life but justice has been a delayed affair for the rapes committed against her since she carries organs to bring and sustain life on the earth and so is vulnerable.
I am before you to iterate that these rapes are against the life and I know that life is a fundamental right. I am before you for that fundamental right and when I say fundamental, I just know the fundamental beyond technicalities.
I am before you for I know that you understand me.
I am before you to plead with yourself and pronounce that justice must be delivered in a fixed time frame and with all the precision, correctness and effectiveness it deserves for it also links to the mother who delivers timely, effectively and precisely to ensure continuity of ‘We the people’.
With prayer to pronounce judicial order to all the organs of the system for establishment of pan India permanent fast track courts to handle self evident rape cases, I kneel before the Honorable supreme court and all of its Honorable judges including you.