News
Hathras: After 31 months, justice not delayed but denied
On March 2nd, 2023, a special court in Uttar Pradesh announced its verdict in the Hathras case, in which, according to CBI investigation, a 19-year-old Scheduled caste woman was gang-raped and murdered by four upper-caste men in September 2020. While the court sentenced one of the accused to life imprisonment, the other three were acquitted of all charges due to a lack of evidence.
According to the special court, only Sandeep out of the four accused named Sandeep, Ravi, Luv Kush, and Ramu has been found guilty of culpable homicide not murder or rape and sentenced to life imprisonment.
The verdict has sparked outrage across the country, with many questioning the fairness of the trial and the criminal justice system in India.
The verdict has sparked outrage and protests across the country, with many questioning the fairness of the trial and the criminal justice system in India. The victim’s family has expressed their disappointment and shock at the verdict, with the victim’s sister-in-law stating that the verdict is
“Thakurwadi, Jaatiwadi (Casteist) and Dharmwadi” and “Court’s decision is in favor of the Thakurs and not us,” adding, “Yogi has made UP a Thakur-dominant state. We are not Hindus.” She said, “This verdict has murdered justice.”
said Victim’s sister in law
What happened in Hathras in 2020? Here’s a brief timeline:
September 14, 2020: The 19-year-old SC girl victim was reportedly gang-raped by four upper-caste men in a field in the Hathras district of Uttar Pradesh. She was found with severe injuries and was initially treated at a local hospital before being transferred to a hospital in Delhi, where she succumbed to her injuries two weeks later on September 29.
September 30, 2020: The victim’s body was hastily cremated by the police in the middle of the night, without the consent or presence of her family members. The police claimed that they had cremated the body as per the wishes of the family, but the family disputed this claim and accused the police of trying to destroy evidence.
October 2, 2020: The victim’s family alleged that they were threatened and intimidated by the Hathras District Magistrate Praveen Kumar Laxkar, to change their statements and suppress evidence.
October 2, 2020: The Uttar Pradesh police filed a charge sheet against the four accused and dismissed the charges of rape, citing forensic evidence.
October 10, 2020: Amidst the outrage against the UP police investigation, the Union Government approved the CBI investigation in the case.
October 11, 2020: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) took over the investigation of the case from the Uttar Pradesh police.
November 25, 2020: The CBI submitted its chargesheet against the four accused confirming Gang-rape and murder.
March 2, 2023: The special court sentenced one of the accused to life imprisonment and acquitted the other three due to a lack of evidence.
The family’s lawyer, Seema Kushwaha, also expressed her disappointment with the verdict, stating that the prosecution had presented a strong case against all four accused and that the acquittal of three of them was a grave injustice. She said that the verdict would be challenged in the High court.
While the sentencing of one of the accused is a mockery of justice for the victim and her family, the acquittal of the other three accused raises serious questions about the fairness and impartiality of the criminal justice system. The case has highlighted the urgent need for greater accountability and transparency in the system and for a larger conversation on the root causes of caste-based violence and discrimination in India.
Two sanitation workers died after inhaling poisonous gas while cleaning a septic tank at a private school in Tamil Nadu’s Thiruvallur district on International Workers’ Day.
On May 1, Govindan and Subburayalu were sent to clean the septic tank at a private school in Thiruvallur. Govindan was an employee of the Meenjur panchayat, while Subburayalu was a contract worker. Unfortunately, as they entered the septic tank, they inhaled toxic fumes and lost consciousness.
This news comes when the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, M.K. Stalin was celebrating International labour day.
The Fire and Rescue service were immediately called to retrieve their bodies. They used a rope harness and safety equipment to pull the workers out of the septic tank. The bodies were then sent for autopsy at the Ponneri Government Hospital.
After the incident, the Meenjur Police registered a case and detained Simiyon Victor, the principal of the school, for questioning. Simiyon stated that the two men were sent by Meenjur panchayat officials for cleaning work. However, the panchayat officials denied allocating any sanitation work to the duo on May Day.
Kolkata Mayor and TMC minister Firhad Hakim has come under fire for allegedly using casteist slurs during a speech at a rally in Murshidabad district of West Bengal. The incident has triggered outrage among the public and various political parties.
Founder of Mission Ambedkar, Suraj Kumar Baudh, tagged the Chairman of National Scheduled Castes Commission, Vijay Sampla, on Twitter, urging him to take action against Hakim under the SC-ST PoA Act. In his tweet, he also stated that “caste slurs are not satire.”
The casteist slur used by Hakim during his speech was “Chori-Chamari,” which is illegal under the SC/ST POA Act.
The viral speech video has sparked widespread condemnation from on social media, and people are demanding strict action against the minister.
After the outrage on Twitter, Vijay Sampla tweets in Hindi tagging the NationalCommission of Scheduled Caste: The allegations are very serious. @NCSC_GoI Will investigate the matter and take legal action.
News
Canadian city of Burnaby becomes first to include caste as a protected category in equity policy
Burnaby, a city in British Columbia, Canada, has become the first city in the country to include caste as a protected category in its equity policy, according to a report by the Hindustan Times. “City Council approved an update the City’s Equity Policy to include ‘caste’ as a protected category,” stated the post on the city’s website.
The motion was passed unanimously, according to Council member Sav Dhaliwal. Dhaliwal stated that the move was an acknowledgement of a problem that exists and a step towards finding solutions. “It’s an acknowledgement of a problem that exists and that’s the start of the search for solutions,” he said to Hindustan Times.
The motion was initially passed by the executive committee of the Council on April 5, after the Vancouver-based Chetna Association of Canada brought the issue to their attention. In proposing the update to the city’s equity policy, Dhaliwal and fellow councillor Richard T Lee wrote to the Mayor and all Council members that the executive committee had “expressed concern that casteism, a social hierarchy passed down through families that has been outlawed in India since 1948, is still being practiced in Canada and where some South Asian populations exist.”
Jai Birdi, the general secretary of the Chetna Association of Canada, welcomed the decision, saying, “Adding caste as a protected category sends a strong message that the city values diversity and does not tolerate any kind of harassment or oppression, including the one based on caste. This also provides a framework for staff training and enhancing awareness as well as equity.” Harmesh Chander, Chetna’s vice-president, described the move as a “first step” and expressed hope that other cities across Canada will follow Burnaby’s lead.
Dahaad – One more product of political correctness
May day: Two Workers Die of Suffocation While Cleaning Septic Tank at Tamil Nadu School
TMC Minister Firhad Hakim uses Casteist Slurs in a Speech, Sparks Outrage
“I come from an India” a reply to Vir Das by Journalist Babita Gautam
Why 25 December Is Celebrated as “Manusmriti Dahan Divas”?
