So-called intellectuals and left-liberals are spilling all over the internet about the Manipur violence, not only in India but abroad as well. Many have condemned the ruling party for their silence over the matter for so long, which is quite certain. But to everyone’s shock, Manipur is not the only state where law and order are in questionable condition. Read this article to find out.
Before moving ahead, readers must not forget the recent panchayat elections that began and ended with violence in West Bengal. As per the official data, as many as 36 people lost their lives from the day of the announcement of the election to its results.
Even after repeated directions by the Calcutta High Court, the state remained in denial mode. Read details of the same reported by Organiser here, here, here, and here.
Following is a list of cases that should have drawn the country’s attention, just like Manipur.
Manipur-like incident in Bengal
To begin with, let us take you through the details of a similar case as Manipur that occurred in West Bengal’s Howrah. As per media reports, on the day of polling, a female candidate fighting against Trinamool Congress (TMC) in the Pancahala panchayat area was paraded stripped and naked. The accused were all TMC party workers. The incident is said to have happened on July 8.
The violence and targeted crimes against women in Bengal have no end, Organiser has been constantly reporting such cases. These can be read here, here, here, and here.
Calcutta High Court slammed the TMC government over inaction
In 2021, the HC said, “In 60 per cent of the cases, FIRs were not registered. This is despite the fact that, because of a shortage of time, the committee could not record the statements of the victims in many cases”
“From the report of the Committee, sample data can be culled out which shows that in 20 cases of murder, where the complaints were referred to by the Committee to the police for registration of FIR but the lukewarm response was received from the state administration”.
Rape victim self-immolates, alleging inaction
In Congress-led Rajasthan, a woman attempted suicide by self-immolation at the police station following inaction. The 35-year-old rape victim was a resident of the Jothwara area in Jaipur, and she attempted suicide by self-immolation at Jaipur’s Vaishali Nagar police station. The incident took place in July 2019.
Family of four including a minor set ablaze
On July 20, 2023, Organiser reported a horrific crime that may send chills down your spine, a family of four, including a minor baby girl, were set ablaze after cutting their throats in the Jodhpur district of Rajasthan. The incident occurred in Osain village, almost 50 kilometres from the city. Apart from the horrifying details of the case, much is being questioned about the state’s law and order. Jodhpur is, anyway, the home district of CM Gehlot.
Dalit woman raped by 5 in front of husband, police hide matter due to elections
In May 2019, A young Dalit woman was raped before her husband near Thanagazi in Alwar, Rajasthan, by five men. The woman was married but was yet to start living with her husband because of a ritual called ‘gauna’. On April 26, the woman alleged that a group of notorious youths stopped the couple, who were on a motorcycle near Thanagazi Highway. After they were stopped, the gang-raped the woman and filmed the incident. The accused threatened the couple of making the video viral on the internet if they informed anyone about the gang rape. After the accused learned that the couple had reported the rape to the police, they uploaded the video on the internet.
It was also alleged that the police tried to suppress the incident due to the Lok Sabha elections.
NHRC issued notice to the Rajasthan govt over involvement of police in rape of a Dalit woman
The National Human Rights Commission, NHRC, India took suo motu cognizance of a media report stating that a 21-year-old Dalit woman was allegedly gang-raped and killed by three persons including two police personnel on June 20, 2023. The incident happened in Bikaner district of Rajasthan.
The Commission also observed that the contents of the media report, if true, amount to the violation of the human rights of the victim by those responsible for ensuring the safety and security of the citizens. Accordingly, it has issued notices to the Chief Secretary and the Director General of Police, in Rajasthan, calling for a detailed report on the matter within four weeks.
NSUI state general arrested for raping a college girl in Chhattisgarh
In 2022, Ruhab Meman, the Chhattisgarh State General Secretary of the National Students Union of India (NSUI), the student arm of Congress, was arrested for raping a girl student. In this case, the victim filed a complaint with Kanker’s Kotwali police station.
As reported by the Organiser, the victim informed the cops that Ruhab assisted her with college admission and that they used to communicate frequently over calls. Recently, Ruhab Meman brought the girl in his car to Singar Bhat forest under the pretext of strolling around and drove the car to a secluded place. He stopped over and raped the woman. He warned her not to tell anybody about the assault, but the girl stood up for herself and went to the police station.
In Punjab, an LKG student was raped in a school
In 2022, A student of LKG was allegedly raped on the premises of a private school in Gurdaspur, leading to protests by the victim’s parents and residents demanding the closure of the school. Later, the managing director (MD) of a private school in Punjab’s Gurdaspur district was arrested, two days after a four-year-old girl student was allegedly raped on the premises.
The incident came to light after the victim told her mother about a stomach ache. “My daughter complained of pain around 10 pm on the day of the incident. When I checked, she was bleeding,” the victim’s mother said.
These are some of the cases out of many available in the public domain which should have boiled the blood of liberals and intellectuals bad-mouthing India in global forums.
It is pertinent to mention that Organiser is equally moved by the recent video in circulation from Manipur. Any state machinery should act against the perpetrators leading to such crimes. However, as far as tackling the situation is concerned both the state and centre are taking appropriate measures. There are many historical reasons which lead to the current situation in Manipur.
To know more, watch this explainer video by Organiser.
