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Parents struggle for Justice
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| Dalit women are in high risk of sexual assaults from upper-caste men, who are rarely prosecuted. The photo shows a group of Rajahstan Dalits not related to the story. The characters in the story chose to be anonymous. Photo: Summit Dayal. |
Thirteen years old, Supriya Jatav was working in the fields with her parents early one morning. Harvest season had started and all the members of each family were working in the fields. Supriya was sent back mid-morning to take care of the household chores with her mother. Having cooked a meal for her husband, Supriya’s mother left for the fields again, not knowing that it was the last she was to see her daughter.
Sometimes later Supriya went to a field close-by to get some fuel to make the afternoon meal. It is here that she was attacked. Another young girl in the village witnessed the incident itself. She informed the others, who ran to intervene, but by then it was too late. Supriya rushed back home and hung herself, unable to bear the shame and humiliation. Supriya Jatav committed suicide on 4th April, 2009.
Supriya’s home is a dilapidated house in a low caste Jatav village surrounded on all sides by upper caste Jat villages. Her mother sits in silence veiled and softly weeping. “She was our only daughter. She was very responsible. Her loss can never be substituted,” says Sheela, crouched on the floor.
Fighting for justice – alone
| Fighting for Dalit rights |
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| Society for Depressed People for Social Justice (DMKS), DanChurch Aid’s partner in Rajasthan is an advocacy and resource centre for Dalit Human Rights. The Centre for Dalit Rights as is popularly known reports on cases of human rights violation on Dalits across Rajasthan. It provides counseling and legal aid for victims and support to take legal action against the perpetrators. The organization has a number of lawyers in their panel providing free legal services to the victims. I n 2008, DMKS was involved in fact finding in 120 severe cases of atrocities and achieved success in 234 cases of violence ranging from rape of minor girls to prohibition to use public road. |
Squatting on his haunches Bairman Jatav, Supriya’s father talks about his struggle to fight this case. He says that a charge sheet had been filed and that all the three boys have been put in detention.
“I am going to fight for justice till my last breath. I don’t care if there is no one to support me, I will still fight for what is right. We are poor people. Had my daughter died of some disease I would have accepted it. Even now people tell me that I should let go - that is she is gone, and that I must put the matter to rest. You see, everyone is scared of ‘them’. I know my daughter will never come back, but I want the guilty punished. This is my struggle alone and I will fight it through,” says Bairman Jatav.
More and more women gather around Sheela. Each one of them has something to say. Some break down and start crying. Intriguing, they vehemently deny facing any kind of violence against Dalit women in the community. This is when the crime records reveal the high incidences of rape of Dalit women by upper caste men - nationwide three every hour, according to some sources, not taking into account that most rapes go unreported, and only a tiny fraction of the rapists are actually sentenced.
Bairam breaks the silence, “I have had to fight this case alone, and I have no support.” He tells that his own people don’t support him. Instead his Dalit neighbours tell the upper caste Jats about all his legal actions.
“People here are both scared of the upper castes and dependent on them for their livelihood. They go to the homes of the upper castes to work and then they tell the Jats all my moves. What can I do? Today it is my daughter they are foul-mouthing, but tomorrow - god forbid! - it could be their own daughters who are raped! But they don’t think like that. There is no unity. Each person is taking care of his own survival,” says Bairman.
People point fingers
Sheela breaks down speaking about her life and the humiliation she has to bear. “People point fingers. They say my daughter was characterless. I have to hear this slandering every single day. My two sons go to school, and there so many horrible things are being said about my daughter and our family. When will all this end? “
The crowd is silent, but Bairam gathers strength to speak: “Tell me which parent will not take action to bring their child to the right path, if they know they are straying. Today instead of supporting me, these people are pointing fingers at my daughter’s character. Tell me: did she deserve this?”
Names of victim and family changed to protect their identity
By Priyanka Mukherjee, Documentation Officer, DanChurchAid, New Delhi India
