*Violence against women in Bangalore: official numbers tip of iceberg* Bangalore, March 5 (IANS) When it comes to the number of women being subjected to violence on the streets of this tech hub of India, official figures conceal far more than they reveal, according to women's rights activists.
'For every single reported case, 10 or more lie hidden,' says Jagdeesh B.N., one of the founder members of Fearless Karnataka/Nirbhaya Karnataka (FKNK), a social group working for safety and security of women. Most of the cases of physical and verbal abuse on women on the streets of Bangalore were not reported, he added. 'Our experience says that out of every single reported case of violence against women in Bangalore, around 10 or more go unreported,' Jagdeesh told IANS. 'That makes one equal to 11.' Jagdeesh, who is also a member of Alternative Law Forum, said that so many cases were going unreported because police were not very cooperative and Indian society often ended up by blaming the victim, rather than punishing the culprit. 'Victims often avoid going to police station and filing FIR (First Information Report), as most often police is not cooperative and makes the victim undergo unnecessary trauma by their interrogation. Moreover, our society sees the victim of harassment and violence, as a woman with loose morals. Thus most of these incidents don't come to the fore and victims prefer to silently endure the trauma and pain.' According to the figures available with the police here, 170 cases were reported in Bangalore under section 354 of Indian Penal Code (IPC) in 2008. Around 180 cases were reported under the section in 2007. Section 354 of IPC refers to outraging the modesty of a woman. The police said that compilation of the number of cases registered under the section in 2009 was still going on. FKNK had been formed to make Bangalore streets safe for women and to encourage the victims to report at police stations about their trauma, Jagdeesh explained. The forum was started Feb 26 as a joint initiative by several social groups of Bangalore, almost an immediate reaction to the five cases of attack on women on various streets of Bangalore within a fortnight. There was a patern to the five cases - motorcycle borne attackers targeted women by physically and verbally abusing them for wearing western outfits. 'In recent episodes of attack on women on streets in the city, molesters told the victims to stop wearing western outfits. Moreover, all the attacks happened in crowded places and sizeable number of spectators simply watched the horror unfolding in front of them, instead of helping the women,' rued Shakun Mohini, a member of Vimochana, a women's rights group that is a part of FKNK. Shakun added that FKNK has already started sensitisation programmes among people across Bangalore, so that they help the women in distress. On International Women's Day March 8, members of the group and other citizens will walk down various prominent roads of the city. Christened 'Take Back the Night Walk', this will be an attempt by women to reclaim their right to be safe at night across the state. Shakun said that Bangalore immediately needs a special helpline for quick help to women who are abused and harassed on the roads. 'The helpline will ensure that immediate rescue measures for the victims could be ensured and arrest of those involved in such assaults on women.' In a memorandum submitted to Bangalore Police Commissioner Shankar Bidari Monday, FKNK has demanded that a dedicated 24 hour helpline be set up, exclusively for women in distress. Bangalore has Vanita Sahayavani, a helpline dedicated to women. NGO Parihar runs the service along with a toll free telephone number 1091. But the helpline mostly deals with cases of marital discord and provides counselling to estranged couples. (Maitreyee Boruah can be contacted at [email protected]) On Tue, Mar 3, 2009 at 10:44 PM, Sukla Sen <[email protected]> wrote: > From: Bobby Kunhu <[email protected]> > Date: Tue, Mar 3, 2009 at 9:16 AM > Subject: [invitesplus] ABVP competing with Shreeram Sena > > > Since that unholy alliance between Deve Gowda and BJP, one has been > watching with worry the emergence of Karnataka as the next experimental base > for the Sangh Parivar. I hope to write more on this soon. Anyways, Karnataka > would be a more significant lab given its diversity and comparative > cosmopolitanness and the site of the battle is once again the ownership of > the woman, her body and choices. > > Todays Hindu reported this and unfiortunately this has escaped the > attention of most of the messiahs of liberal thought And it might be > noteworthy on how the Hindu has framed the issue as well > > http://www.hindu.com/2009/03/03/stories/2009030354850700.htm > > taka <http://www.hindu.com/2009/03/03/22hdline.htm> [image: Printer > Friendly > Page]<http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/thscrip/print.pl?file=2009030354850700.htm&date=2009/03/03/&prd=th&;> > [image: Send this Article to a > Friend]<http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/thscrip/pgemail.pl?date=2009/03/03/&prd=th&;> > > *ABVP imposes ban on wearing burkhas in rural college in Karnataka *Sudipto > Mondal > > PANJA VILLAGE/SULLIA TALUK: Muslim girls of the Government Composite > Pre-University College here have been banned from wearing burkhas by local > Hindutva outfits and the Bharatiya Janata Party-affiliated Akhil Bharathiya > Vidyarthi Parishad. > > According to Lakshmisha Gobbalathadka, the self-proclaimed architect of the > ban, the idea was first proposed to the college authorities at his behest by > a few students affiliated to the ABVP in early January this year. > > “Four of my boys spoke to the college principal and demanded that Muslim > girls be banned from wearing burkhas in classrooms,” said Mr. Gobbalathadka, > who is also the district convener of a fringe outfit called Hindu Jagarana > Vedike. > > “We agreed immediately. We did not want any trouble,” said a college > official. But soon the demands began to grow. Emboldened by the support the > boys received from a section of students, they went on to extend the ban to > the entire 28-acre campus. > > Once the ban was formalised by the college authorities, a groups of boys > took it upon themselves to impose it. “Every day, the boys sit at the tea > stall near the college gate. If we take even one step into the college gate > with the burkha on, they start scolding us,” said a 16-year-old class 10 > student. > Violence on campus > > Meanwhile, another controversy broke out on the campus after the ABVP > alleged that a Muslim boy had made a proposal of marriage to a Hindu girl. > “Our boys beat up the Muslim boy on February 28,” claimed Mr. Gobbalathadka. > At the college’s development committee meeting on January 29, a large group > of students, led by Mr. Gobbalathadka, barged in demanding that Muslim girls > stop wearing the burkha even on their way to and from the college. The > demand created a furore dividing committee members, according to college > principal, Balasubramaniam. Soon, hundreds of activists entered the venue > and physically attacked Muslim committee members and Hindus who opposed > their demands. Following the incident, Mr. Gobbalathadka and his followers > were arrested and remanded in judicial custody. > Growing support > > “Many others have been inspired by the success we have had here. Soon, this > campaign will spread to all government colleges in the region,” Mr. > Gobbalathadka told *The Hindu*, and added that the garment would soon be > banned from public spaces in the entire village of Panja. > > Panja gram panchayat president Rafique, who sustained injuries during the > January 29 violence, said:* “Some may feel that the burkha is a symbol of > oppression of women. Even if that is true, a resistance to the garment > should come from within the community. How can we tolerate somebody using > force to ban the burkha?”* > > Reacting to the issue, Deputy Director of Public Instruction C. Chame Gowda > told *The Hindu*, “The college authorities might have agreed to the ban > under pressure. But there is no law that prevents the burkha. Everybody has > the right to practice their religious beliefs as long as it does not > inconvenience others.” > > Deputy Commissioner V. Ponnuraj expressed concern over the developments and > said he was still inquiring into the issue. “The rule of law and the > Constitution will prevail,” he said. > > > > > -- > Bobby Kunhu http://community.eldis.org/myshkin/Blog/ > > > > > --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "Citizen-Mumbai" group. > To post to this group, send email to [email protected] > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to > [email protected]<citizen-mumbai%[email protected]> > For more options, visit this group at > http://groups.google.com/group/citizen-mumbai?hl=en > -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~--- > >
