Protests over the acquittal of ‘rapists’ who allegedly raped and murdered two Dalit sisters aged 13 and 9 in their single-room house in Walayar, Palakkad have spilled in to Delhi streets. Kairali Sauhruda Vedi, a collective of Kerala students studying in Delhi, and social activists staged a candlelight protest outside the Kerala House at Jantar Mantar, New Delhi on October 28.
Kerala is the most Dalit-unfriendly state in the country. The conviction rate in Dalit atrocity cases in Kerala, which has registered highest number of such cases in the country with about 800 cases last year, has been almost zero.
According to the protesters, the police allowed the accused to walk free because they belong to CPI(M) (one of them is related to a top CPI(M) leader) and well-to-do families. The conviction rate in Dalit atrocity cases in Kerala, which has registered highest number of such cases with about 800 last year, has been very poor. A protester said police officers who botched up the case were rewarded with promotion. Protesters also slammed the ‘Cultural thugs of Kerala’ – the Left-Liberal intellectuals who “open their mouths” only something happens in BJP-ruled states.
Addressing the gathering, BMS national president Adv. CK Saji Narayanan decried the insensitive comments made by the Kerala Women’s Commission MC Josephine who said there was no need for her to intervene in the case. Her comments have proved once again that the state women’s commission doesn’t stand with the victim but with the perpetrators, said Narayanan.
According to Narayanan, Josephine is a serial offender who has taken similar approach in cases where it was found that CPI(M) were culprits. He said not only the Commission the whole government machinery was working to save the culprits, as they were associated with the Marxist party.
Students of Delhi University and JNU participated in the march and condemned the Left government’s double standards in dealing with Dalit atrocities and violence against women. On behalf of the Kairali Sauhrida Vedi, Ganga PS, Aishwarya RR, Sabarish PA, Maheshwaran MV amd others addressed the gathering.
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