BENGALURU: Marking the third anniversary of the brutal gang-rape and murder of a young woman in Delhi, which had triggered national and international outrage, about 25 civil society came forward to conduct a workshop on ‘The Constitutional Promise of Justice and Dignity - Three Years Since Nirbhaya’ with an aim to popularise the Constitution and the spirit behind its principles.
One of the organisers Prithvi Reddy from AAP said, “Of late there has been a lot of talk about intolerance in the country. And these discussions are limited only to some experts and intellectuals. Ordinary people are not even aware what our Constitution exactly says. So, we thought, we should popularize the Constitution and people should know the idea behind its principles. Hence, we formed a forum for the very purpose with 25 civil societies.”
The workshop witnessed some prominent activists throwing light on various subjects like the Justice Verma Committee that came into being after the infamous incident, followed by Juvenile Justice System and Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act.
Women’s rights activist Saumya Uma pointed out that Verma Committee finding were significant in Indian history as it brought many things for the first time. Words like bodily integrity and sexual anatomy were used, which gave validity to the women’s movement. She said, “It brought a paradigm shift. It also recognized that rape has a dual character and was also a constitutional violation.”
She pointed out that the committee findings were not restricted to penetration of vagina alone. “It looked into other forms of penetration as all. Besides, it gave definition to consent. There is a difference between consent and submission due to fear. In Mathura Rape case, the victim was raped by two police constables, while her family was waiting outside. The court said she had her consent as she did not scream for help nor were there any marks on her body that revealed resistance.”
Saumya said the committee also dealt with issues such as rape while in police custody, rape by armed forces personnel, relatives, guardians and teachers, and rape during communal violence and mass crimes.
Child rights activist Shekar Seshadri said that the issue of children in conflict with law should be handled sensitively. “A juvenile has to be accountable, but not necessarily in Tihar Jail. As per neuro biology, the emotional neurons of a 16-year-old are still in the development process. Every child in conflict with law needs care and affection.”
Another child rights activist Swagatha Raha said, “After POSCO was formulated, people got the courage to come out and lodge complaints.”
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