New Delhi
Delhi Commission for Women chief Swati Maliwal on Tuesday launched an indefinite hunger strike at Jantar Mantar, demanding that rapists must be hanged within six months of their conviction. Maliwal’s protest comes in the wake of several recent incidents of rape, including that of veterinarian in Hyderabad.
In a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Maliwal also demanded proper utilisation of money in the Nirbhaya fund and setting up of more fastrack courts across the country. “This time I am not going to move till the time all my demands are met, even if the hunger strike results in my death. When a stricter law to rein in traffic violations can bring a change in how people behave on roads, the same could be done for such crimes,” said Maliwal.
Maliwal had sat on a 10-day-long hunger strike in April 2018, following the rape of an eight-month-old girl.
Later in the evening, police asked the protesters to vacate Jantar Mantar as rules do not permit protests there after 5 pm. Police took the protesters to Rajghat where they will continue their protest at Samta Sthal.
“The police did not give us permission to hold a peaceful protest here. We are not criminals. They did not even let us set up a tent or install mobile toilets. We will continue the strike,” said Maliwal, who was still at Jantar Mantar. An official from Maliwal’s office, the DCW chief will shift only after they will check arrangements at Samta Sthal.
{{/usCountry}}“The police did not give us permission to hold a peaceful protest here. We are not criminals. They did not even let us set up a tent or install mobile toilets. We will continue the strike,” said Maliwal, who was still at Jantar Mantar. An official from Maliwal’s office, the DCW chief will shift only after they will check arrangements at Samta Sthal.
{{/usCountry}}“We have asked the protesters to vacate the area, as protest demonstrations are not allowed at Jantar Mantar after 5pm,” said DCP, New Delhi, Eish Singhal.
More than 500 people, including members of the civil society, students, professionals, housewives, social activists, theatre groups and the specially abled, from different parts of the city as well as neighbouring states had reached Jantar Mantar to demand justice for rape victims and stringent punishment to the perpetrators.
Navneet Kumar, 23, who came from Bijnor, UP, to join the protest, said: “I just could not stop myself from coming over to Delhi to join in the protest against the incident. I had come here even during the Delhi 2012 gang rape protest. The only thing that has changed since is that people are at least aware about the law now. I believe the accused need to be tried in public for the crime. If the rapists of the Delhi gang rape were hanged to death soon after, it would have created fear in the hearts of the perpetrators.” Kumar is a student of law in a UP university.
Students from Delhi University and Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) also joined the protest, holding placards that read: “Are we Next?” and “We want freedom from rape”.
A group of women from Gurugram-based ‘Rashtriya Hindu Ekta Vahini’ sat with swords in their hands. They said using weapons was the only option left . “Nothing has changed since. The only difference is, this time we have brought swords with us to ask the administration what else we can do if not carry weapons to keep ourselves safe while out on the streets” Nisha Yadav, 42, who teaches at a government school in Gurugram, said referring to the December 16 gang rape incident.