All the leading newspapers of India and Electronic Media Channels are replete these days in support of Ms. Ruchika’s case. Two fresh FIRs have been filed against the convicted Mr. S. P. S. Rathore. The Convent School, Chandigarh where she has been studying and was then allegedly kicked out at the behest of Mr. Rathore have been asked to explain their act. CBI has decided to re-file petition in Court praying therein for stringent sentence against Mr. Rathore, Ex-DGP, Haryana in Ms. Ruchika’s case. It is pertinent to mention that Mr. Rathore was convicted in Ms. Ruchika’s molestation case and was awarded six months jail and a thousand rupee note by the Court after almost 19 years.
This case depicts the sorry state of affairs like delayed justice, misuse of official machinery for self interest and laxative / mild sentencing for the people in uniform. It shows how the people especially women from even vocative middle class bear the brunt of injustice on the hands of elite class. What will be the fate of aam aadmi rather aam aurat can be everybody’s guess. This too shows the callousness of the officials working in all the three wings of government whether it is executive, legislative or judiciary. One commits crime and hides, other shields and the last one delays in justice. No one has courage to expose the nexus and inaction present in the whole apparatus. Now, it is indian print / electronic media which time and again is coming to the rescue of these middle class women like Jessica Lal previously and now Ms. Ruchika. It seems that print / electronic media is now a last pillar of rescue for these hapless people.
However, what pains us is the cold shoulder which indian media and intelligensia has shown to the case our sisters of Shopian who too, though in a more brutal way were subjected to suppression by the men of influence / in uniform. In our case, after the outcome of the big lie viz., CBI’s final report, in which all accused were released and the immediate ones of the sufferers were convicted, we found no one rallying for us in whole of india of one billion people especially its educated middle class. CBI’s making of flooded river for a stream without water just found a day or two in Indian print / electronic media / rights groups whileas in case of Ms. Ruchika, the campaign is on for last two weeks without any sign of weariness. This makes one to think, isn’t it right that we donot belong to them, we are a separate people, an alien nation, those people for whom they donot care for, if not, then what.
This issue also brings to forth the collective weakness of Srinagar based print / electronic media and our intellectual middle class who cannot sustain a campaign against these gross inhuman human right violations. The print media seems to be hesitant to move beyond veiled and short time condemnations, may be due to fear of official lashes. The electronic media is just in its infancy who off and on are subjected to official ban to provide any sort of news / analysis content. Only entertainment programmes were allowed to be casted as we saw in last years agitation and even closed. No one of us agitates, as if it is the right of Government to suppress print and electronic media. There is a need to strengthen these institutions and Ms. Ruchika’s case reminds us the strength of this pillar.
We are with Mr. Subhash Girhotra (father of Ms. Ruchika) and his family in this hour of test and hope that all those involved in this criminal act are punished to the extent of severity but simultaneously hope that the justice must previal to our sisters of shopian.
By Hamid Nilnagi
This case depicts the sorry state of affairs like delayed justice, misuse of official machinery for self interest and laxative / mild sentencing for the people in uniform. It shows how the people especially women from even vocative middle class bear the brunt of injustice on the hands of elite class. What will be the fate of aam aadmi rather aam aurat can be everybody’s guess. This too shows the callousness of the officials working in all the three wings of government whether it is executive, legislative or judiciary. One commits crime and hides, other shields and the last one delays in justice. No one has courage to expose the nexus and inaction present in the whole apparatus. Now, it is indian print / electronic media which time and again is coming to the rescue of these middle class women like Jessica Lal previously and now Ms. Ruchika. It seems that print / electronic media is now a last pillar of rescue for these hapless people.
However, what pains us is the cold shoulder which indian media and intelligensia has shown to the case our sisters of Shopian who too, though in a more brutal way were subjected to suppression by the men of influence / in uniform. In our case, after the outcome of the big lie viz., CBI’s final report, in which all accused were released and the immediate ones of the sufferers were convicted, we found no one rallying for us in whole of india of one billion people especially its educated middle class. CBI’s making of flooded river for a stream without water just found a day or two in Indian print / electronic media / rights groups whileas in case of Ms. Ruchika, the campaign is on for last two weeks without any sign of weariness. This makes one to think, isn’t it right that we donot belong to them, we are a separate people, an alien nation, those people for whom they donot care for, if not, then what.
This issue also brings to forth the collective weakness of Srinagar based print / electronic media and our intellectual middle class who cannot sustain a campaign against these gross inhuman human right violations. The print media seems to be hesitant to move beyond veiled and short time condemnations, may be due to fear of official lashes. The electronic media is just in its infancy who off and on are subjected to official ban to provide any sort of news / analysis content. Only entertainment programmes were allowed to be casted as we saw in last years agitation and even closed. No one of us agitates, as if it is the right of Government to suppress print and electronic media. There is a need to strengthen these institutions and Ms. Ruchika’s case reminds us the strength of this pillar.
We are with Mr. Subhash Girhotra (father of Ms. Ruchika) and his family in this hour of test and hope that all those involved in this criminal act are punished to the extent of severity but simultaneously hope that the justice must previal to our sisters of shopian.
By Hamid Nilnagi
