Followers

Pages

Monday 8 October 2012

Soni Sori (Justice Forgotten)

By reason of the work I do, I've nurtured the instinct of not jumping to conclusions without ample facts reasonably establishing the truth of a particular allegation. Having said that when the indications and suggestions are palpably horrifying and inhuman, the least that is expected to be done is a prompt, fair and unbiased investigation into those indications and suggestions to swiftly unravel the truth. For that to be achieved, the more serious the allegations, the higher is the requirement of impartiality in investigation.

I read something on The Standing Coin which kept me awake last night. Every time I wanted to sleep, something punched my insides, reminding me of the gut wrenching allegations of injustice and suffering I had read and seen.

I've quoted hereinbelow the article Soni Sori Justice Forgotten written by the prolific author Siddharth Gupta. (He blogs at The Standing Coin). It's impossible to feel what I felt without watching the full video that Siddharth has shared in his article. Please watch it patiently.




A woman’s fight against violence, abuse and in all its essence, society has always been a war against patriarchy. We would be foolish in saying that the structure of our society is equally balanced. Although women are the heads to the tails of our coin, they have never been given the respect, the value and truly the love they deserve.

The question here is not about the statistics. All of us know that they are shocking enough. The point here arises is WHY? Why doesn't this stop? Although the past few years have seen a remarkable rise in awareness about female rights and this entire topic at hand, disturbing occurrences still destroy our beliefs as the fantastical world shatters.  Some of the incidents are simply disgusting, horrifying and in the crudest of terms, makes one want to puke. Despite the guaranteeing of women rights by International laws, women still continue to be treated as third class citizens in a second class world.

One of the most disturbing cases I have come across is that of Soni Sori. Soni Sori is a simple adivasi schoolteacher from Chattisgarh, India. A small rehash, Chattisgarh is notorious for its Naxal activities. Sori along with her nephew was arrested and sent to Raipur jail in October 2011. Ignoring the frivolous and ridiculous charges framed against her, Soni Sori was sexually abused and tortured by the police force. To elaborate on the brutal, inhumane violation of her human rights, let me inform you of the QUESTIONING methods used by the police. She was electrocuted on multiple occasions with wires being connected to her bare toes. She was stripped naked and was made to answer questions while police officers, including the Superintendent of Police, Ankit Garg leered at her. He forced her to stand naked while he sat on a chair and abused her in filthy terms. After this, he sent in three police men to sexually assault her which went on for hours. No one knows what happens and many dismiss this as allegations, a known fact is that after finding Sori in a near comatose state, she was taken to Kolkata Medical College where doctors removed STONES from her vagina and rectum. It appalls me and disgusts me that the Indian Police Force is run by such sick and disgusting bastards!

Reading Soni Sori's Letter From Prison


This is not the entire story. Despite such horrendous acts, Ankit Garg received the Police Medal for Gallantry from the President of India in 2012. To answer strong protests, all the police had to offer was “The Sori case is a different matter”. Yeah, it’s like saying let a person nab a goon and murder or rape a few women but wait! We DO need to reward him for grabbing the goon right? Also, Sori is a mother. She has three children. Imagine their plight. Imagine her husband’s plight. Thanks to a spirited letter by about 250 famed activists to the Prime Minister on 30 April 2012, Soni was taken to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi for treating her horrendous injuries.

Sadly, Sori is still in prison. In a battle of getting FDI, the government has failed to make Internal Direct Investment. Women grovel, as our minstrels cry. Tehelka, a hardcore journalism magazine, started an online campaign to guarantee justice for Soni. The links are attached below. Please do your bit and help. I hope we change. Soon, Fast and Now.


I obviously have no means of knowing the truth behind these allegations found in the article quoted above. But as a citizen of a nation, which is committed to democratic and welfare ideals, especially emancipation of women, I strongly demand and expect an effective and unbiased investigation into such accusations of brutal atrocities, as the least that can be done for Soni Sori at the moment, besides of course giving a sincere and serious consideration to removing her from the jail in the state of Chattisgarh and putting her (only if her custody is really necessary) under humane conditions in some jail of any other state.




29 comments:

  1. My god, this is appalling

    ReplyDelete
  2. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  3. all the persons involved in this heinous crime should be hanged till death or else they should be tortured like that what they did to Soni Sori because if any rarest of rare crime of civilians is punished with 'capital punishment' then why this act of those bastards(Police officers) cannot be punished!! Government should prove here that law is equal to all, no matter what!! we all should wake up and stand for soni sori..

    ReplyDelete
  4. My mind went completely numb after reading the article.
    Thank you for sharing this article with the readers. People need to know about Soni sori and the torture she is going through.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Holy shit!!
    Thanks for sharing this article, its a kind of eye opener to us who take a pride in calling ourselves a civilized and cultured society.

    ReplyDelete
  6. How low can a man stoop... limitless pit! Tragic times.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Pathetic! Shameful! Tragic! Loathsome!

    ReplyDelete
  8. this is just shameful..i was unaware of this, but it disgusts me :/

    ReplyDelete
  9. Appalling! Reminds me of the real lives of women who inspired the "The WHistleblower". When I watched it I couldn't believe there could really be such INHUMAN creatures.

    ReplyDelete
  10. For once, words fail me! I think it is about time that misuse of official powers of arrest and inhumane treatment of prisoners are treated not merely as a departmental affair of the Police but a capital crime!

    ReplyDelete
  11. pathetic ..thanks for sharing

    ReplyDelete
  12. I've read about her before and it never ceases to shock me at how blind people can be.

    ReplyDelete
  13. It is sad to hear people either don't get justice or are denied the rights to it.
    You have opened the post on a very good note by stating that all the facts need to be known before judging someone or being judgmental.
    Without all the facts, things can be deceptive at face value. I've done a small take on that too. It is a dangerous thing to do.

    Regards

    Jay
    http://road-to-sanitarium.blogspot.in/

    ReplyDelete
  14. shocking...I have no words..it is so disturbing...Goons in Khaki...i don't have the guts to watch the clip even...

    ReplyDelete
  15. Even I did not have the guts to watch this clip Anupam . I feel numb and speechless after reading this .

    ReplyDelete
  16. very touching....there should be movement of against inhuman act women as cruption nationwide.and culprit is given punishment publically.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Do not know how to react... I do not have the courage to watch the video after reading that article.

    Still thanks for sharing the article and bringing it to the notice of the people.

    ReplyDelete
  18. so shocking... i read it in the paper.

    www.anucreations.blogspot.in
    www.facebook.com/VolatileSpirits

    ReplyDelete
  19. Damn, couldn't even read beyond first para... don't understand if power corrupts people or is it just corrupted people who seek power to just being the bullies that they are! Shameful, is the least one could say! God give her some relief, wonder what was her fault really!

    Indian news channels and papers are too busy saving the lives of their masters, when alone will they get time to focus on issues of the people or country!

    ReplyDelete
  20. since aeons, woman has been the object of lust and sexual gratification for a man, unfortunately, even aeons failed to bring about evolution and bring a man out of his animal instincts. Even if a woman is proven criminal, she doesn't deserve this treatment. You don't have to become a criminal to punish one!!

    http://beyondwoman.blogspot.in/

    ReplyDelete
  21. Hello Anupam ,.. came to know you through indiblogger.com.

    soni sori case is quite a controversial one.. however I dnt claim that I know everything about this case, but I read a story/article in Indian Express that examine all these issues/allegations raised in the above article and have clear answers for them. that article mentions clear evidences that even questioned the genuineness of these blames or assaults. those letter send by soni sori to her brother or some mentor (i forgot) and her medical reports every thing has an answer in that article. so, I think you should have used some more stuff or to add more details while writing on this issue.
    However, its just my humble opinion, but couldn't stop myself after reading this post.
    Thanks.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Bhavana,

      Let me first of all thank you for reading this article and sharing your point of view.

      As you must have noticed that I haven't replied to any of the responses above. Since I do not have anything to add to what has been said nor to what I have stated in the article. Since I do not believe in speculating and guessing, least of all in a sensitive case like that of Soni Sori's.

      I have carefully read your reply and therefore consider it necessary to state a few things. Firstly, in the same manner that the article I've quoted is not final and absolute regarding the Soni Sori case, the article in the Indian Express is also not the ultimate truth. Therefore what is a little disheartening is that you find the so called 'answers' furnished in the Indian Express article as 'clear'. Who are we to decide what is an answer let alone a clear or correct answer. It is a Court of law that will decide that issue. And for that to happen fairly and properly, an impartial investigation is imperative.

      No Indian Express article nor any other article can or should decide whether the allegations made my Soni Sori are true or not. Therefore it is a little dangerous when right minded people like you decide to rest your belief and opinion on a newspaper article. I says so because it seems from your statement that you have made up your mind you've made up your mind that the answers and the evidence in the Indian Express article are 'clear'. Only and only a Court of law is entitled to decide whether there is any truth in Sori's allegations or any truth in what has been claimed in the article quoted by you..

      Now you're fully entitled to question my motive behind writing this article, especially when I refuse to believe in the article of a reputed newspaper like Indian Express. Well, the answer is simple. I'm neither ready to believe Sori nor am I inclined to accept the stance of her alleged tormentors. I'm neither supporting her nor the other side. What I'm simply reminding through my article is that the need of the hour is a prompt, fair, and impartial investigation. If you carefully read the first and last paragraphs of my article, you would realize that I'm not taking sides, rather I'm just making a claim for an immediate investigation.

      So Bhavana, when you say that I should have used more stuff to make my article detailed, I do take your point. But please understand that I'm not making a critical analysis on the Soni Sori case, I'm simply making a demand that when allegations are so horrific and heart numbing, a minimum democratic step would be to immediately probe the matter fairly. Naturally therefore I thought adding more and more details about the allegations and counter - clarifications would not serve the purpose since that thing is best left to be stated & verified before the proper forum.

      I wish to thank you again Bhavana, for having dropped by and shared your perspective.

      It's the difference of our opinions and our freedom to state it firmly that makes our democracy the beauty that it is. Please therefore feel free to discuss further.

      Delete
  22. Hello Anupam.. Thank u very much for expressing your views in such a beautiful way. You are absolutely right when you said that we are nobody to decide on such a sensitive issue and no newspaper or magazine can be a judge in this case.

    however, I mentioned IE because I think that their evidences and facts were presented in a transparent way. they used court order copies and exact dates of sending letters and other complaints(by soni sori). anyway, nothing is final or a complete truth .. but what was in my mind while writing the above comment.. tht while writing or raising on such issues we should know the background of the incidents/events .. the people involved with them. naxal movement and its members and their wellwishers.. all r now facing serious question from those for whom they are fighting this Just War. so my expectation as an individual reader while reading such political and human rights related issues is to find a critical analysis on this issue.

    however, you already cleared that it was nt yr purpose to clarify or analysis any questions related with this case but to raise your concern about "what is happening in this democratic and free society" so no more questions and doubts frm my side.

    ReplyDelete
  23. I felt shivers run down my spine as I read.. and watched through the video. This is despicable. & I'm quite shocked when it was said that the police officer had received an award ?!?! ..im gonna refrain myself from swearing. But, how low has our system stooped! The police force was meant to protect the civilians, not abuse their power and add to our threat... most disgusted.

    ReplyDelete
  24. Heya i’m for the first time here. I found this board and I find It truly useful & it helped me out a lot. I hope to give something back and aid others like you helped me. go to my site

    ReplyDelete
  25. Wow, cool post. I’d like to write like this too – taking time and real effort to make a good article… but I procrastinate too much and never seem to get started. Thanks though. more info here

    ReplyDelete