Yet another woman was paraded naked in India, this time around in the Northeastern State of Tripura on the 5th of this month. What came as a shock in this particular case was also the fact that this heinous crime against humanity was perpetrated by cadres and elected panchayat leaders of Communist Party of India (Marxist).
The so-called "free and fair" media of "Great Indian Democracy" utterly failed to find space even for a snippet/soundbite in their newspapers, broadsheets and 24x7 New channels. Even more shocking is that until now not even a single progressive political organization has come out with a statement.
However, the horrible incident was given some minimal coverage in Guwahati and Kolkata Editions of The Telegraph and some local vernaculars. Below is a reproduction of the incident:
A Tripuri woman was beaten up and paraded naked through her village by panchayat members in Dhalai after a kangaroo court accused her of sexual misconduct last Saturday.
The 30-year-old wife of a farmer, villagers said, “were spoiling young boys with sexual bait” in Jayanti Bazar village.
Last Saturday, when the mother of two was feeding her children around 12pm, panchayat member Bangalaxmi Debbarma came to her house and asked her to appear in the house of panchayat chief Bidyamohan Debbarma.
As she continued to feed her children, Bangalaxmi barged into her home again and warned her that unless she went to the panchayat chief’s house immediately she would be driven out of the village.
Practically dragged to Bidyamohan Debbarma’s house, the woman was asked to sit in the middle of the courtyard surrounded by local leaders, including panchayat functionaries of the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPM) Radhamohan Debbarma, Birendra Debbarma and Kalimata Debbarma. Following a fusillade of accusations, two women workers of the CPM pulled at her pachhra (indigenous wear) and systematically disrobed her.
Amid cries of ecstasy from the crowd, Birendra Debbarma beat her up, while the women suggested that she be paraded naked through the village.
The proposal was immediately accepted.
Eyes covered with her hands, the hapless woman staggered through the village till she fell at a spot.
The members of the khap panchayat finally let her go with a warning that if she went to a hospital or informed police, her family would be massacred.
Her husband rushed home on receiving information of her torture and sat tongue-tied in shock.
Her brother arrived and took her and the family to his home in nearby Dalucherra before admitting the bruised woman to a primary health centre.
Sub-inspector Subal Mauzmder noted down a complaint from her at the health centre but advised her not to pursue the case as “they are powerful people and will do more harm”.
He rounded up 14 of the 16 CPM supporters, including the panchayat members, but let them off quickly as the sections he had invoked from the Indian Penal Code were bailable.
The family now continues to live in terror in Dalucherra village.
Reacting to allegations on police inaction, superintendent of police (Dhalai) Dipak Kumar said he had heard of the incident and would personally visit Jayanti Bazar and Dalucherra villages to take stock of the situation.
“This is a barbaric incident and I will look into the complaint,” said Kumar.
But the leader of the Opposition, Ratanlal Nath, who visited Dalucherra and spoke to the woman and her husband yesterday, said the family had been singled out for “barbaric torture” because they have been traditional Congress supporters in a village almost totally dominated by the CPM.
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Source: The Telegraph, Guwahati
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