March 6, 2008 Be Determined,
say Women Fighting for Justice By Kanu Sarda
New Delhi
Neelam Krishnamurthy, Neelam Katara, Indu Jalali, Sabrina Lall...They
are all women who have been moved by personal tragedy to step into
India's courts day after day to bring culprits to book, inspiring in
the process hundreds of thousands who had lost faith in the system.
So what does International Women's Day March 8 mean to them?
Krishnamurthy, convener of the Association of Victims of Uphaar
Tragedy (AVUT), who lost two of her children in the Uphaar fire
tragedy that claimed 59 innocent lives in 1997, believes it is about
determination.
"Women's Day is not about someone taking a prize in the auditorium
amidst a small crowd, it's about their empowerment at the
grassroots," Krishnamurthy told IANS.
She said women's empowerment starts from home where a father gives
equal rights to his daughter, a husband gives due respect to his
wife and a brother gives equal liberty to his sister.
"Strong determination is the only way out if women want to make
their presence felt in a male-dominated society," Krishnamurthy
said.
She has been at the forefront of the Uphaar case, which last year
saw a lower court convicting business tycoon brothers Sushil and
Gopal Ansal along with 10 others. But nothing has been able to fill
the vacuum created by the death of her children.
"People say life moves on, but only those who go through pain know
that it never does. I feel as if I have been served a living death
sentence all these years, fighting for justice," said Krishnamurthy.
"All my friends and relatives wanted me to adopt a child, but I
could never do it. They didn't understand my pain. That is when I
realised that no one can help you and you have to deal with your
grief on your own," Krishnamurthy said.
Indu Jalali, who fought for justice for her friend Priyadarshini
Mattoo under the banner of 'Justice for Priyadarshini', said: "In
the beginning we were not taken seriously by anyone and instead
everyone discouraged us. But our determination helped us in sailing
through the tides of sorrow and pain."
Priyadarshini was brutally raped and murdered Jan 23, 1996, in broad
daylight in a south Delhi locality by her senior at the Law Faculty,
Delhi University, Santosh Kumar Singh, the son of a senior police
officer. He was given the death sentence by the Delhi High Court in
October 2006.
"No one supported us but with time and the help of people belonging
to various sections of society, justice was achieved," said Jalali.
"Women need to get rid of taboos prevailing in our society and come
out strongly against injustice to them. Until they make themselves
heard, no one will help them," she said.
The resolute face of Sabrina Lall was one splashed in the media time
and again as she fought for justice for her sister Jessica who was
shot dead by Manu Sharma, the son of a powerful and wealthy
politician, in April 1999.
Even as her parents died during the course of trial, Sabrina carried
on her fight, inspiring the nation to back her with all its might.
In 2006, the Delhi High Court sentenced Manu Sharma to life
imprisonment and two other accomplices and co-accused to four years
in jail.
Neelam Katara, the mother of Nitish Katara, is another such woman.
Nitish was kidnapped and killed allegedly by ex-Rajya Sabha MP D.P.
Yadav's son Vikas and his cousin Vishal Yadav in February 2002. The
case is still pending in a trial court.
As she waits for justice, Neelam Katara said: "The system needs to
be more sensitive towards women, especially in cases of rape and
molestation where the protection of their identity is more
important.
"Education of women needs to be strengthened and only then will they
be able to take important decisions of their life themselves."
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