Women demand stringent punishment for rapists

protests across R'seema against Delhi rape incident

Tirupati: Condemning the fresh rape and brutality on a five-year-old girl in New Delhi, the members of All India Democratic Women's Association (AIDWA) took out a protest rally in Tirupati on Saturday.

A large number of women came on to the streets by holding placards, banners and condemned the brutal rape of the minor girl in New Delhi. They demanded a stringent punishment for the culprits. They also condemned the inhuman behaviour of the police over women protesters and demanded a judicial probe into the incident.

Sai, a homemaker, said that after the Nirbhaya's episode, the Union government has promulgated a special Act by eliciting opinion from various sections of the society through Justice Varma Committee, but no expected results have come out. The mere law and enforcement is not enough to control the crimes against women, instead of that awareness should be created among the people about gender sensitivity; in order to change the mindset of males in society, she added. A few may demand the capital punishment for rapists, but this is not the only solution, and this punishment should be in the rarest of rare cases, she explained.

Prof. S Rathna Kumari, Vice-Chancellor of Sri Padmavathi Mahila Viswa Vidyalayam, said that the declining of moral values among the people is the main cause for crime against women. "Irrespective of dress, age and other factors, the rape incidents are taking place despite 'Nirbhaya Act'. Earlier, with the presence of joint families, there was a scope to teach moral values to younger generation.

Whereas now, there is no time for the parents to educate their children as both of them were working," she opined. The students of this university strongly felt that capital punishment is the only solution to control the crime against women. Women activists of NFIW, a women's wing of CPI, also staged a protest at Gandhi's statue near RTC bus station here.

Kadapa: The TDP leaders Balakrishna Yadav and Jairam demanded the resignation of Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dixit on moral grounds. Addressing a press conference at the party office here on Saturday, they said that brutal rape of a minor girl was shameful. The women and minor girls were being raped in Delhi repeatedly, but the government has failed to contain the incidents, they alleged.

The Tenali incident in Andhra Pradesh has proved that there is no safety for women in here during the Congress rule, they lamented. A They recalled that during the TDP regime there was immediate action against persons involved in crime, but now the government was turning a blind eye. The government should wake up from slumber and provide security to the women, they demanded.

Nellore: BJP Mahila Morcha State general secretary Kaku Vijayalakshmi alleged that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dixit have become mute spectators to the rape incidents.A Addressing a press conference here on Saturday, she said, "When the Nirbhaya incident was still afresh in the minds of people, the rape of a minor girl in Delhi shocked the nation."

She demanded the Central government to launch a campaign for the security of the women. "The government should highlight our culture, which respects women, and at the same time also give a wide publicity on punishment imposed on the accused.

Similarly, advertisements showing women in an obscene manner should be banned. Awareness can be created among the people only when the government launches movement against the atrocities against women," she opined.A "We are appealing to the National Women's Commission to take necessary steps to contain crimes against women," she said.

Chittoor: Over 200 women cadres of the YSR Congress Party led by party's district Mahila president PV Gayatri Devi took out a silent rally with black ribbons tied around their mouths from the YSR statue at ZP office to Mahatma Gandhi statue in Chittoor town on Saturday in protest against the heinous sexual assault on a five-year-old girl in New Delhi, and the police highhandedness against a protesting woman.

Speaking to media persons, Gayatri Devi said that absence of punishment and prolonged trails have only emboldened the rapists to unleash more and more atrocities not only against women, but also against small girls. She deplored that the police were ruthless at the women groups when they questioned the laxity on their part in bringing the culprit to book.

"Until the rapists are dealt with sternly and suitable punishments pronounced promptly, the atrocities against women will continue unabated. Expediting of rape cases will go a long way in making the culprits introspect themselves before assaulting women," she said.