Fast at Rajghat in support of the victim

                                                                                                          Date : 21 December 2012

Press Release

Fast at Rajghat in support of the victim

Members of the Socialist Party and Socialist Yuvjan Sabha observed one-day fast at Rajghat today (21 December 2012) in solidarity of the victim, gang-raped in the moving bus; and to condemn the callous attitude of the Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dixit and the UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi, P. M. Man Mohan Singh towards the gruesome crime. Smt. Renu Gambhir, president, Socialist Party, Delhi, lead the fast.

Speaking on this occasion Justice Rajindar Sachar said that it gives me some solace that Socialist Party workers hold this fast at Bapu’s Samadhi to show solidarity with the victim and aguish against the government. He said that it is a matter of shame on the part of Delhi Chief Minister who allowed water canon and lathi charge on women protesters at his residence. She must resign and an effective inquiry and speedy judicial process should be done to punish the culprits. He showed heartfelt concern for the victim and her family and condemned the dismissive and insensitive attitude of the Congress leaders including the P.M., Sonia Gandhi and Sheila Dixit.

National General Secretary Dr. Prem Singh expressed deep concern for the plight of the victim wished her a speedy recovery and healthy future. He said that the members of the Socialist Party understand that the parents/family members of the victim are passing through a nightmare beyond imagination. We prey that they may face this crisis with patience and courage. He informed that on the request of the Socialist Party Justice Rajindar Sachar has promised to look into the judicial process of the case personally.

He further said that Sonia Gandhi has rubbed salt on the wound of the victim and the thousands of insecure women in the capital by merely reaching the hospital. If she were really concerned, she should have asked for the resignation of the Delhi C.M. Sheila Dixit in the first place. The gruesome crime is the result of absolute incompetence and insensitivity of the Delhi C.M. Delhi has become a city of rapes, murders and loot under her leadership, not to speak of the several allegations of corruption against her. But Sonia Gandhi always protects and promotes her as she is a member of her courtrie. The regret expressed by the P.M. on this heartrending incident is a farce. The security of the citizens is not in his worry, even remotely. His first and last concern is to implement the neo-imperialist capitalist agenda. By implementing this agenda he has thrown the Indian society in the gorge of a sub-culture in which women, children and old people are most vulnerable victims. He also demanded  immediate resignation of the Delhi C.M. and speedy and effective action in the case and strong punishment to the culprits.

Dr. Raj Kumar Jain, Shiv Mangal Sidhantkar, Shyam Gambhir, Manju Mohan, Dr. A.K. Arun,  Ram Gopal Sisodia, Rakhi Gupta, Dr. Harish Khanna, Comrade Narendra Singh, Indradev, Abhai Sinha, Anil Nauriya and other activists visited the venue to lend their support.

At the end, a memorandum was submitted to the President. (Copy enclosed)

Niraj Singh

Press Secretary 

Date: 21December 2012 

Memorandum

His Excellency

Shri Pranab Mukherjee

President of India

Respected Sir

The members of the Socialist Party sat on fast today at Rajghat in solidarity with the victim, a para-medical student who was gang-raped in a moving bus on Sunday. The Socialist Party takes inspiration from the thoughts of Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia, who has placed utmost value on human, particularly women oriented concerns. The gruesome crime once again proves that the capital city of the country is not at all safe for women. The city witnessed strong protests from various activist groups against the incident. The Delhi High Court and the Parliament also expressed deep shock and concern over the shocking incident.

The demand for an effective inquiry and speedy judicial process has been raised from every corner in order to ensure the strongest punishment to the culprits.  Further, there is a demand for stringent measures to be taken so that such nightmarish incidents do not occur in future. We strongly support these demands. But our purpose of observing the fast and submitting the memorandum to you is something more than that.

Sir, the neo-liberal agenda, practiced by the government has thrown the Indian society in the gorge of a sub-culture in which women, children and old people are most vulnerable victims. No matter the market is getting stronger under this capitalist-consumerist agenda but the society is becoming weak, plagued by the tendencies such as alienation, strangeness and value-loss. The market forces, on the one hand, are commoditizing women, and the nexus of patriarchy and upper class dominance, on the other, is nurturing an anti-women mindset. In such a condition crime against women is increasing day by day.   

In view of the above, we humbly request you to kindly advise the ruling establishment of India to stop perceiving everything in the market mode. Market considerations should not be allowed to prevail upon education, culture, art, ethics and basic human values. It is important for a country like India, which has been home to Gandhi, to remember that greatness and success do not come by attaining commercial values or price tags on all our motivations and aspirations. Doing so, will only reduce our vision power and turn us into inhuman, unfeeling brutal creatures, who inflict barbarous actions on the vulnerable and innocent.       

With regards

Yours sincerely

Dr. Prem Singh

(General Secretary)