Gujarat government takes on this
After a string of court rulings that left the nation’s highest court appearing to have abandoned its duty to protect its citizens, the Supreme Court of the country finally gave us some relief yesterday when it ruled that the rapists of Bilkis Bano must turn themselves in and return to prison.
It is a great relief that no requiem for the rule of law needs to be written just yet. The top court has given us hope once more to rejoice in these trying times by returning the rapists to their rightful places.
The verdict rendered on Monday would be considered a rousing one in many respects, if one may use legalese to express such a sentiment. In addition to undoing the outrageous misuse of power that resulted in the rapists’ early release, the ruling severely criticized the Gujarati government for initially allowing the horrifying abuse to continue.
If the Gujarat administration has any shame at all, it should be extremely embarrassed of itself after the judges’ verdict, which found it guilty of fraud and conspiracy. This is undoubtedly a stain on our renowned Gujarat model of governance.
Still, have you witnessed any remorse from those in charge of this mistreatment? Have they accepted responsibility for their actions?
Maybe I am being too demanding; after all, the Gujarat administration was taken to task just a day after the harsh verdict was handed. Maybe we should wait for some shame to eventually sink in among at least some of us.
However, the initial day’s indications are rather concerning, giving little cause for hope.
The ecology that supports the establishment that occasionally shocks us with its repeated overreach has gone silent while we celebrate and applaud the ruling.
No one has heard the Gujarat chief minister comment on the conclusion; in fact, nobody who matters in Gujarat has said anything yet. Neither the prime minister nor the home minister have commented.
The prime-time television shows last night gave us a glimpse of the lack of excitement on the part of many, with the exception of a few anchors who were busy pontificating over the Maldives. The outrage we felt at the remission of the sentences for the rapists and the relief we are currently bathing in following its reversal do not seem to be shared by one and all.
It is evident that some have decided to ignore the Bilkis Bano verdict for the time being, hoping that the scandal will pass and everything will return to normal. This will allow them to continue abusing and misusing the power that has been bestowed upon them.
We should be concerned about the impunity, even as we celebrate the court’s decision.
It is concerning that no one in the Gujarati government has been identified as the perpetrator of this abuse and whether or not they should face consequences.
The following day, the morning newspapers carried in-depth stories about the state’s involvement, citing the judgment. But who exactly in the government was involved? It can not be that the government operated in an automated manner; politicians and bureaucrats had to be involved in order to deliberately flout the law and free the rapists, who were later identified as “sanskaris.”
Is it not necessary to hold them accountable and make them pay a price in order for the punishment they receive to serve as a deterrent?
The anonymity our administrators enjoy has been a curse: people are falsely accused of crimes, even sedition, and when the cases are eventually dropped, the people who started the files and signed them are never held accountable; instead, it is the victims who are forced to bear the brunt of such abuse of power.
Similarly, with this most recent occurrence in Gujarat, in the midst of all the celebrations, it appears that the real offenders of this heinous assault that they almost pulled off are escaping.
Justice will only be partially achieved if the rapists are returned to prison and the authorities are allowed to escape accountability behind the curtain of a state government. It is abhorrent to allow the officials to do this.