Date: Tue, 15 Oct 1996 15:28:49 +0100
From: pbanerj-AT-wadsworth.org (Partha Banerjee)
Subject: Petition -- please sign your name in


Hi all.

Here is the petition. Sign your name (and address?) in.

I think we should send it ASAP (by end of this week?). Revise/edit the
petition if you think there is a problem.

Other than emailing the petition to Manushi, because the news came out in
The Hindu, I think we can send a copy of this letter to the newspaper.
Besides, I was thinking about sending a copy of our petition to Naina
Kapoor - a lawyer and a part of legal support group called SAKSHI. She
faught cases of other women -- victims of similar incidents in Rajasthan.
We can also reach Bombay-based women's group - Forum Against Oppression on
Women (FAOW) to find out their plan of action on this case.

We can reach both of these groups by email. Someone from
alt.india.progressive has kindly sent me the email addresses.

Hope to hear from you soon.

-Partha
____________________________________


Honorable Chief Minister
The Government of Rajasthan
Vidhan Soudha
Jaipur 302001
Rajasthan, India.


October 15, 1996



Dear Sir:


Subject: Our protest against the rape of Dhapu Bai


        We the undersigned file this petition to express our outrage at the
rape and torture of Dhapu Bai, an adivasi woman, in the village of Utharna
in Tonk district in the state of Rajasthan.  As you perhaps know, this
gruesome incident  took place on June 15, 1996.  We also express our anger
at the violent beating of Dhapu Bai's husband and son that occurred on the
same day.

        Dhapu Bai was gang-raped in front of her husband Jagdish and son
Dharam Raj by some twenty henchmen of a liquor contractor named Meghraj and
a head constable of Deoli police.  Jagdish and Dharam Raj were severely
beaten with iron rods.  Finally, these three poor victims were left by the
police outside a local hospital where Dhapu Bai regained consciousness
after four days.  Needless to say, the family went through a horrible
physical and emotional trauma.

        We refrain from describing in further details the rape and physical
abuse because no description can match the real incident that surpassed all
limits of human behavior.  Through this petition, we strongly demand
justice to Dhapu Bai and her family.  We are aware that some of the
criminals have been arrested upon agitation by women's groups and
subsequent media attention on this case.  However, in light of the fact
that the medical report on Dhapu Bai does not mention any rape and some of
the arrested criminals are already free on bail, we are apprehensive that
other pieces of evidence will be tampered with and all the criminals will
be acquitted.

        We the undersigned therefore strongly demand to you and your
government that the case be dealt with in extreme urgency and care and in
the interim, Dhapu Bai and her family be given ample financial and legal
compensation if it has not been done already.  We also demand that the
criminals, however socially and politically powerful they are, be arrested
forthwith and brought to justice -- thereby setting a precedent that will
keep other criminals of committing such acts of barbarism and terror.

        We are sending out copies of this petition to various Indian
newspapers and women's organizations.

        Thank you for your attention.


Sincerely yours,



(Names and addresses of petitioners)

__________________________________________

Note: The above comments are my own and not necessarily my employer's.

Partha Banerjee, Ph.D.

Mycology Department
Wadsworth Center for Laboratories and Research
David Axelrod Institute
New Scotland Avenue
Albany, NY 12208, USA.

Phone: (518)-474-2168

Email: pbanerj-AT-wadsworth.org