Intl experts spoil Modi's party, say Gujarat worse than Bosnia
Press Trust of India Posted online: Thursday, December 19, 2002 at 2039 hours IST Updated: Thursday, December 19, 2002 at 2050 hours IST
New Delhi, December 19: An international women's committee on Thursday condemned the "large-scale" violence against women belonging to minority community during the Gujarat communal violence.
The all-women committee comprising experts from US, UK, France, Germany and Sri Lanka toured violence-affected areas in the state. It stated the carnage had "exposed the myth of Indian democracy".
The committee also asked the Indian Government to allow an international team to inquire into the "large-scale killing and deriliction of state responsibility".
"We have seen lack of national political will to quell violence in Gujarat. Then for nine months we see no redressal mechanisms to ensure justice to victims and law enforcement too failed. The myth of Indian democracy has been exposed," the committee, under the banner 'International Initiative for Justice in Gujarat' said after releasing a report in the Capital.
"Women belonging to the minority community suffered a lot during the communal violence. We met large number of them who were subjected to sexual violence and the survivors also had little access to counselling and rehabilitation," Anissa Helie, a French social worker said.
Nira Yuvali Davis, a professor in University of Greenwich, UK said a few women who "mustered courage" to file complaints found the law enforcement system totally unresponsive to their needs.
Davis, who had run a centre for traumatised women in conflict-torn Bosnia, said the situation was "worse" in Gujarat.
"Sexual violence was being used as a strategy for terrorising women belonging to minority community in the state," said German historian Gabriela Mischkowski.
The committee appealed to the international community to "challenge the charitable and tax exemption status of organisations that support directly or indirectly, the Hindutva agenda".
They also urged the Supreme Court to immediately take up Gujarat violence-related PILs and pressurise the Gujarat Government to implement the recommendations of the NHRC.
Rhonda Copelon, a professor in University of New York, and a Sri Lankan human rights activist were the other members of the body.
The committee toured Godhra, Ahmedabad, Baroda and Panchmahal and talked to various affected people, NGOs and lawyers and held confidential meetings with members of minority community between December 14 and 17.
New Delhi, December 19: An international women's committee on Thursday condemned the "large-scale" violence against women belonging to minority community during the Gujarat communal violence.
