Page 40 - 31JAN2020E4

OPINION
DILEMMAS
HUMRA
QURAISHI
The Delhi-based writer
and columnist’s books
include Kashmir: The
Untold Story. She co-
authored a series of
writings with the late
Khushwant Singh and
her short stories are
part of anthologies.
The views expressed
are her own
Abusing women in name
of security is new normal
There is an urgent need to sensitise and humanise existing security
forces. Their recruitment process should also be transparent amid
reports of right-wingers finding their way into governmental slots
houldn’t all possible Com- and punched her in the abdomen and
missions for Women and went on doing so till she started bleed-
also those for the Human ing — blood soaking the clothes on her,
Rights sit up and take note blood trickling down … Of course, not to
of the fact that in these very overlook the “Go to Pakistan” communal-
S recent protests against the dripping taunts throw at her by the
CAA and NRC and NPR, the police force so-called protectors of the masses — the
has been not just blatantly brute whilst police force.
dealing with the protestors but there are Not sure what havoc must be tak-
also news reports that confirm the fact ing place in smaller towns and villages,
that policemen have kicked and punched when this level of brutality is witnessed
women in the abdomen, have pulled out there in the open, in cities. Also, its
off veils and burqas and hijabs and also a known fact that the women molested
touched breasts of the women protes- and groped and even savagely treated
tors! Even commented on the breasts! by the cops during dangaas/ rioting, can-
I’m quoting from this news report of not pinpoint the culprits for fear of the
Hugh Tomlinson and Saurabh Sharma, aftermath.
published in The Times (UK) dated January And yes not to overlook the ‘happen-
10, 2020 “The crowd scattered and word ings’ in open and closed prisons, where
spread up the street in panic: ‘Police, the imprisoned is at the mercy of the
police.’ While the protestors scrambled cops. Which inmate will carry the cour-
to flee over the rooftops of the block in age to even whisper the barbaric tactics
old Lucknow, dozens of officers burst in involved!
below, raining blows on women and chil- Today, with right-wing communal
dren. The Muslim families cowered from rulers and more than communal babus
their attackers. ‘Take off her veil, check if handpicked by them to suit their Agenda,
she’s a man,’ one officer yelled, pointing the police cannot be expected to remain
to Salma Hussain, 29, who wept as she unbiased. In fact, instead of the ‘experts’
recalled the humiliation. The women chanting on the national television that
were groped and officers commented many more are to be added to the police
on their breasts as they beat them. ‘One force, I would suggest that first sensitize
man put a gun to my head’, said Tabassum and humanize the existing force — yes,
Raza, 26. He said: ‘Tell me where the men that’s is what is urgently required if hu-
are hiding or I’ll shoot you.’” man forms and psyches are to remain
Even in this capital city, New Delhi, intact. Also, what is also required is to
there have been also reports of burqa and make the recruitment process absolutely
hijab-clad women who were participat- and absolutely transparent — more so, in
ing in the protests, targeted by the cops. the backdrop of reports that Right-Wing
And there’s this entire statement of men are finding their way into govern-
the Lucknow-based activist Sadaf Jafar, mental slots.
where she details how a particular male ♦ ♦ ♦
police officer in the Lucknow police These recent shots of women pushed and
thana pulled her by her hair, kicked pulled and slapped by the police force is
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