Page 46 - English Tehelka Issue 5 - March 15, 2018

kashmir

In seven-year-old’s rape and murder In J&K,
seems need-based, driven by political nataka in the past and in the ensuing its resounding victory, are likely to go
arithmetic. scenario it will also be a decisive factor. with the Congress again. The Vokka-
Lingayat plus Brahmins, known by the ligas, comprising about 12 per cent of arrest of accused becomes contentIous Issue
Way Forward acronyms LIBRA and Alpasankhya- the total population, have traditionally
The ensuing state assembly elections in taru plus Hindulidavaru Mattu Dalitaru extended support to JD(S) led by Deve
Karnataka are crucial for both the BJP (Dalits, Backward Classes & Muslims) Gowda. BJP’s chief ministerial candi- he is being called A communal colour is being given to the brutalisa- tweet to condemn it. “Ap-
and Congress. For Congress, this is the also known by the acronym AHINDA, date Yeddyurappa is a Lingayat, and SM Kashmir’s Zainab palled by the marches & pro-
only big state where it is in power after the commonly used terms in Karna- Krishna, former Congressman who is after the the seven- tion of a child that is undermining the gravity of tests in defense of the recently
Punjab. Thus, its victory will be a great taka politics, are potential groups that now in BJP, is a Vokkaliga. Current CM year-old Pakistani the offence for political reasons, RIYAZ WANI writes apprehended rapist in Kathua.
morale-booster and open new political often decide the fate of the elections in Siddaramaiah is a Kuruba and belongs Sgirl who was raped Also horrified by their use
avenues for the party in other states Karnataka. to the OBC community. and murdered in January this of our national flag in these
and a loss could entail serious long- Some political pundits are of the The Lingayats are dominant in year. But seven-year-old Asifa, interrogation. Incidentally, SPO. “The accused has been demonstrations, this is noth-
term political implications. The election view that LIBRA has traditionally North Karnataka, Hyderabad-Karna- a nomadic Bakerwal girl, is Khajuria had been part of the arrested because he was ing short of desecration. The
is crucial for the BJP too, as Karnataka been the strong supporter of the BJP, taka (north-east Karnataka) and Old now known by her own name police team searching for the fighting the anti-national accused has been arrested &
was the first state in South India where whereas the AHINDA has tradition- Mumbai region (Bombay-Karnataka). too — not as a rallying cry then missing Asifa. His inter- elements, those shouting pro- the law will follow its course,”
the party stormed to power in 2008 ally supported the Congress. With The Vokkaliga is a dominant peas- for justice but as a symbol of rogation reportedly revealed Pakistan slogans.” Mehbooba wrote. Similarly,
and its victory could act as the party’s Siddaramaiah at the helm of the ant caste of Old Mysuru. According to communal polarization. he had given Asifa sedatives The protesters in the National Conference presi-
gateway to southern part of India. Congress, AHINDAs, which had fully some experts, the Congress and the BJP On the afternoon of Janu- during her captivity and later rally waved the national flag dent Farooq Abdullah termed
Since 1985, the state has never re- backed the party in 2013 resulting in have a base vote share of 24 percent ary 11, Asifa had left her home killed her. which forced Chief Minister the rally in support of the al-
elected the incumbent party, which each, while the JD(S) has started with at Rassana to graze horses It was then that the issue Mehbooba Mufti to post a leged rapist as “an indication
means that power changes hands every five percent only. They further argue at a nearby forest but didn’t turned communal, signs of of the dangers to come”.
five years in Karnataka. From 1985 to Caste factor has that the Congress has half the support return. The following day her which had already become Though BJP’s senior lead-
1999, power oscillated between Janata of the AHINDA, while the BJP has 60 parents registered a case with evident when the boy was The issue has ership later distanced itself
Dal constituents and the Congress. The played a decisive percent of the support of the LIBRA, the police; but police couldn’t arrested. An organisation — been changed from the rally, Hindutva Ekta
trend was broken in 2004 when the role in state and in order to win both parties need trace her. A week later, Asifa’s Hindu Ekta Manch — was Manch continues to protest
people delivered a hung verdict. The an additional 10-12 per cent votes and body was found face-down created, headed by BJP leader from getting against the arrests and seeks
Congress however, managed to retain assembly elections it is for this reason that both the parties at some distance from her Vijay Sharma, which took out justice for the handover of the case to the
the Chief Minister’s chair with support in Karnataka in are focusing their eyes on the balance house. Her body bore torture a rally in support of the ac- CBI. “We don’t trust J&K Police.
of the JD(S) under a formula for sharing seven percent Vokkaliga vote to win. marks and the investigation cused SPO. “We are protesting rape and murder It first arrested a 15-year-old
the top post. the past and in the Keeping in view the fact that the later concluded that she had because an injustice is taking of a child to boy and said he is responsible
Caste factor has played a decisive period spanning 2004-2008 witnessed been raped too. place. And this is happening for the rape and murder of
role in state assembly elections in Kar- ensuing scenario an era of instability and the state saw Stunned by the depravity because nationalist people the protection the girl. Then they arrested
it will also be a three Chief Ministerial tenures, one of the crime, the people of live in our area,” P N Dogra, of the accused the SPO and said he commit-
• Hung assembly? Some experts are expecting decisive factor from each party, the question is raised the area staged protests. Two the BJP’s District President of ted the rape and murder of
a hung Assembly in Karnataka as to whether this trend days later, police arrested a Kathua, told media persons by involving the girl. Then they arrested
will be repeated in 2018 15-year-old boy. He was ac- while leading the rally. He another SPO. How can we
and if it does, who will be cused to have abducted Asifa, also defended the accused religion trust this probe?” Dogra said.
the beneficiary — the BJP hidden her at a cowshed, Police, on its part, has said that
or the JD(S) or will there be raped her and then killed her. “the SPOs were identified by
a hung assembly situation However, the Bakerwal the boy for their role in the
like in 2004. In case of a community was not con- murder”.
hung verdict, JD(S) could be vinced. “How can a 15-year- “Investigation is on. Law
in a position to dictate its old boy singlehandedly will take its own course,” a
terms to the party that wins abduct a 7-year-old girl and police officer said.
the largest number of seats, confine her to a cowshed and But this has hardly helped
provided it manages to win then kill her?” asked Asifa’s address the deepening
over 50 seats in a house of father Mohammed Yousuf. polarization.
240 seats. However, some A week later, the police “A brutal crime is now
experts, while agreeing arrested a Special Police being viewed through com-
with the surmise of a hung Officer, Deepak Khajuria, for munal lens,” says Hussain,
assembly, affirm the emer- the crime. And then another an activist. “So, tragically, the
gence of the Congress as the SPO was arrested. They had issue is not now the rape and
largest party. Amidst these been named by the boy in his murder of a seven-year-old
speculations, it is worth- child, the issue is the protec-
while to wait and watch. • Probe sought People demand tion of the accused”.
probe into rape and murder of Asifa
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