A Muslim woman who was gang-raped by a Hindu mob who also murdered her three-year-old daughter and 13 other family members has spoken of her disbelief at the release of the 11 men jailed for the crimes.
The men were released by the Gujarat government on Monday after serving 14 years of their life sentences. Under Indian law, some prisoners are eligible for parole after 14 years, provided they meet certain age and behavior criteria.
Bilkis Bano and her husband were not told the men would be released. She said the news came like a thunderbolt and left her “deaf” with disbelief.
“Today I can only say: how can justice end up like this for a woman? I trusted the highest courts in our country. I trusted the system and slowly learned to live with my trauma. The release of these convicts has taken my peace and shaken my faith in justice,” Bano said in a statement issued by her attorney on Wednesday.
The attack took place during the 2002 anti-Muslim pogrom in Gujarat.
For Indian Muslims, the release has stirred up the horrors of anti-Muslim riots. More than 1,000 people died in three days, mostly Muslims, and hundreds of Islamic monuments were vandalized or vandalized.
On March 3, 2002, a mob raped Bano in a village near Ahmedabad. She was 19 and pregnant. Her mother was also raped and her three-year-old daughter was killed. Bano only survived because the mob assumed she was dead.
A total of 14 members of her family were attacked. Only Bano, a nephew and another man survived. The bodies of six of her relatives were never found. It took a long court battle before the men were finally convicted in 2008.
The decision to release the men was taken by the Gujarat government, which is ruled by the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata (BJP) party. He has sparked outrage among the opposition.
For many BJP critics, it was yet another insult to Indian Muslims who already feel marginalized and attacked by the BJP and marginalized Hindu groups.
Rahul Gandhi, leader of the opposition Congress Party, said the decision mocked Narendra Modi’s Independence Day speech earlier this week, when the prime minister urged Indians to change their mentality towards women, speaking of “nari shakti” or women’s power.
“It is important that we do not do anything in language and behavior that reduces the dignity of women,” Modi said.
Gandhi tweeted on Wednesday: “Prime Minister, the whole country sees the difference between your words and your actions.”
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Asaduddin Owaisi, a Muslim politician, also condemned the release. “The country watches as the BJP pays only lip service to empowering and respecting women. But when it comes to Muslim women, forget them.”
Some legal experts say the release violates guidelines that state the release policy does not apply to convicted rapists and murderers. Others say that all prisoners are entitled to it once they have served 14 years.
“This is a majority criminal state decision and signals impunity for hate crimes,” said lawyer and human rights activist Vrinda Grover. “The message for women is clear – the state will selectively unleash the wrath of the law… Religion appears to be a criterion for rewarding convicts with parole.”
For the Bano family, the legal gray areas and the political dispute are not in the foreground. They wonder if they will ever feel safe again when their rapists return to their nearby villages.
Adding to their dismay, the men were greeted with garlands and candy as they exited the prison.
Bano said: “I appeal to the Gujarat government, please reverse this damage. Give me back my right to live without fear and in peace. Please make sure my family and I are safe.”