Human Chain against Sexual Violence in Muzaffarpur and Other Shelter Homes in Bihar
LEFT parties organized a human chain across Bihar on 28 August 2018 to demand the resignation of CM Nitish Kumar and Sushil Kumar Modi in the Muzaffarpur shelter home sexual violence case, CBI enquiry into all shelter homes, and immediate lifting of the ban against media coverage of issues relating to the enquiry. The RJD, Samajwadi Party and HAM gave active support to the human chain. Tens of thousands of people formed human chains across Bihar and raised their voice to demand an end to rape culture.
The people standing in the human chain held up placards relating to the various demands: Nitish-Modi responsible for the shelter home horror must resign; CBI enquiry into all the shelter homes; attack on freedom of the press will not be tolerated; women are not safe under the JDU-BJP rule; Nitish-Modi must answer for the transfer of the CBI SP midway through the enquiry.
Speaking during the human chain General Secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya said that now perpetrators of organized rape and crime are being protected. The Patna High Court directive leading to the ban on media coverage of news related to the Muzaffarpur shelter home enquiry is a totally undemocratic and anti-Constitutional step. Today we have all come out to protest against this. The people of Bihar have a right to know about all facts related to this matter and this cannot be denied. Comrade Dipankar said that the needle of suspicion in this enquiry points to the highest in the echelons of power, which is why such a ban is being imposed on the media coverage. Today Bihar has become the hub of violence against women. Everywhere in Bihar brutal attacks are being carried out on women. The attitude of BJP-RSS towards women can be seen clearly through all these incidents. The people of Bihar will not tolerate this, and the Nitish-Modi government must go.
Other leaders speaking on the occasion of the human chain said that a free and fair enquiry into the matter demands that Nitish-Modi must resign. Based on the unclear directive of the High Court the State government ban on media reporting of the shelter home incident is a clear attack on the freedom of the Press. Even the High Court cannot ban Constitutional rights of the people and freedom of the Press. Journalists have also come out against this ban. People from all sections of society are part of this struggle against oppression and repression.
CPI(ML) General Secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya and State Secretary Kunal, CPI State Secretary Satyanarayan Singh, CPM State Secretary Awadhesh Kumar, SUCI(C) State Secretary Arun Kumar Singh, Forward Bloc General Secretary Ashok Kumar and other leaders participated in the human chain at Patna. RJD Bihar President Ramchandra Purve was also part of the human chain called by the Left parties. Former Patna University Professor and AIPWA National Vice President Bharati S Kumar, Dr PNP Pal, social activist Prem Kumar Mani, Bihar Mahila Samaj leader Nivedita Jha, Rajshree Kiran, senior leader KD Yadav, Samkaleen Janmat Chief Editor Ramji Rai, Insaf Manch leader Rajaram, Prof Santosh Kumar, Dr Aleem Akhtar, CPI leader Ravindranath Rai, CPM leader Arun Mishra, AIARLA Bihar State Secretary Gopal Ravidas, Janwadi Mahila Sangathan Rampari Devi, and a large number of students, youth, cultural and theatre activists participated in the human chain. Chorus, IPTA, AISA, AISF, RYA, AIYF, EVFI, AIDSO, PDS and other student-youth organizations also joined in the human chain.
Human chains were also organized at Darbhanga, Aurangabad, Nalanda, Nawada, Muzaffarpur, Dumraon, Beguserai, Jamui, Gopalganj, Katihar, Ara, Siwan, Arwal, Jehanabad, Gaya, Biharsharif and Bhagalpur. The common people, students, youth, women, and shopkeepers participated actively in the human chain.
