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U.K. groups to highlight crimes against Gujarat women

By Hasan Suroor

LONDON JULY 17. A number of South Asian women's groups in Britain have launched a joint campaign to highlight the atrocities committed against women during the recent violence in Gujarat, and press for action against those responsible for it.

The campaign would also focus on the sources of funding of some of the groups which were allegedly behind the violence, call for rehabilitation of the victims and protest the reported closure of relief camps, without giving protection to the inmates to return to their homes.

A spokesperson said there was a move to seek the intervention of the U.N. Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women into allegations of rape and physical assaults. "The extent of sexual violence and brutality witnessed during the carnage in Gujarat has been likened to the horrors of the post-Partition riots in 1947,'' she said after a meeting in London attended by representatives of more than a dozen organisations which have come together under the umbrella of the South Asia Solidarity Group and Asian Women Unity.

There was resentment over attempts by the State and Central BJP leaders to play down the attacks on women. The Defence Minister, George Fernandes' remarks in Parliament accusing the Opposition of "exaggerating'' the incidents came in for strong criticism. "It is shocking to hear this kind of statements from responsible quarters,'' said Asiya Sareshwala, a housewife making her first public speech.

Organisers claimed that this was the first concerted effort to focus on the plight of women victims of the Gujarat "massacre'', and the participation cut across community lines with non-Muslim women outnumbering the Muslims. They also claimed the support of some Labour MPs, one of whom planned to raise the issue in Parliament.

Concern was also expressed over allegations that some right-wing Hindutva organisations were misusing their status as charities to raise funds for the "divisive'' activities both in Britain and India. Zubaida Motala, a local community activist, called for a campaign to "name and shame'' such organisations. "We want the charity status of these bodies to be reviewed,'' Amrit Wilson, spokesperson for South Asia Solidarity Group, said.

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