The Supreme Court on Monday said the atrocities on women in the Manipur violence cannot be excused merely because similar incidents had been reported from other states like Bengal, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan.
“We will deal with it later. But here, we are dealing with something which is
unprecedented violence relating to communal and sectarian strife,” Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud said.
The Chief Justice was responding to Bansuri Swaraj, advocate and daughter of the late BJP leader and Union minister Sushma Swaraj.
Bansuri’s clients wanted the top court to expand the scope of the present suo motu hearing on the Manipur violence to include similar crimes committed against women in Bengal, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan.
Bansuri said: “I am seeking pan-India relief for women. They are all daughters of India.”
Chief Justice Chandrachud responded: “Are you for a moment saying that do something for all the daughters of India or don’t do anything for anybody at all?”
Bansuri said: “No, my plea is ‘protect all the daughters of India’.”
The bench then asked her to give suggestions on the Manipur incident alone and mention the issues related to other states later.
The Chief Justice added: “You cannot excuse what is taking place in Manipur now on the ground that such crimes are happening to several other women as well in other parts of the country.”
The Supreme Court bench, which included Justices J.B. Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, made no mention of it but the Narendra Modi government has been accused by the Opposition of indulging in “whataboutery” after a video showing the savagery on two women who were paraded naked in Manipur emerged.
A day after the video emerged, ending his months-long silence on the Manipur violence, Prime Minister Modi had said: “...My heart is full of pain, full of anger. The incident that has come to the fore in Manipur is a shameful one for any civilised society.... Be it Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Manipur or any part of the country, maintaining law and order and respecting women should be put above any political debate.
On Monday, Bansuri was appearing in the court for two interveners -- the SS Human Rights Foundation, Purba Bardhaman, West Bengal, through Sangita Chakraborty, and the Delhi-based Sangini Saheli through Priyal Bhardwaj.
The bench said: “Undoubtedly, there are crimes taking place against women all over the country. But then that is part of our social reality. However, in Manipur, we are dealing with something which is of an unprecedented magnitude, mainly crime and the unabated violence in a situation relating to communal and sectarian strife.”
Referring to the allegations associated with Bengal, Bansuri said: “These are all bone-chilling incidents. Your Lordships must protect all daughters of India and not limit the mechanism only to the state of Manipur,” the counsel said.
It was then that the Chief Justice asked her about all daughters of India.
The petition filed by the human rights organisation from Bengal complained that women had been stripped, paraded naked, raped, molested, sexually harassed and murdered during the political violence related to the recent panchayat polls as well the Assembly elections in 2021.
The application filed by the Delhi-based organisation said it is deeply concerned about the increasing crime against women in Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan, and the “incapability” of the respective state governments (the Congress is in power in both states) and the police machinery to maintain law and order has exacerbated the situation.
