New Delhi: Left parties on Saturday expressed grief at the death of the "brave young woman" victim of gang-rape and asked the government to ensure security of women and time-bound justice in cases of atrocities against them.
Senior CPI MP Gurudas Dasgupta demanded a special session of Parliament "to respect public opinion, especially that of the youngsters".
Expressing deep sorrow at the tragic death of the "brave young woman", the CPI(M) Politburo sought the "most stringent punishment" to the accused criminals saying "it is even more tragic that had the government and the police done its duty the horrific incident could have been avoided."
Urging the government to extend all possible help now and in the future to the family of the victim, the party said, "this is not an isolated incident. Sexual assault cases are the fastest increasing crimes in India.
"It is essential for the government at the Centre and the states to put into place long pending required measures to prevent violence against women which have been demanded by women`s organizations and Left parties and which the government has failed to accept and implement."
The measures include steps to ensure security, easy access to time-bound justice, punishment to officials for non -implementation, referring all pending cases to fast track courts and reformed and stringent laws against sexual assault, the CPI(M) said.
The CPI, while expressing condolences to her family and "those who had come to identify themselves with the victim", said "her death will further harden the demand of all right- thinking people to strengthen our laws against rapes, uphold the dignity and safety of our girls and women, the struggle for gender equality, the need for speedy justice to all victims of rapes and quick apprehension and deterrent punishment to those guilty of such heinous crimes."
"Never again such crimes must happen. The government and the society at large must act and ensure this," it said.
Observing that the death of the woman has "shaken the
conscience of the nation", CPI leader D Raja said it has posed a challenge to the collective consciousness of the society.
"Government and the society will have to acknowledge the act of gender equality, giving equal rights and dignity to women," he said, adding that since existing laws were inadequate, these would have to be strengthened, police and security forces sensitised and special courts set up to hand down speedy justice.
Demanding convening of a special session of Parliament, his party colleague Gurudas Dasgupta said, "I pay my respectful tributes to the woman for her heroism in the way she fought the gangsters. She is an example to all Indians."
The gang-rape incident reflects the "total failure of the police, of the government and of the values in our social life. The girl shall always remain in the memory of the nation as a brave fighter against those who committed atrocities," Dasgupta said.
PTI
