Women activists oppose ban on Dec 16 gang-rape film telecast

New Delhi: The All India Democratic Women's Association (AIDWA) on Thursday strongly opposed the blanket ban on the documentary on December 16, 2012 gang-rape incident by BBC and demanded action against the defence lawyers in the case, ML Sharma and A P Singh.

"This is a knee jerk reaction that constitutes an attack on the freedom of expression. Furthermore, the film reveals the reality of the brutality of rape without sensationalizing it. The statement made by one of the convicts in the film, is to say the least, shocking, heinous and condemnable.

"This is the attitude that was reflected in the crime by this person and others. But it cannot be denied that this is the dominant patriarchal attitude on rape in our country and has been voiced at many different levels of society and even sometimes by influential people within and outside Parliament," Sudha Sundararaman, national vice-president of AIDWA said.

General Secretary of AIDWA, Jagmati Sangwan said that action should be taken against the defence lawyers in the case, ML Sharma and A P Singh.

"The statements made by the defense lawyers are disturbing, atrocious and hateful which will incite violence against women. FIR should be filed against them," said Sangwan.

"Instead of needlessly banning films in an undemocratic fashion, the Government would do better to proactively pursue the pending case in the Supreme Court, where shockingly even such a high profile case has gone unheard even once for over a year," AIDWA said in the statement.

The National Federation of Indian Women (NFIW) also opposed the banning of the documentary and said, "There is nothing new in what Mukesh Singh said. It is also not different from the opinions expressed by leaders of different political parties, head of Women Commissions and heads of RSS and VHP and Khap Panchayats etc.

NFIW is of the opinion that the Government at the Centre as well as in States should take note of all the anti-women statements and should take all necessary steps to stop people, whoever they may be, from making such criminal suggestions and statements against women.

"A ban is not the solution, it cannot ensure women's constitutional rights. It needs political will and social commitment," said Annie Raja, General Secretary of NFIW.