India village council orders rape of sisters, Amnesty mobilizes - Sign the petition

Amnesty International UK

TWO SISTERS TO BE RAPED AS PUNISHMENT – DEMAND JUSTICE

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MISNA
An online petition launched last week continues in a move to demand protection and justice for two low-caste Indian sisters ordered to be raped by a village council in punishment after their brother eloped with a higher caste, married woman. The petition launched by Amnesty International India is addressed to Uttar Pradesh's Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav, calling on him to take decisive action. The family of the two sisters has also petitioned India's Supreme Court seeking protection to return their village, with the court ordering the administration of the northern province to reply by September 15.

A case that has renewed the perception in India of an inconsistent and easily interpreted justice, in addition to the persisting anti-constitutional privileges, traditions and discrimination.

Amnesty India has gathered over 175,000 signatures in a week mostly on its British website after 23-year-old Meenakshi Kumari and her 15-year-old sister were forced to flee their village with their family when an un-elected village council, dominated by upper caste "Jat" men, in Uttar Pradesh state on July 30 ordered the two "Dalit" sisters be raped and paraded naked with their faces blackened as punishment for their brother's actions.

In northern parts of India, these village councils known as "Khap Panchayats" act as de-facto courts in local disputes, whether civil or criminal cases. These councils are however coming under growing scrutiny as their punitive edicts grow more regressive and archaic, ranging from banning girls from using mobile phones to supporting child marriage, expelling individuals or families from villages and sanctioning the lynching of couples in "honour killings".
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India - Gandhi's granddaughter opposes death penalty for rapists

The India Express

Natasha Chaku
Amid a debate in India over capital punishment for rapists, the granddaughter of Mahatma Gandhi, Ela Gandhi, Monday said death sentence is not the solution to end violence against women and society needs to promote gender consciousness.
"Capital punishment itself will not change the attitude towards gender. Nor will Anna Hazare-led stir on bringing a law against corruption alone change the system," said Ela Gandhi, a former South African MP during her visit to Australia.
The social activist, who is working to end domestic violence thinks the society needs to "become more gender conscious". "There has to be real community outreach programmes with parents, with young people in schools. Everywhere, gender consciousness needs to be a part of the syllabus of every child," she said.
She also expressed shock over alleged murder of model Reeva Steenkamp by gold medalist paralympian Oscar Pistorius. "Steenkamp's death by her boyfriend has reinforced the unfortunate fact that South Africa is battling with the deep-rooted culture of violence," she said.