Protests against Attack on Woman Leader Jeera Bharti
CPIML and AIPWA organized statewide protests in Uttar Pradesh on 4 July 2020 against the sexual assault and attempt on the life of CPIML State Committee member and AIPWA leader Jeera Bharti in Mirzapur.
AIPWA also held protests all over India on the same day.
Demands were raised through the protests for immediate arrest of the attackers; speedy action and justice in cases of oppression and violence against women and dalits; end political protection of dominant forces and criminals; revoke false cases and stop police oppression against prodemocracy political activists. Through the protests, which were held in strict keeping with physical distancing and other Corona prevention rules, Party leaders submitted memorandums to the all the District Headquarters addressed to the Chief Minister.
On the evening of 1 July at about 6 PM Comrade Jeera Bharti (AIARLA National Council member) was returning home from Mirzapur. Feudal goons attacked her at Patehara, which falls a little before her home. They kicked her in her private parts, and beat her badly, and she sustained serious injuries. The police arrived at the spot about half an hour later, and an ambulance came after one hour. Primary treatment was given at the Patehara Primary Health Center. An application was submitted at the concerned Thana Madihan, but instead of registering a report the police started prevaricating. The attacking party also got busy managing the matter. CPIML brought the matter to the knowledge of the SP and DM. Despite her injuries Comrade Jeera Bharti stood firm in the Thana with Party comrades till late at night with the demand to register an FIR and arrest the attackers.
Responding to the statewide call, protests in capital Lucknow were organized at the Lalkuan Party office and in Chinhat, Indiranagar, Gomtinagar, Ashiana and Aliganj at Party activists’ homes. A delegation later went to the Collectorate and submitted a memorandum to the City Magistrate. In various other Districts, CPIML and AIPWA activists came out on the streets in protest.
Speakers at the protests said that dominant forces, mafia and criminals have been given free rein under the Yogi regime in the name of law and order, and as a result they are boldly attacking dalits, women, and weaker sections. At Mirzapur, feudal goons assaulted Jeera Bharti who is the voice of the poor, a dalit woman fighting for the rights of the poor, a well-loved CPIML leader and a former Parliamentary candidate. Despite being seriously injured, Comrade Jeera had to go through an extremely tough time even to register an FIR because the police, under pressure from the perpetrators, kept putting her off and tried to whitewash the matter instead of taking action. Arrest of criminals and dominant goons is an even tougher proposition. Under intense people’s pressure, an FIR was registered late the next evening, but no arrests had been made even three days after the incident. The Mirzapur Hospital administration referred Comrade Jeera to Varanasi for examination and treatment of her serious injuries, but did not even make an ambulance available to her.
The leaders pointed out that in a similar incident at Chakiya in Chandauli on 30 June goons climbed into CPIML and agrarian workers’ leader Comrade Videshi’s home and physically attacked his wife and other women in the family, but the police is shielding the main accused in this matter, Zila Panchayat member Mahendra Rao. The police have not even included Mahendra Rao’s name in the FIR and at his behest they have registered a false case against the victim family in order to pressurize them.
The speakers pointed out that Left and other activists who use their democratic right to protest peacefully against government policies. Are being oppressed and slapped with false cases. Recently such false cases against CPIML leaders have been registered by the police at Lucknow, Sitapur, Lakhimpur Kheeri, Moradabad, Prayagraj and Ayodhya. We demand that all cases against protesters should be withdrawn.
Protests against the assault on Comrade Jeera Bharti were also organized at Mirzapur, Sonbhadra, Chandauli, Varanasi, Ghazipur, Azamgarh, Mau, Gorakhpur, Devariya, Ballia, Prayagraj, Rae Bareli, Ayodhya, Sitapur, Lakhimpur Kheeri, Mathura and other Districts.
Party State Secretary Sudhakar Yadav participated in the protest at Banaras and met Comrade Jeera Bharti who had arrived in Banaras for treatment. AIPWA State Secretary Kusum Verma also met Comrade Jeera and spoke with her.
