IS RAPE BECOMING AN EPIDEMIC IN GUJARAT?

GANG RAPE IN PATAN COLLEGE- A SHOCKING REVEALATION

It is not the saga of gang rape like Bilkis Bano in 2002 Carnage in Gujarat. It is the story of a poor girl student studying in Patan PTC College who became victim of gang rape by her six teachers of the same college. The lecturers of PTC college of Patan were empowered with internal marking, took the advantage of her poverty, and raped her 14 times in four and half months inside the college and in the village during internship. As other incidents, this incident too could have been dumped inside the four walls of Patan PTC college if she had not fainted during the prayer on date 31st January and the  bold step taken by only lady lecturer Bhartiben Patel followed by courageous 97 girl students and their guardians. This incident has shaken the whole state and students and people are coming out spontaneously to express their anguish. The people of Patan are very angry and want exemplary punishments be given to those teachers.

Ironically, Ms. Anandiben Patel, the present Revenue Minister in the cabinet hailed from this constituency, was the Education Minister of Gujarat for last 10 years, which are the years of sexual exploitation of the girls' students.

The Patan PTC College is situated in the outskirt of the city with 8 feet high boundary walls and controlled by District Institute of Educational Technology (DIET).

STORY OF THE VICTIM

The victim girl comes from very poor background from Jetalvasana village of Visnagar Taluka of Mehsana district. She scored 89% in 10th std. and 70% in 12th std. without tuitions. As she proved her intelligence, the family with five children decided to drop their son from the school to continue her education. The father of the victim is a daily labourer. The victim girl waned to be a doctor. But the   poor economic condition of the family opted her for the PTC course such that she can become the teacher and become self employed.  She was admitted to Patan PTC College on 24/7/07.

During the admission of the girl in the college the father of the girl pleaded with one of the teachers Mr. Bhalloch for economic help. Mr. Bhalooch assured him the help and asked the other lecturer to look after her. The father and the daughter were too naïve to imagine that their helplessness would take such a gruesome turn.

The victim girl had the aspirations to become a teacher after completion of her course. Innocent she was and with the values to respect teachers, she was unaware what is going to happen to her by the teachers whom she considered as Gurus. As other girls, she too was very innocent to know that about she has landed in the world of prowlers in this college

.GIRL CAGED BY THE RAPIST TEACHERS

        Just after 50 days of her admission in the college, on one eventful day 11-9-2007, she was summoned by Mr.Ashvin Kumar Parmar to Educational Technology room after recess. She did not know what was going to happen to her, went to meet him in the ET room. There she found two other teachers along with Prof. Ashvin Parmar. As she entered the room, the door was closed by Ashvin Kumar. She was dumb founded, shocked and felt that the heaven has fell on her head when Ashvin Kumar disrobed her forcibly and raped her followed by other two- Prof.Manish Parmar and Prof. Mahendra Prajapati. Now, the girl was under their clutch, with nude photographs taken in the mobile and they threatened her of dire consequences if she tells to anyone. After the 15 days of this incident, Prof.Manish Parmar called her to the laboratory, where Prof. Kiran Patel and Prof. Suresh Patel were already present. They raped her and Prof.Kiran Patel sexually abused her as he was sexually impotent. As a part of internship, the students were taken to Khumbhwa village from 31-12-07 to 11-1-08. Accompanied by Prof. Suresh Patel, Prof.Kiran Patel and Prof. Manish Parmar, they celebrated the New Year by raping her at 8 p.m. and before they departed from Village on 11th after cultural programme during the dead night time of 3:30 a.m. again they raped her. After the gang rape by the 5 teachers, it was the time for Prof.Atul Patel, the most influential man, close to Anandiben Patel, the Kingpin, raped her just before republic day on 25- 1-08 in the computer room. He threatened her to kill her if she exposed the matter.

 During the period of gang rapes the victim was traumatized and fainted most of the times. The lecturers took her to a witch doctor on 13th September and asked the witch doctor to exorcise the evil

Spirit. They took other girls with the victim to ensure the belief that she is empowered by evil spirit

.

 PROFILES OF LECTURERS IN PATAN COLLEGE

 Prof.Mahendra Prajapati: - M.Sc. B.Ed.

 Prof.Atul Patel                 : -  M.Sc. B.Ed. M.Phil. Ph.D.

 Prof.Suresh Patel              : -  M.A. B.Ed. ( Social Science )

 ProfKiran Patel                : -  M.Sc. M.Ed. Ph.D.( Maths )

 Prof.Ashvin Parmar          : -  M.A. B.Ed. LLB ( Psychology )

 Prof.Manish Parmar          : - Degree in Arts, Drawing teacher

(N.B. This writer  do not feel comfortable to mention Prof. Sorry)

 Prof.Bhartiben Patel: - She was appointed in 1997 but was transferred to Palanpur in 2001, because she complained about the sexual harassments of the students in 27-2-01. She, too, was threatened by male teachers.

 Ms. Josidhaben Joshi-The warden is Jashodaben Joshi who uses to advise girls to get use to it and scolded girls when the girls complain about the sexual harassments. Jashodaben was more concerned about menstrual cycle of the girls and used to carry them at night to male doctor Dr. Lalit Modi. It has come to light that lecturers used to visit the girls hostel in the name of giving them lesson and enter their rooms. When the guardian tried to draw attention of the Warden, she used to say that character of your daughter is not good. The lecturers used to say give smile and get marks. They used to ask girls to put honey on their lips.

 Prof.Atul Patel is close to Anandiben Patel. He headed the election campaign of Anandi Ben Patel in 2002. He is the kingpin of sex racket. He masterminded the transfer of Bharatiben Patel. There was complain against him but  he could manage and suppress all complains. He got Ramanujan Award in Mathematics.  Prof.Atul Patel's proximity with Anandiben Patel is known. He threatened  the victim girl after rape to kill if she exposes the facts.

 Prof.Manish Parmar is related to education minister Ramanlal Vora and moves with knife in the college. Girls are very afraid of him. He was armed with 250 internal marks while other teachers have just 50 to 100 marks. The drawing teacher drew a list top 10 list of girl on the campus to "choose best for himself. To sort list the best ten he used the mobile phone camera, video cameras and upload them in the computer and choose best for him. This process would start as soon as the students take admission in the college. He used to take full advantage during the education tour. A complain was filed against him in 17-10-2000 to GCERT chief but with out any result. Manish Parmar used to say no one can do anything to him as he has a big support

             Principal K.T. Puraniya, who took the charge from J.K. Chaudhary Prof J.K. Chaudhury, was hand in gloves with all these teachers. The present Principal is also not free from sexual misconduct, when he was a Principal in Palanpur. There is a nexus between the male teachers and management that authority turns blind eye towards sexual abuse cases.

 The lecturer drew lot to rape first. After the rapes, the teachers used to give high dose of anti pregnancy pill and shaved the pubic hairs by razor blade not to leave trace of semen. They used to keep condom with them. And takes photos in mobile phone and video cameras too. All these acts can only be performed by only experienced rapists with criminal mind.

 THE OUTRAGE OF THE STUDENTS AND ASSAULT OF TEACHERS

On 30th January the victim girl told to her friend about the gang rapes by the teachers. On 31st January, the victim fainted in the prayer hall, which led to lot of doubts and speculations. She was taken to a psychiatric doctor and then to a gynecology doctor by Prof. Bhartiben Patel and other students, where it was confirmed that she was subjected to rape. The girl was traumatized, fainted time and again and scared at the sight of any lecturers. The news of this gang rape was enough to make others inmates in the hostel angry who were also molestated and abused by those teachers at different times in the name of internal marks.  The 97 students filed a complaint in a signed memorandum to the Principal on 31st January. The  Principal went to Gandhinagar to place this complain before the authority on 1st February. He was assured of investigation on 5th. February, Tuesday. The students were apprehensive about administrative measures taken against the teachers from Gandhinagar as earlier cases were either suppressed or withdrawn.

The students took the advice of Prof Bharati behn Patel and informed the guardians with out wasting time.  The guardians rushed to the college and were shocked and angry hearing the heinous acts of the teachers.  On 4rth. February morning the PTC students assaulted the accused lecturers with sticks, bricks, damaged their bikes. Had not the police intervened, they have lynched those teachers the guardians and the people did not spare them.

25,000 people of Patan joined in a protest rally. Patan town remained closed for two days. The people of Patan could not believe that such gruesome incident can happen in the  ancient capital of Gujarat. The anger is so high that they asked to handover those six teachers. If they are not punished, they will punish them. Now the six teachers are in remand. And now their semen taste  has matched

The guardians demanded to ensure police protection to all students. All accused to be handed over to the people. Investigation should start against non co-operation of education minister Ramanlal Vora. All accused to be dismissed, not suspended. Security of all girls to be taken care of. The examination centre  be shifted from Patan. The internal examination system to be scrapped.

The desperate students along with the guardians went to Gandhinagar on 7th February and they were not allowed to meet either the Chief Minister or the Education Minister. The P.A. to Education Minister said, it is very normal thing and 'it goes on'

. The guardians are of opinion that it has been happening since the day of Anandiben Patel. In reply, Anandiben said, those who cannot tolerate victory of BJP are against her. She said more over the then education minister Ms. Anandini Patel said "no complaint sexual harassment had ever reached her." Every one believes she is just lying.

28 students filed complains of being molested by lecturers over internal marks in Patan PTC college.

The sexual harassment of the girls in not new in Patan PTC College.  In 2004, one Draksha Parmar filed a complain against Manish Parmar. But the case was sealed by the then Principal J.N. Chaudhary.

The victim girl was shifted to Civil Hospital, Ahmedabad where she had to wait for 3 hours in casualty and 3 more hours to be attended by Doctors. Though the incident of Patan Gang Rape got wide media coverage, and apparent Govt. attention, but she was shabbily behaved. She got more curious attention than the real medical attention.

 The National Commission of Women visited Patan .NCW believes that more girls were raped and  made following recommendations  that

-There should not be any male teacher on the campus including the peons and sweepers,

-The victim's statement should be recorded before the judicial magistrate  under section section 164 CrPc to avoid distortion under any political or social pressure

- The state Govt. should provide security to the victim and support her till she is rehabilitated.

- She should be supported till the case is on, Rs 1 lakh compensation is not enough.

-DIET PTC hostel at Patan should not be vacated as this will affect girls' education

- Adequate police security on the college campus  to ensure that classes are conducted with out any hitch.

-The State Govt. should submit to NCW copies of 98 girls accounts submitted to the college and the education dept. officials.

- The state Govt. should submit to it a report on the case within seven days and expedite the deliverance of justice.

 NCW  was surprised of police inaction.

'Education dept. is the worst in responding  to complaints. It deputes male officers to do per functionary inquiry and dispose of the case citing lack of evidence. When we protest, they tell us they do not have enough lady officers'. Said senior official of the committee. Times of India 8-2-08

Most victims prefer to suffer silently or swim with the tide, rather than report sexual harassment at work. Times of India 8-2-08

The dept. of women and Children development is under  Ms. Anandi behn Patel and out of 65 cases of sexual harassment  one third is from education dept.

.It is believed that Education Department of Gujarat did not bother about sexual abuse in this College. Education Department has received 18 complains out of which 11 are disposed and 7 cases are pending as on 31st January '08.

The statement of the victim girl was taken in presence of D.S.P. Raghvendra, R.D.C. M.D. Modia, senior lecturer Bhartiben Patel, one doctor and few students. As per IPC 376 and 506, six lecturers were arrested on the same day of the incident. In Patan, Judicial Court on 7th February, the statement of victim was taken under 164 and sealed.

THE AGONY OF INTERNAL MARKS

The agony of Internal Marks Marking Pattern in PTC can be understood from the following pattern of marking.

First year- total mark 1250. Theory- 700, Internal Marks 550 .Second Year 1500. Theory 900.

Internal 600.

One can understand what these internal means to students and how the teachers can black mail the students. There were recommendations to scrap the internal marks in PTC College after  a case of molestation of  a girl student in Rajkot private PTC College in 2005  when Ms. Anandibehn Patel was the Education minister. It was recommended to reduce the internal marks from 40% to 15% to 10% but it was suspended.

  It is believed that the sexual harassment have become common in PTC College. In Meghraj Taluka, Patan type of incident took place 22 years back where 15 girls became victim. Girls of South Gujarat were given admission. Lecturers used to come drunk and abuse girls. 15 police cases were lodged. The cases were suppressed and girls were not given degree. There was an incident in Self Finance Women's College, Palanpur in 2006. The students were taken on excursions to Goa and Maharashtra. They were taken by Prof. Kanubhai Patel to Cruise Party. He threatened the girls not to report the matter. Prof. Padmaben opposed it. She was harassed. Later Prof. Kanubhai was arrested. Now the case is in Tribunal.

Why The   Rush in PTC Colleges

Of course in Gujarat the way the PTC colleges have mushroomed there are already 65. 000 PTC teachers unemployed in the state and this year   more than 30.000 will join the wagon of unemployed teachers.

The girls in Gujarat are thinking of economic independence. and taking admissions in various professional courses. There are 16000 girls studying in PTC in Gujarat in 134 girls PTC colleges. In most of these colleges, there are no lady lecturers or even women warden. There it is compulsory for girls to stay in hostels. They have to pay all the fees including hostel fees, mess fees for the whole year and are given food for 7 months only. The expense in Self Finance colleges is very high compared to government colleges. There is no economic help or the scholarship for the poor students to pursue their higher studies. All are in paper. The much publicized Beti Bachao ( Save Girl Child ) and Kanya Kelvani ( education of girls) in Jago Gujarat campaign by the Chief Minister Narendra Modi has become a mockery

 To run a PTC College is becoming a big business. There are management seats also amounting to 3000 in Gujarat. The teachers are empowered with internal marking to the tune of 40%. And this very empowerment by internal marking has given them freedom to abuse the girls. Many believe that there are many more Patans in the state, which is taking place for so many years. The girls are asked to get used to it, When reported, the reports are ignored. The girls are afraid to come out openly & invite wrath of lecturer and they may not get degree and finally the job. The perverted minds of teachers empowered with internal marking has allowed to prey like wolfs on the girl students. Education associated with Degrees, jobs, insecurity, poverty has created such situation. National Council of Teachers' Education [NCTE] introduced the policy of Self Finance in PTC. The Self Finance institutes have mushroomed in the state. There are 431 PTC colleges, most of them self financed. Most sexual harassments were so shameful that 3 Self Finance colleges in Kheda, Sabarkantha, Ahmedabad, Gandhinagar district were to be closed. That is a matter of great concern that male lecturers were teaching in girls PTC colleges. When questioned they said, there are not enough female lecturers. If so how six women lecturers were sent to Patan PTC College after the arrest of six lecturers? And how Girls' College with male lecturers was allowed to run not only in Self Finance colleges, but also in government colleges?

Is There Dearth of Lady Teachers in PTC College?

There is no dearth of lady teachers for the PTC colleges run by DIET as told by Anandini Patel the present education minister, Raman Vora.

Surprisingly, the Vadodara DIET, which is meant for boys, has more female teachers than males. Similarly the proportion of female teachers in urban centers like Ahmedabad, Rajkot, Surat, and Gandhinagar, which are meant for boys, is also unusually high." Time of India  12 -2 -08

 The appointments are made on political ground. There was not a single female teacher in 13 members' staff foe six years in Patan.

There are 16 DIET colleges for boys and six for girls.  In six girls colleges 68 teachers are appointed out of which only 25 are females. Similarly 158 teachers are appointed in 16 Boys colleges. 45 are the lady teachers in those colleges. There are 70 lady teachers and most of them are posted in urban centers. Those 70 female lectures are sufficient to be posted in DIET colleges for girls. But in spite of sexual harassment by the male teachers in girls' colleges, the posting of female teachers was ignored. But as soon as the gang rape incident surfaced six lectures were immediately appointed. What an irony.Ms. Anandini Patel said that there was dearth of lady teachers

           Patan incident is just a tip of an iceberg. It has posed many questions before us. Educational institutes diverge from society, degree, job and insecurity, lack of economic assistance or scholarship to poor students, empowering lecturers with internal marking, lack of public watch dog system, absence of students power through students elections, compulsory boarding in hostels, detioriation in the characters of lecturers and wardens and absence of women's grievance redressal cell in the colleges in the state and many more.

. If  the sexual harassment can happen in the DIET colleges then one can imagine what may be happening in the self financed colleges run by influential people in power. It is necessary to have a thorough investigation  of all these self finance colleges by the people's committee and the statement of the  girls be taken by the women body  and effective measures be taken to prevent the sexual harassment as per the SC recommendations on Vishaka case. Educational institution should have a close link with society and the accountability of the educational bodies to the people and society be mandatory. This can only happen through the democratization of education that is co- operation between educational institutions and the society.

The Question of magisterial enquiry.

No term of reference for magisterial probe. The order for the probe did not mention the terms and condition for the probe. The Patan district collector will conduct the inquiry as per the rules and set up by the state Govt. The motive behind the crime which is the internal mark should have been included in terms and condition of inquiry. There is every doubt that the inquiry will meet the same fate and no where.

This Gang rape in Patan College witnessed spontaneous protests through out state in last week. Many more protests are going to take place. But the legal procedure will take it's own time and the people's furor of the incident may cool down and the victim may be left   alone to face the trial as the gruesome incident would have passed from the public memory. This has been happening all the time because the administrative actions are not taken against the accused. In this case of Patan gang rape the lecture can be black listed and derecognized from their degrees by the education dept. and the Universities as is practiced for the lawyers and the doctors. This administrative action can encourage the victim and the concerned people to face the trial further. Always it seems that in the judicial trial one is going to face a very difficult task. 1832 application related to crime against women were withdrawn in past one year  11-2-08 DNA

The magisterial enquiry has lost it's faith here in Gujarat. All are demanding for CBI enquiry and expect all the Action Taken Report (ATR) be made mandatory

The NHRC has issued the notice to the Government of Gujarat and has sought reply in four weeks.

The Directive of the Supreme Court is flouted.

There is a myth that Gujarat is safe for women, on paper it is safe so long the incident of sexual abuses and the rapes are not exposed. All attempts are taken to   suppress the matter such that the image of the state remains clean. The Govt. of Gujarat is totally indifferent to the Gang rape incident in Patan except the magisterial enquiry. As per the Vishakha verdict passed in 1997 by the Supreme Court, a guide lines for the prevention of sexual abuses at the work place and the disciplinary action to be taken against the erring one. Except few places most of the places in Gujarat do not have the appropriate complain mechanism for the redressal of the complain of the victim. , where the complaints committee to be headed by the women and not half of the member should be women. With involvement of third party like voluntary organisation or people's committee and annual report be prepared and submitted to the appropriate body of the Govt.

The SC guidelines-

1-     1-Physical contact and advances

2-     A demand or request for sexual favour,

3-     Sexually coloured remarks

4-     Showing pornography

5-     Any other unwelcome physical, verbal or non- verbal conduct of sexual nature

The victim girl has not yet got one lakh rupees announced by the Govt. of Gujarat.

This shameful incident of Gang rape is just a tip on iceberg. There are sexual abuses in the primary school by teachers by male teachers. Many incidents are suppressed for many social reasons. Many are reported and many go unreported. It is assumed the sexual abuses are increasing in menacing scale. One of the reasons is the advertisements in TV and print media, and encouragement of pornography  and obscenity  by the market forces in the name of globalisation and liberalisation. It is found that where ever there is more power of mark in the hand of the lectures the girls are the victim of sexual abuses. There are many incidents through out the state. The M. Phil, Ph. D students are not spared.

Ironically    an attempt is made to immune us from  the shock of  sexual abuse and take it normally as Chalta hai and nothing will happen. There is an attempt to maul the voice of protest as useless. The process of enquiry, judicial process, take a long years and legal process are very tardy. The people's voice just momentary and loose it's tenacity after period of time. There is no process to honor the people's concern which alone can keep the social moral high. Most of the time the character of the victim is raised such that she qualified to be raped or killed. Myths about the rape are circulated and every means is used to justify the rape. Even many believes that the girls  too enjoy during rape. So by society going through a serious decadence in the field of moral and ethics. The gang rape by not one  or two but by six teachers in one educational institution is too shocking but should act as wake- up call for all of us  to hold aloft the moral, ethics and social values in the society and enforce the Govt. and all it's administrative wings to strictly adhere to it. Otherwise we  will have society though technologically advanced but  spineless

.

The Role of BJP and whither  the moral police!

The BJP is conspicuously silent about this matter. They could believe that just after the election, with the  propaganda of vibrant Gujarat, Beti Bachao, Kanya Kelvani such type of sex scandal which was going on  for years would come out such nakedly and that too from the high profiled Assembly Constituency  of Patan,where Ms. Anandi behn Patel has been elected.To any Govt.such type of naked exposure is very embracing. But the BJP leaders are trying to save their faces giving stray comments here and there but are mainly engaged in damage control mission and are  discouraging any kind of  public or institutional protests. In Patan they are monitoring the teachers or professors joining the protest March. So may are scared to join the protest. The down playing  of the matter has it's effect as days are passing.

The Sangha Parivar and it's outfits are absent from the scene. The Chief Minister who  poses himself as the savior  has avoided to visit  Patan. The two ministers Raman Vora and Fakirbhai Waghela avoided to meet the people in Patan.Ms. Anandibehn also avoided to meet the  people  and was too afraid to face the wrath of the people., who cannot digest such heinous act could happen in place like Patan the ancient capital of Gujarat. They finger all the blames on Ms. Anandibehn Patel.and  believe  that she knew every thing..

The Congress as usual wants to take political benefit with out any concern for building any powerful social movement through out the state.It;s overenthusiastic  narrow political move will give  BJP to a scope to divert the matter .

Media Trial

Thanks to media trial of this gang rape. Almost all the dailies are giving excellent report and society too responded properly.  The Media coverage of Patan gave many to come out openly and several cases of sexual abuses in educational institutions were reported in a short time.But there is an all out attempt by the ruling parties to underplay the matter through various means. Most of the people are now scared to be identify with the protest particularly in Patan and else where.They feel they are watched and monitored. The ordinary women and people are very much annoyed and want severe punishment to the rapists.

 One would like to congratulate the victim girl whose has taken the decision bravely to face all the odds and to continue study. Also the family member of the victim and the citizens of Patan are too to be congratulated for their courageous act.

LET US CHECK THE EPIDEMIC OF RAPE

The social and cultural movement  based on moral and ethics  will bring all section of the people to protest this gang rape such that the people can dictate over  the Govt. So it is high time  to bring all section of people to one platform of action and bring justice to the victim and unearth all the abuses and stop them and develop a  public watch dog system in the state.

The 2002 carnage most heinously infected the gang rape  of the women in public. It was with Bilkis Bano and many more cases of Bilkis Bano like  gang rapes took. The gang rapes during the carnage is now becoming an epidemic  and spreading in the society and  the rapists are protected by the authorities in power. The Patan incident of gang rape is just an  example. Now the tribal girl studying in 10 the Standard of Jhagadia village of Bharuch district was gang raped in February 2 by 12 men. Which reported on 13th February news papers. One can gauze the depth  of epidemic that is spreading in the society Many fears there may be many more Patan. Let us come forward before this epidemic of Gang Rape take seize of the entire society of the  state.

During the public protests in the state these demands have been raised.

People's Demands:

• Handover the investigation of the entire incident to the C.B.I.
• Exemplary punishments to the culprit lecturers
• Immediate social rehabilitation of the victim girls

·        Appointment of only lady teachers in all women's colleges

·        Scrap the rule of compulsory boarding in hostel.

·        Girl students be given total protection in all the institutes

• Scrap internal marking system-the tool of students' exploitation in the hands of lecturers.
• Blacklist the culprit lecturers and withdraw their degrees
• The state government should release White Paper on the facts of the entire Women's Educational institutes.
• A Watch Dog Committee comprising eminent citizens to be formed to keep watch on all educational institutes.
• ' Sexual Harassment Committee' should be formed according to the guidelines of Supreme Court
• Activate the State Women's Commission by making necessary appointments.

·        Activate State Human Rights Commission by making necessary appointments.

This Article has been prepared by

Dwarika Nath Rath, An Civil Right activist in Gujarat ( India)

Date- 13-2-08

.

.