Hathras and Balrampur: The shocking caste-ification of rapes by political parties and liberal media

The Hathras gang-rape case has shocked the nation but sections of the media and political parties yet again have made it a political issue to settle political scores in the state. The caste-ification of rapes in a particular state and in this case Uttar Pradesh is being done rather meticulously to target CM Yogi Adityanath and in turn, cause a serious divide between sections of the society.

What is more shocking is that the liberal media is blatantly evoking the caste of the perpetrators and the victim to paint a morbid picture, whereas simultaneously ignoring similar incidents happening around the country. Amidst new angles and plain contradictions between media reports and the administration’s version of the entire incident, the liberal gang has pounced on the opportunity to go for a kill against the centre and the state, all whilst ignoring the plight of other victims in non-BJP states that have met with the same fate. The rape cases in Rajasthan have got little to no media coverage because it is a Congress state and because the caste of the victim and perpetrator doesn’t suit the political agenda.

Even in UP, cases are being given coverage by the opposition parties on the basis of the political value it brings on the table.

The Balrampur gang-rape incident where a 22-year-old Dalit woman has been raped by two men named Shahid and Sahil has seemingly been dropped in the cold-storage. According to the police report, she was raped in the backroom of a grocery store in the Gaisari village. Her sandals were found outside the room. The owner of the shop was allegedly the one who planned the crime.

The coverage of media when it comes to rape cases is solely dependent on the caste-factor. The viewer shouldn’t be fooled that the media is covering Hathras gang-rape case so that the victim and her family get justice. If that was the case then the below-mentioned cases would have got a similar coverage.

As usual, the coverage of NDTV reeks of complete bias with the forced attempt to add the caste angle repeatedly into the case. While Hathras gang rape is being pushed through the caste angle, the Balrampur gang-rape is being swept under the carpet as the perpetrators belong to a ‘special’ community.

https://twitter.com/Iyervval/status/1311577753636937728

Another struggling leftist ‘news’ portal Newslaundry which more often than not harbours particular hatred for BJP ruled states and its leaders, pandered a similar agenda like NDTV and pushed for Hathras gang rape and remained mum on the Balrampur incident.

‘Help us get justice, please,’ Dalit girl assaulted in UP’s Hathras succumbs was the headline of one of the articles of the portal which inadvertently had to bring in the caste angle to vilify the state machinery. A customary search of their website would be enough to tell you that the leftist-portal is yet to comment on Balrampur gang-rape case.

The Print’s infamous ‘reporter’ Jyoti Yadav, once again published an article where caste and hatred for CM Yogi Adityanath took the first seat and the gang rape became more of an afterthought and justice for the victim—a mere passing reference.

Part-time leader of Congress, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra along with her brother Rahul Gandhi have once again leeched onto the issue to score some measly political points to ensure Congress’s survival. The Congress scion Rahul Gandhi has come out of his long hibernation where he missed an entire Monsoon session to show his fake apathy to the cause of the victim and his family. Meanwhile, both have observed a complete radio-silence on the Rajasthan rape cases.

Priyanka Gandhi Vadra has gone one step ahead in politicizing the issue as today she shared a video of the father of the Hathras gang-rape victim alleging that he is being pressurized and the whole family is kept under house arrest. She claimed that the family is not satisfied by the investigation being conducted by the UP Police in the case.

In the video shared by her, the victim’s father with half of his face covered can be seen speaking. However, if one listens carefully, another voice also can be heard in the background prompting him to say certain things on the camera. The father can be heard alleging that the District Magistrate made him and two others sign a paper and that they were pressurised. However, before he completes his sentence he pauses for a while and then says the full sentence as if reading something (at 0:20).

The Hathras case will, of course, need a proper and fair investigation as the allegations made are serious. It needs to be examined if there were contradictory claims also, if the allegations of the family being kept away are true, then it also constitutes a gross violation of the fundamental rights of the victim, as well as her family. But what the liberal media and political parties have done in the wake of this case is outrightly disgusting. Using the death of a gang-rape victim and her caste to create even more deep fissures in the society—all to gain some political edge, the opposition continues to hit a new low and so does the liberal media which proclaims itself as a champion of women’s rights but in hindsight, is a vulture, only looking to boost its TRPs through the caste angle.