So then what can WE do for Priyanka?

A number of readers have written in to ask what we busy-with-our-own-lives guys can do to ensure torturers of Priyanka get their just desserts. And that already is a good sign… the fact that at least some of us care.
Well, my answer is quite simple: we need to put pressure on the three key constituencies that will eventually determine the fate of this case. The media. The State Government. And the Judiciary. Exactly what happened in the case of Jessica and Priyadarshini. And it’s important we do that, because we need to tell these people very clearly that we do also care for our people in the villages, that we are not immune to their problems. That, what happens in Mumbai and Delhi is as important to us as what happens in a Khairlanji or any other place in India. That, even if Priyanka wasn’t half as stunning looking as Jessica was, we still care.

What’s been happening till date?

Before I come to what we can do, here’s a quick look at the story so far.
Late last month, after sleeping over the incident for two whole months, Vilas Rao Deshmukh, the CM of Maharashtra, handed over the case to the CBI. Not just keeping vote bank politics in mind (the very angry Dalit community), but also because that was a firman passed by his boss, Soniaji. He has also, thank god for small mercies, ordered the case to be heard in a fast track court in Bhandara, a small town in Maharashtra.
A few days ago, the CBI filed a charge sheet against 11 individuals. The charge sheet was filed in the court of a judicial magistrate against them for murder, outraging the modesty of women, allegedly entering into a criminal conspiracy, unlawful assembly with deadly weapons, trespass and destruction of evidence as well as offences under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act of 1989.
The CBI also plans to investigate the shoddy work done by the police so far, and has promised to file separate charge sheets against errant/corrupt officers.
The case is likely to come up for hearing early next year. So hopefully this atrocity won’t go down the Jessica Lall way… years and years of delay. However, what we need to keep in mind is this: in both the cases, that of Lall and Matoo, the Higher Courts in Delhi overturned the judgments of the trial courts, while casting serious aspersions on the efficiency and fairness of the latter. This is a significant observation for the Khairlanji trial as well.

What can we do?

Media: We need to exert sustained pressure on the media, both TV and Press, so that this case doesn’t vanish from their short-term memory loss suffering minds. Let’s also keep the issue alive on the blogs (as we are currently doing). Let’s send out provocative letters to editors, let’s shoot out mails and text messages to influential journos like Ms Barkha Dutt. I think the rest of us would have done a great job simply by aiming reminder darts at the media. And I say this cos as long as the media keeps the issue alive and hot, it will put pressure on investigating officers not to let up on the case, AND, it will put pressure on the judges to ensure fair and swift justice. We have learnt these lessons in the recent past. (There is a theory our judiciary cannot be influenced by the media, and I entirely disagree with it. Our judges haven’t landed from Mars, they live the same lives we live, they are one of us.)

The government and the judiciary: No, we don’t need to hit Bhandara to be heard by these segments. Instead, we need to do exactly what New Delhi did for Jessica. We need to carry placards and candles and hold peaceful demos at the Gateway of India. With simple messages like ‘WE CARE FOR PRIYANKA TOO.’ ‘WE DEMAND IMMEDIATE JUSTICE FOR KAHIRLANJI.’ I believe even if 50 of us do this on an odd Sunday morning, the media will catch on (most of them are content starved anyway), and through them, the message will get delivered to our mantris and our adalats. Write to me if this idea appeals to you, we’ll get together and ensure this happens.

However, I do admit I am quite challenged when it comes to ideas on such serious matters. My key strength, as some of you would know, is sensationalism. So if you have any bright ideas, please feel free to share.

Happy New Year!