A dalit lady or a simple individual or nothing?

The recent news item under state news about a missing woman Ms Bhanari Devi did not receive much media attention and provided hardly any details about the history of the woman or her link with the Public Health and Water Resource Department minister Mahipal Maderna . Only after the woman’s husband accused the minister the news got some media attention and CBI enquiry got started.

The simple case that I understood after combining multiple information sources is that the woman Ms Bhanari Devi was a dalit woman working as a nurse in government service. She was also coming recently in regional songs and very recently received offers for roles in good production. The minister has a long history of involvement in multiple cases including one murder case for which he was also in jail for some time. The minister had some sexual relationship with the woman and due to a CD leak showing them compromising position. There is very remote possibility that female went missing because of any reason other than minister’s possible involvement in this case. The minister must have understood possible loss of his reputation due to CD scandal. 

The case is not very different what has happened in multiple cases involving atrocity on woman. What makes this case special is the woman was a dalit and the involvement of a minister Mahipal Maderna belonging to a dominant Jat community.

The irony of the situation is that woman’s commission has not spoken a single comment on this incidence. More so, even the SC/ST commission is sleeping in this matter. The media which did not stop a single minute coverage of Mr Anna Hazare has much better things to do, they have headline news items that Sachin Tendulkar moved to his dream house, Paris Hilton party and her 100 USD donation to a Mumbai beggar. Strangely the 100 USD got torn after a family fight, that is also covered in the national media. But, the vibrant democracy which was willing to sleep in Ram Leela Maidan and going for candle light march in case of Jessica Lal murder has no idea that such a gruesome incidence has happened in Rajasthan with a possible involvement of a minister. 

The strange situation doesn’t stop here, the CBI has started its enquiry and who knows when will they come up with their findings. But, the minister is enjoying his freedom in a public office, and no one is demanding his resignation. Not even the opposition party BJP. Unwanted incidences happen all the time across India but no one becomes so much deaf and dumb to close their senses. Woman’s commission, SC/ST commission, opposition party and media are silent observer.

Why is there so much difference? Its time people come together to give a common response to unwanted elements in the society. The minister must resign from his position until the CBI enquiry gets over and he gets a clean chit. Being a dalit woman, Ms Bhanwari Devi is receiving more problem that any other would have received. She is undergoing the pain of a woman, murdered due to sexual relationship and then being a dalit receiving no attention or support from the public. Prof. Amerthya Sen has rightly stated that dalit women faces double challenge in a society, living a woman’s life in a male based society and then getting discriminated as a dalit. She was a dalit lady or even a simple woman, in both the cases she must get justice and the guilty get the due punishment.

But the question is was she was a dalit lady or a simple woman or no one?