KOLKATA, Aug 24: Stating that the 23-year-old photojournalist’s gang rape case should not be politicised, veteran actress and social activist Shabana Azmi today said blaming migrants for crime against women was unfortunate.
“I think this is a very unfortunate way of saying that migrants are responsible for such incidents. If you look at the statistics of Maharashtra, more than 30 per cent of the migration that takes place in Maharashtra happens from the interiors of the state,” Azmi told reporters here.
“I would have hoped that instead of rushing to such hasty conclusions, we should look at the facts as they are and keep our concentration not on politicising the debate, but making sure that each one of us, as active citizens, participate in whatever solutions are required to change the mindset that uses rape as a means of subjugation,” she said.
The actress turned activist who has been vocal on social issues, said that making comments about why such crimes were on the rise without going into any social analysis would be a hasty decision.
Condemning the Mumbai gang rape of an intern last Thursday, the 61-year-old said the incident took place after the anti-rape law was passed in Parliament.
“With both Houses taking into consideration many of the amendments proposed by the Justice Verma committee, one would have hoped for an actual change,” she said.
Demanding that the culprits should get the severest punishment possible, Azmi said, “The fact that it can happen with such impunity points to the fact that people do not have fear instilled in them that law and order will actually take its own course. This is very shocking.”
The victim, an intern with an English magazine was gang raped allegedly by five men on Thursday evening when she and her male colleague went to the deserted Shakti Mills compound in Lower Parel area of Mumbai to take photographs for a story.
The incident brought back shocking memories of the December gang rape of a paramedic in Delhi which had sparked a nation-wide outrage. (PTI)
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