While the Supreme Court is all set to hear a bunch of pleas challenging the remission granted to the 11 convicts in the Bilkis Bano case on May 9, Muslim women in Gujarat, through a short film, voiced that Bilkis Bano’s battle was their own battle now.
The 19-minute film titled, ‘Bilkis Bano: Justice overruled’’ has images of women protesting the release of the convicts and the Muslim women of the State expressed their distress over setting convicts free.
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In the movie, made by Bebaak Collective (Voice of Fearless) that works on human rights issues, Seema a women’s rights activist said in such cases women’s safety and protection is the government’s responsibility. “Following the release of the convicts, the survivor will lose faith in the judicial system,” Seema said.
The film opens with a woman exclaiming, “India’s 75th Independence Day was celebrated by releasing rapists.”
In 2011, a trial court in Mumbai had convicted Jaswantbhai Nai, Govindbhai Nai, Shailesh Bhatt, Radheshyam Shah, Bipinchandra Joshi, Kesharbhai Vohania, Pradip Modhiya, Bakabhai Vohania, Rajubhai Soni, Mitesh Bhatt and Ramesh Chandana and in 2017, the Bombay High Court upheld the conviction.
However, last year on the eve of 75th Independence Day, the Centre decided to give special remission to certain categories of prisoners, who maintained “good conduct” in jail. This also led to the Gujarat government releasing the 11 convicts involved in Bilkis Bano case.
Bilkis was gang-raped when she was five months pregnant and 14 members of her family, including her three-year-old daughter, were murdered in the aftermath of the communal riots in Gujarat in 2002. After the convicts were released, they were felicitated with garlands and sweets.
Bilkis had released a statement saying she was reliving the trauma of the past 20 years.
Yakub Rasul, Bilkis’s husband featured in the film spoke about his struggle and said, “We were thinking of starting our life afresh but our lives are ruined again. We have to keep changing our locations, we are broken emotionally and financially. Bilkis is traumatized. Those who should be in jail are home and those who should be home are on the run.”
One of the women in the film said, “I heard that the convicts are given an election ticket, today we have 11 rapists, next we will have 50. They have become bold now, they know they can get away with anything. Sarkar bhi inki, police bhi inki, vakil inka. [The government, police and the lawyers are all theirs].”
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There are other women in the documentary too, who voiced similar opinions. “Whether Hindu or Muslim, all women deserve equal respect. Today this has happened with Bilkis tomorrow it will be us. That’s why Bilkis Bano should get justice. On one hand the government says, ‘beti bachao’ and then they release rape convicts,” said another woman.
The film also highlighted the horrors of 2002 and how the police and government turned a blind eye to women’s misery. The women in the film stated that they were asked to leave to Pakistan.
