SECTIONS
^ City News
^ Events
^ Profile
^  Debate
^ Perspective
^ Monthly Calendar
^ Youth
^ Business
^ Immigration
^ Healthwise
^ InVogue
^ Fiction
INTERACTIVE
^ Classifieds
^ Matrimonials
^ What's Cooking?
^ Melting Pot
^ Snapshots
^ A Day In The Life Of...
^ Family Portrait
^ Birthday Greetings
^ Baby Of The Fortnight
^ Model Mania
^ Kids Corner
 
 <<CityNews Main Send Flowers to India!

 We invite associations, organizations and clubs from cities around the US to send in press releases accompanied with high resolution photos for publication in City News. Contributions may be sent to editor@NRIPulse.com.

Send Gifts to India!
Atlanta

Candlelight Vigil For Damini- Community Gathers For A Cause

Damini


BY JYOTHSNA HEGDE
Photos by Photography by Vinod


Atlanta, JAN 2013: Some incidents shock, shake and shame a nation out of its slumber and into an awakening. The barbaric rape, torture and eventual death of a 23 year old paramedical student in India’s capital city, Delhi on the night of Dec 16th 2012 was the spark that ignited the outrage of the common man, with protests against the system and demands for better laws pertaining to violence against women, rape in particular.

Shaveta Jain, Mrs. India International 2012, with the support of members of the community, organized a Candlelight Vigil in honor of the victim, Damini, at the Global Mall in Norcross on Sunday January 6, 2013.

Atlanta’s South Asian community gathered in large numbers to express solidarity and support for the bereaved family. A previous resident of Delhi, and mother of two girls, Jain said she traveled to her college using of the charter buses, just like the one Damini and her friend boarded on the fateful night.

Damini

“The terror we used to have while commuting is still the same, now even worse and will remain the same years after years if we don’t take any action at this time. So I decided to take an initiative to hold a memorial service to Damini by lighting a candle and keeping a moment of silence for her. This memorial service was intended for us to come together as one and express our solidarity with the victim’s family as well as demanding better laws for crime against women in India.” She said when asked about her inspiration to hold the vigil.

The crowd marched along the Global Mall with lit candles, some borrowing spark from the others as the windy day blew them away. 

Damini

Expressing her support for the cause, Alka Lamba, Chairperson, Go India Foundation said “I stand and support you as a mother, sister, daughter and most important of all, as a women. Let us take is basic cause of making people aware, stirring their conscience, making them realize and sensitize them. Let us do it. Us, not you or me. My support to your cause is unconditional, unflinching and undisputed.”

Damini

“Arise, Awake, stop not till the goal is reached” Shiv Aggarwal, owner of Global Mall quoted Swami Vivekananda. He called for more women on the police force, and urged that the police be separated from politics. He opined that the TV serial makes and movie makers must portray women in more positive light rather than fearful and submissive stereotypes.

“Damini in Sanskrit means lightening – lightening has struck india – it is a wake-up call. Are we going to put up media protected, poor or no governance? “ Chand Akkineni questioned. He said the world was bearing the burden of brutal crimes against humanity and it was time to change. “Mute witnesses or mute spectators are not going to solve the crime. We need to express our thoughts. Messages he said can be easily spread with technology and social media such as Facebook. He impressed upon the importance of providing equal rights to women, starting with our homes. “In India, in 2010, there was an attempt to give 33% voting in parliament to women.” He urged to support people who can bring that measure to the government.

Senator Curt Thompson

“I want to thank you all for choosing our 5th district to have the vigil. This is the most diverse district in terms of nationalities represented here with 150 languages spoken” State Senator Curt Thompson (D-GA 5th District ) said in his opening remarks. Picking up on Swami Vivekananda’s quote he said, “do not stop till the goal is reached, whether that goal is stopping corruption, gun violence, or violence against women. He said there should not have to be a shelter for battered women of south Asian origin here and that attitudes toward women must change. “We have to make sure policies are put in place here and in India and are implemented” he insisted. “I appeal that this be more than just an outpour of emotions, more than just tears, flowers and candles – we are all good at doing that, it has to translate till next month, next year and maybe a decade. And it will take that long and if we don’t stop, we will get there” he said.

“We have to change the conversation, we have to be okay to talk about this, we are not going to blame the woman, we are not going to ask what she was wearing, we are not going to say why were you out at this time but we are going to believe her and we are going to support her and we are not going to make it a shameful what is happening here and we put the same energy as what we want to do back home,” Aparna Bhattacharya of Raksha said in her address. She appealed for a shift in how we view these crimes as individuals. She said that the violence against women act is being held up by our federal government and one of the reasons is provisions for  the immigrant community. “There are women in our community who cannot have police reports made because they cannot speak the language and police officers are not taking those reports” she said and urged everybody to think about change here and back in India.

IACA President, Kaushal Tripathi said IACA condemns the crime and urged for stringent laws to treat such cases.

“In my opinion, the death penalty is not sufficient. They should be castrated in public so that they can suffer and the rest of the people watching will also learn the lesson,” said, Dr. Wasi Siddiqui, chairman  of the Aligarh  Alumni Association of Atlanta. Abdul Qayyum, President of the Pakistan Association of Georgia and prominent Pakistani community member Inam M InamMullah also expressed solidarity with the cause and stressed on the need to create a law to stop the crime. 

Reinforcing the need for change, social activist Alka lamba says she is more determined effort to ensure the lawmakers and law enforcement agency act, and act now. “Damini, Nirbhaya, Amanat... name can be any, the feeling is one. Justice and empowerment. I pray that her soul rests inpeace. But we shall not. The concept of expressing your concern towards such horrific crime is praise worthy. Let us all resolve that respect and dignity of women should be the basic principle that we give our children. We should practice what we preach. Respect for women is as basic as the principle of human dignity.” She said.

Several community members came together to provide their services and time for this cause. Mustafa Ajmeri and other volunteers helped Shaveta Jain put the event together. Shiv Aggaral provided the venue. Shahid Ali sponsored candles, water and snacks at the vigil. Salim Panjwani of Sur Sangeet of Atlanta provided the sound system. Vinod Devlia of Photography by Vinod provided still photography while Zee Hassan of DesiWebShow took care of video coverage. Print & Sign printed the flyers that were designed by Shamsu Lalani of Desi Express magazine.

The Resolution

A resolution was read out by Shaveta Jain and passed by those present (representing the South Asian community in Atlanta) for submission to the Government of India.

1.The South Asian American community came together mourned, extend its heartfelt condolences and stand together in solidarity and in sympathy to honor the victim’s memory and to offer their support to the bereaved family. Further, the South Asian community in Atlanta condemns the 23-year-old, female medical student’s brutal gang rape on a Delhi bus on Dec. 16 by six drunken men and conveys the community’s deepest sympathies to the family.

2.The cross section of the community attended in large number unanimously demanded Government of India to take strict action and award severe punishment to the six arrested men involved in the gang rape of a 23-year-old girl, who died in a Singapore hospital.

3.Further it is resolved that "The police should speed up investigations," and demanded proper homage to the hapless girl would be to ensure that this kind of a horrendous incident never happened again.

4. The Indian community also resolved and called for tougher rape laws, major police reforms and a transformation in the way the country treats its women.

5. The Indian Government needs to recruit more Women Police force to Patrol and in the police stations to understand women’s needs are grieves.







Post Comment

  
Bookmark and Share  

Copyright © 2011. All rights reserved.