Where Are Those Who Must Wake Up And Smell The Injustice In This Horrific Unnao Incident?

Savarna feminists have been conspicuous by their absence all day in the voices raised against the horrific incident against 3 young Dalit girls in Unnao yesterday. Where’s the sisterhood?

Since yesterday afternoon, most Indian feminists have been celebrating the victory of acquittal for Priya Ramani in the MJ Akbar defamation case. Certainly a HUGE win for the #MeToo movement. There was a surge of sisterhood as so many of us congratulated Ramani and put out messages on our respective social media handles.

But where is our sisterhood today, when a young Dalit woman needs our help? Is our feminism selective, and only for high profile, Savarna women?

The report says, “The police said that the three girls had gone to their fields to cut grass and bring fodder for their cattle on Wednesday afternoon but did not return till late in the night… The family of the girls said that the hands and feet of the girls were tied with their dupatta and they were frothing at the mouth, indicating that they had been given poison. The brother of the 16-year-old girl, in his statement to the police, said, “I spotted my sister along with my two other cousins with their hands and legs tied.”

The critically ill girl has been taken to a hospital for treatment, but DBA feminists have been calling out for better treatment at AIIMS, and have called out for financial help. This is a verified handle helping the families of the victims and survivor.

#Update The family does not have money to treat the girl left alive in Unnao Case. The family is collecting funds and is treating the girl at Regency Hospital in Kanpur. Please contribute to proper medical treatment.

Link – https://t.co/nvVh1p1wqE
Google/phone Pay – 9993179062

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— The Dalit Voice (@ambedkariteIND) February 17, 2021

THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT THE UNNAO CASE.
1. three girls were found in the field.
2. Ages- 13, 16 and 17 (all minors)
3. They were Dalits.
4. The girls were poisoned, as confirmed by the early reports.
5. 2 girls were found dead. The third girl is currently admitted in regency kanpur.

— MAYO STANN (@chesaidno) February 18, 2021

Where are the Savarna feminists?

But as far as I can see, it is mostly only the DBA feminists who are speaking up. Why aren’t the rest of us? Surely Dalit women’s lives are just as important as those of the rest of us?

Full disclosure – I am possibly stepping out of line to say this here, as a Savarna feminist. But I am quite ashamed of my sisters, those who have celebrated yesterday, those who noticed young girls being jailed only after Disha Ravi was arrested – as someone called it out, surely, we must have noticed that Nodeep Kaur is a young woman not much older than her.

This is what one of us had said then – a rare post by a Savarna feminist.

https://www.facebook.com/hema.gopinathan/posts/10158749359575708

A very valid point.

When will we wake up and realise that if our feminism is not intersectional, our feminism is just a performance we put up in front of the world? Should we wake up and speak up only when it is those we consider “ours” are affected? Aren’t these girls and women “ours” too?

I actually searched so many of the feminists who were in celebration mode yesterday, by name. Nope. As a friend said in a chat, I understand that not everyone is on social media most of the times. But it is not possible that no one has spoken up!

Let me lead you to some tweets.

If you are someone who had been checking and expecting #Unnao tweets from the vocal and visible Dalit women, do know that you too are a casteist.

Violence against Dalit women is yours to outrage as well!

— Kiruba Munusamy (@kirubamunusamy) February 18, 2021

Where are all of you now, who were busy asking us how you can be better allies? Why aren't you talking about Unnao now? Your mouths and mind shut off completely and only our hands and feet must work? Does your conscience let you sleep even? #Save_Unnao_Ki_Beti

— Divya Malhari (@Datlitwriter) February 18, 2021

#Save_Unnao_Ki_Beti दुनियाभर में ट्रेंड करवाइए, लगातार ट्वीट-रीट्वीट करते चलिए.

दुनिया को भी पता चले कि यहां दलितों के साथ क्या हो रहा है!

— Meena Kotwal (@KotwalMeena) February 18, 2021

https://twitter.com/The_Mooknayak/status/1362142679639986182

Cases of violence against dalit women in UP are being repeatedly seen & there is a caste nature to these brutalities – Writer, activist@Jyotsnasmailbox on People's Editor. @KotwalMeena @Smita_Sharma @poetbadri @varnit_news
Full Show: https://t.co/DI2mOP0rhf pic.twitter.com/oXzFLWGCOQ

— India Ahead News (@IndiaAheadNews) February 18, 2021

If you need images of dead bodies of #dalitwomen to feel empathy, rage and solidarity then there's obviously something wrong with your moral and ethical compass.

— Jyotsna Siddharth (She/They) (@Jyotsnasmailbox) February 18, 2021

YOGI ADITYANATH, RESIGN NOW. Crimes on women & girls are high, everyday there's an atrocity. News from #Unnao of 3 girls who went to fetch fodder found tied up in a field, 2 of them dead and one battling for her life sends shivers down my spine. You've lost moral right to be CM.

— dr. meena kandasamy | #FreeNodeepKaur (@meenakandasamy) February 17, 2021

https://twitter.com/devilsxblessing/status/1362326046385844224

Yashica Dutt, author of Coming Out As A Dalit, tweeted

Those who live in rural India barely get attention from Indian media.

If Dalit women, their deaths, victimization & violence matters even less.

That’s why Dalit activists are demanding for the survivor to be brought to Delhi, where her condition gets the attention it deserves.

— Yashica Dutt (@YashicaDutt) February 17, 2021

#Save_Unnao_Ki_Beti – remember #MeToo means nothing if we don't raise voices for those who cannot do it themselves. Sisterhood cannot be selective. Allies need to wake up right now and make noise. Make so much noise that they are forced to save our daughter.

— #ReleaseNodeepKaur | she/her (@shorshemaach) February 18, 2021

Apathy, and also antipathy at work?

Today morning, almost 12 hours after the incident came to light, this was the status of police action.

#Update It has been 12 hours, not a single health bulletin has been issued, the whole family has been placed under house arrest, no one is being allowed to meet, even the media persons are not being allowed to come. This incident is pointing towards #Hathras.#Save_Unnao_Ki_Beti

— The Dalit Voice (@ambedkariteIND) February 18, 2021

Many of them were worried about what the UP police might do, as their (mis)action in the Hathras case is now known.

And it has panned out exactly as feared. The area has been barricaded, and the Unnao police has swooped in and arrested the victims’ father, as this tweet reports. Here is a family member speaking to media.

#Update statement of the victims family. @Neetugc pic.twitter.com/doi2AwzedA

— The Dalit Voice (@ambedkariteIND) February 18, 2021

#Unnao

➡उन्नाव पुलिस का बड़ा कारनामा सामने

➡पीड़िता के पिता को उठा ले गई पुलिस

➡सादी वर्दी में आई पुलिस पिता को उठा ले गई

➡पिता को किसी से भी मिलने पर रोक लगाई

➡रोते-बिलखते पिता को टांग कर ले गई पुलिस

➡पिता को जबरन उठा ले जाने का वीडियो। @unnaopolice #UnnaoCase pic.twitter.com/vuvtuQDmkD

— भारत समाचार (@bstvlive) February 18, 2021

Shouldn’t we wake up now and smell the injustice?!

https://twitter.com/SrishtyRanjan/status/1362255813683765251

And speak up for these daughters and sisters? Please amplify the voice of those calling out for help and share this creative!

Images source: Pixabay & Twitter

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