Women groups condemn attack on 'kothis', demand check on hate crimes

New Delhi, Apr 13 (UNI) Women groups have condemned the attack on three 'kothis', seen as 'effeminate men with perverse sexual desires for men,' recently and demanded measures to check such 'hate crimes' and steps to protect their right to safety and justice.

Expressing shock over the recent brutal attack on kothis, women groups said in a statement here that it has traumatised the entire community. The kothis were attacked by a mob of 20-25 unidentified men when they were going to a park. The attack left all of them bruised and injured, and one of them, Dhiman Roy, has sustained serious injuries.

''The episode is being portrayed by the police as a stray incident, but we all are aware that such incidents of hate crimes against those who are seen to break social rules relating to who can desire whom and how men and women should look and behave happen all the time, all over the country. In most cases, the victims of such crimes are silenced and unable to seek justice due to both, the climate of intolerance against those oppressed on the basis of their sexual orientation and gender identity that exists all around, as well as the increased vulnerability of sexual minorities caused by Sec. 377 of the IPC - an archaic law that criminalises even consensual same-sex sexual activity,'' they pointed out.

Condemning the act of gender based violence, the groups have expressed solidarity with all those who suffer oppression because of their gender identity and sexual orientation. They also asserted 'kothis' right to safety and justice at par with every citizen in the country.

They demanded the police to take action in identifying and proceeding with the due course of law against the attackers without any delay. They also demanded that in the future, prompt action should be taken against people who intimidate, harass and blackmail people of different sexual orientations.

Among the women groups who riased their voice against the attack were Saheli, Aalochana Centre for Documentation and Research on Women, Pune; Aawaaz-e-Niswaan, Mumbai; Akshara, Mumbai; Forum Against Oppression of Women (FAOW), Mumbai; Jagori, New Delhi; Kalanjium Unorganised Workers' Union, Tamilnadu; Lesbians and Bisexuals in Action (LABIA), Mumbai; Nirantar, New Delhi; North East Network, New Delhi; Olakh, Baroda; Point of View, Mumbai; Rahi, New Delhi; Sahiyar (Stree Sanghthan), Gujarat Sama, New Delhi; Swayam, Kolkata; SANGRAM, Maharashtra; Tamilnadu Resource Team, Tamilnadu; Vacha, Mumbai; VAMP, Maharashtra; Vanangana, Uttar Pradesh; Women's Centre, Mumbai and Women's Collective, Tamilnadu.

UNI