Home

Follow Countercurrents on Twitter 

Why Subscribe ?

Popularise CC

Join News Letter

Editor's Picks

Press Releases

Action Alert

Feed Burner

Read CC In Your
Own Language

Bradley Manning

India Burning

Mumbai Terror

Financial Crisis

Iraq

AfPak War

Peak Oil

Globalisation

Localism

Alternative Energy

Climate Change

US Imperialism

US Elections

Palestine

Latin America

Communalism

Gender/Feminism

Dalit

Humanrights

Economy

India-pakistan

Kashmir

Environment

Book Review

Gujarat Pogrom

Kandhamal Violence

WSF

Arts/Culture

India Elections

Archives

Links

Submission Policy

About CC

Disclaimer

Fair Use Notice

Contact Us

Search Our Archive

Subscribe To Our
News Letter



Our Site

Web

Name: E-mail:

 

Printer Friendly Version

Will Anna Get Justice?

By Gladson Dungdung

17 March, 2011
Countercurrents.org

On March 14, 2011, more than thousand domestic workers especially women along with their children gathered near Albert Ekka Chauck, Ranchi the capital city of Jharkhand in demand of justice for Anna a domestic worker who died in a suspicious case. They started shouting slogans and began their march towards the office of Deputy Commissioner (DC) of Ranchi. They were shouting slogan “Anna Ko Nyay Do” (Give justice to Anna). They reached to collector’s office at 3 O’ clock in the afternoon. The police locked the entrance gate of the office. They were stop at the gate. K.K. Sone a well known IAS officer who is in the charge of Deputy Commissioner of Ranchi saw the crowd rushing towards his office, he ran away after assigning the job to the Sub-Divisional Officer (SDO) for controlling, convincing and sending the crowd back. The women were sent back with the promise of hearing their plea.

Of course, this is a regular practice in our democratic country the so-called largest democracy of the world. The legislative, the executive and the judiciary all of them become deaf and dumb whenever the marginalized people of this country demand for justice. When we approach to the Officers they run away and also protect the culprits. When we ask for an appointment to the Governors, they simply deny and when we approach to the Chief Ministers, they do not have time for us. Do I have to explain about our failed judiciary? Where should people go to plea for justice? However, all of them spare ample of time for the corporate delegates, contractors and bigwigs. Can anybody tell where these women should go and plea for justice in the corporate Indian State?

Anna was a domestic worker, who had been working in the house of Jharkhand High Court Lawyer Vikram Sinha in Ranchi for the last five years. She died on March 5, 2011 falling from the balcony of Vikram Sinha's house. According to the lawyer, Anna’s feet slipped and she fell down from the balcony of his 3rd floor house while she was collecting the dry clothes at 7:30 PM. However, the fact is, there was no rope hung in the balcony which means they used to dry their wet clothes in railing, which is 3 feet high. In that case no one can fall down unless one crosses the railing. In this case, there is no chance of crossing the railing. It should be also noted that at 7:30 PM it gets very dark in Ranchi therefore hardly anyone used to dry or collect the clothes in balcony. The lawyer Vikram Sinha comes from an influential family background as his father A.N. Sinha is a retired judge.

According to Vikram Sinha, after hearing the sound of falling something, he came out to balcony and looked down. After seeing the maid in the ground he went down and saw Anna writhing, throbbing and bleeding and he immediately took her to the hospital. However, the night guard Sujan Mahto who was present on the spot has completely different story to tell. According to him, after falling down from Balcony, there was no movement in Anna’s body and she didn’t even pronounce a single sound. After getting instruction from lawyer, the guard washed the spot with water, which clearly mean the lawyer tried to destroy evidence. Why did he ask to wash the spot?

At the beginning lawyer Vikram Sinha said that Anna comes from Oraon Adivasi community and her father’s name was stated as “Etwa Oraon” resident of Rania in Khunti district. When the police failed to trace the address, the second story was brought in as Anna was from Munda community and her father’s name was told as “Etwa Horo” resident of Goilkera in West Singhbhum district. Finally, on 16 March, 2011, the Ranchi police brought Etwa Kandulna resident of Jamang Kasambar of Sonua block in West Singhbhum district of Jharkhand after identifying him as the father of Anna and dead body was handed over to him, which was lying in the RIMS for last 12 days. Ironically, Anna’s father does not want justice for her daughter but he merely wants the unpaid wage of Anna to be paid him. He does not even want compensation from the government.

Etwa Kandulna has given statements in favour of the lawyer in the presence of the police saying, “Lawyer is a gentle man and he has not killed her daughter therefore he’ll not file a case against him”. The questions come into one’s mind are, is it possible for a father to be reluctant in demand of justice for his daughter? And does Anna’s mother have the same views on Anna’s case? Nothing has been said about her mother so far. Is he Anna's real father?

Interestingly, the lawyer Vikram Sinha made false statements one after another. According to him, Anna’s elder sister Rammi was working at his home but after her marriage, the lawyer deployed her sister Anna in the job. In fact, if it was true, the lawyer should have very good relationship with the family members of Anna. However, the fact is he does not even have address of Anna. At the same time, he also accepted that a middle man Manoj had brought Anna for him. In fact, Anna was employed by lawyer when she was merely 13 year-old at the monthly wage of Rs. 500. According to Anna’s father she was only paid Rs. 5000 once in last five years and she had never gone to her home during this period. This is a clear case of a child trafficking. Anna was bought by the lawyer through the middle man and put in the job as child and bonded labourer.

According to the Senior Superintendent of Police, Pravin Kumar no evidence was found regarding the exploitation of Anna. Ironically, the police also provided protection to the family of the Lawyer. However, political leaders Karuna Jha, Asrita Kujur and Usha Xalxo were arrested for demanding justice for Anna. Another interesting point to be noted is, there are numbers of organizations like ATSEC (Action against Trafficking and Sexual Exploitation of Children) bagging huge money in the name of protection and welfare of the domestic workers are just mum on the matter. What does it mean? However, few organizations like National Domestic Workers’ Welfare Trust, Jharkhand Domestic Workers Union, Adivasi Domestic Workers Association, Jharkhand Indigenous People’s Forum and All India Progressive Women Association protested in the streets in demand of justice though it was denied.

Gladson Dungdung is a Human Rights Activist and Writer based in Jharkhand. He can be reached at [email protected]

 


 




 


Comments are not moderated. Please be responsible and civil in your postings and stay within the topic discussed in the article too. If you find inappropriate comments, just Flag (Report) them and they will move into moderation que.