The year changed not just her life but also the prism of sexual harassment at work, leading to India’s sexual harassment law. While she herself was denied justice, appeals to the Supreme Court ensured that guidelines were issued to protect women at workplaces. The Vishaka guidelines were born out of the pain Devi went through. Ironically, she waits for a fresh date for her appeal to be heard. With Rajasthan going to polls, suddenly there is a lot of interest in Bhanwari Devi, with netas turning up and promising her justice.
Let’s go back to 1992. It was dusk when Devi was working along with her husband in her field in Bhateri village, about 50 kilometers from Jaipur. Suddenly, five men arrived and began beating her husband. They then took turns raping her. The anger of the men, who were Gujjars, stemmed from the fact that Devi was trying to prevent child marriages as a part of the state government’s programme. In three years, Devi’s life became hell as she was ostracized by the villagers and many in her family. However, more was to follow. By 1995, all the accused were acquitted of rape.
The rage is palpable in Devi’s eyes. “What did I do? I was not snatching anything from anyone. I was only saving a girl’s life. I, too, have been a victim of child marriage. What about those men who raped me? Why doesn’t anyone point a finger at them?”
The upcoming elections, with their focus on women’s empowerment and the passage of the Women’s Reservation Bill, have given her hope. She has filed an appeal in the Rajasthan High Court against the acquittal, and the matter is still pending. Officials from the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) have also visited her. “One of them asked me if I was sure of the rape. ‘How can old men rape you?’ they asked,” she recalled.
Her son Mukesh, who works for a women’s rights NGO, said: “It may be over 30 years, but justice is welcome. I want my mother’s stand to be vindicated.”
However, in Bhateri village, where the gang rape took place, News18 came across a group of men who were in the area when the incident happened. “There was no rape. She made it up. It was just a dispute. Why would old men want to rape her? Why is it that no one in the village stood by her?” they asked dismissively.
Devi belongs to the ‘Kumhar’ community that falls under the OBC category. With the stress on OBC votes not just in Rajasthan but in India as a whole, her grief and anger have begun to matter. However, Devi concedes that political compulsions may come in the way of justice for her. The attackers were Gujjars, who account for about 10 per cent of the state’s voters.
“I won’t be silent. We should all speak up. You should speak up too… We women cannot remain silent. Political power is important. It’s our right,” she said, looking out of the window.
For Bhanwari Devi, it has been a long wait for justice. Will her appeal finally be heard?
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