As a result of Bilkis Bano’s remission of 11 convicts in the 2002 gangrape case, he will stand and fight against what is wrong once more
In response to the remission and release of 11 convicts in the 2002 case related to Bilkis Bano’s gangrape and murder of seven family members, she said, “I will stand and fight again.”
As Bano was fleeing the Gujarat riots that broke out after the Godhra train burning incident in 2002, she was gangraped while five months pregnant. Among the seven family members killed was her three-year-old daughter.
According to her two separate petitions, it has shaken society’s conscience that the Gujarat government released the convicts prematurely on August 15.
She released a statement on Thursday: “The decision to once again stand up and knock on the doors of justice was not an easy one.” I was numb for a long time following the release of the men who destroyed my entire family and my life. She added, “I was paralyzed by shock and fear, particularly for my children and daughters, and above all, by the loss of hope.” However, the spaces in my silence were filled with other voices that had given me hope in the face of unimaginable despair; and made me feel less alone in my suffering. There are no words to express how much this support has meant to me.” Bano said the support she received from different parts of the country had helped her rekindle her faith in humanity and the idea of justice.
Therefore, I will continue to stand against what is wrong and fight for what is right. As she said, “I am doing this today for myself, for my children, and for all women everywhere.“
