“All power to Deepika Singh Rajawat” tweeted Hollywood actress and prominent women’s rights activist, Emma Watson who is better known for her iconic role as super-intelligent Hermione in the Harry Potter film franchise.
All power to Deepika Singh Rajawat ✊🏻https://t.co/sZzDVcIFNo
— Emma Watson (@EmmaWatson) May 3, 2018
The well-known British actor, Emma is also a UN Women Goodwill Ambassador and has actively worked for empowerment of young women.
She shared a news article along with the Tweet that describes Deepika as a force to be reckoned with. This is the second international high-profile endorsement this case has received. Earlier, the UN secretary general, António Guterres had also appealed for justice for the little girl.
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The Kathua rape case is unique from many angles but, mostly because it saw an open support for the alleged rapists by lawyers and political parties in Jammu where the crime had been committed. The case of an 8-year-old daughter of a Muslim nomad who was abducted, drugged and gang-raped many times in spine-chilling series of encounters lasting several days in a place of Hindu worship has jolted all decent-minded individuals across the country. The story of her death that was brought about by bludgeoning her head with a stone in a drugged state and then, throwing her body in the forest left very few Indians unmoved.
However, a whole gamut of religious politics was played on the poor child’s dead body that involved even the legal authorities taking sides. This enraged people across the country and pushed the story to become the lead story in publications and media outlets across the world. Pushed by public and media pressure the government declared stricter punishments (up to death) of people committing rape of young girls below the age of 12 years.
The world media too picked up the story and it made headlines in several foreign publications. Among the criminals are policemen who either raped or took bribe to throw the investigation off-scent and defenders including lawyers and politicians. Despite such formidable line-up, Deepika took up the case and decided to fight it free of cost so that justice is served.
She has even told the media that her life was in danger as well as those of the parents of the victim.
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But, it seems Deepika because of her brave stance has people across all class and strata supporting her. She has been hailed no less than a hero by the national and inernational media. Students from JNU have now crowd-funded for the case and many others have thrown their weights behind Deepika.
Latest to throw her hat into the tryst for justice for the child is Emma who has made is immensely clear with her tweet.
Deepika had taken up the case against all odds (religious, political and gender-biased) and has been commended for her brave stand by public and media alike.
The Supreme Court had earlier ordered adequate security for Ms Rajawat, the Kathua rape victim’s family and to Talib Hussain, a member of the Bakerwal community who is helping the victim’s family.
This case and a spurt of reports of many similar ones from across the country has put Indian girls and women among the most vulnerable to patriarchal oppression and physical violence in the world.