Visva-Bharati molest survivor on dharna on campus

Someswar Boral,TNN | Oct 8, 2015, SANTINIKETAN: The northeast girl who was molested at Visva-Bharati last year and her father sat on a dharna on campus on Wednesday to protest against the authorities' revealing her name in a press release a few weeks ago. They are also protesting against the university's decision to take back three of the accused students, who are now out on bail. 

The girl, who is still under treatment for trauma, fell unconscious after three hours under the sun. Her father took her to hospital and returned to continue with the dharna. While hundreds of passersby gawked at the father and daughter, some concerned ashramites came over to offer support. 

When TOI asked the father if he was worried about people staring at her, he gave a pained look and said: "I cannot hide my daughter. But how could the university release her name in public? We are here to seek justice." She has not been keeping well since the molestation, he said. 

"She often has fainting spells. Despite repeated requests, Visva-Bharati didn't do anything to rehabilitate her. This is our desperate attempt to draw their attention," he added. 

When TOI met the girl early on Wednesday, she said: "Neither the university nor police have done anything positive to get me justice. I am still suffering but the miscreants have got a clean chit from the university. If I fall ill or die, the university will be responsible." The doctors treating her said she is exhausted but stable. 

Before starting the dharna, the girl and her father went to the offices of Bolpur SDPO and Santiniketan police station. 

The molest survivor's father said, "A week ago, I had lodged a complaint against two Visva-Bharati officials for mentioning the name of my daughter in a press release but police did not treat it as FIR. Nor have they done anything to speed up the trial. The three accused have got bail and a fourth person is yet to be arrested." 

The father and daughter had planned an indefinite dharna but are leaving Santiniketan on Thursday because of the girl's failing health. "I had planned to take my daughter to Delhi to meet HRD minister Smriti Irani but since she has again fallen ill, I'll leave her at home and go to Delhi alone," he said. 

The university had named the girl about two weeks ago in a press release to counter her father's allegations. Registrar Manimukut Mitra had later said it was a mistake. On Wednesday, a Visva-Bharati official said: "As the matter is in court we cannot do what we like or they demand. We have repeatedly appealed to her family to send back her to Visva-Bharati. Also, there is no defined provision to provide any financial assistance in such cases." 

The girl's father countered: "How can my daughter read with the same students who tortured her?"