Yet another gang-rape victim, Bilkis Bano’s ordeal in another context is worth remembering now. It has taken six years and the unflinching support of her family, the NGOs, the topmost lawyers in the country, the Supreme Court and diligent CBI investigation for justice to be delivered to this victim of gang-rape. But, there was definitely no compensation by this very state government. No one quite knows now what happened in another rape case, that of Bijal Joshi, who later committed suicide in Ahmedabad.

So will we now have a commission to study what and under what circumstances how much money has to be awarded for a gang-rape victim? Will there be a distinction between victimhood by rape and by gang-rape? And when will the reward money be given: when the victim complains or when it is proved that she had been gang-raped?

In the Patan gang rape case it is only incidental that it happened in the constituency of Anandi Patel, a confidante of Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, who holds the revenue portfolio. There has been no public statement of condemnation from the state association of teachers. It is also incidental that the girl hails from a poor dalit family. It is equally incidental that the six teachers from the teachers training college are post-graduates.

The town of Patan now stands with the family of the girl. Money matters but not always. In such instances it is not the cash, but timely justice and stringent punishment that are needed.

... contd.