Nirbhaya’s parents’ reaction to Indira Jaising’s tweet urging them to forgive the four men convicted of brutally raping her daughter, shows why society has no right to request them to forgive their daughter’s killers.
Losing a child is any parents’ worst nightmare. And, when your child is brutally assaulted, raped and left to die on roads, you lose all hope in life, love, and humanity. Life turns into a living sentence and the only reason that you have for living is to seek justice for your kid.
That’s what Nirbhaya parents have been fighting for since last 7 years from the day their daughter was assaulted and gang-raped in a moving bus in Delhi by 6 people before being thrown out on the road to die.
And, recently, when the court announced that the four culprits would be hanged on February 1st, there is a ray of hope that finally, their daughter will get justice.
But, after fighting for 7 years of justice, how would you feel if you were being asked to forgive the men on death row for brutally raping your daughter?
Famous and renowned Indian lawyer, Indira Jaising, had urged Nirbhaya’s mother to follow the example of Congress President Sonia Gandhi, who forgave the woman, Nalini Murugan, convicted for the assassination of her husband Rajiv Gandhi. In her tweet Jaising mentioned:
“While I fully identify with the pain of Asha Devi I urge her to follow the example of Sonia Gandhi who forgave Nalini and said she didn’t want the death penalty for her. We are with you but against death penalty,”
Reacting to her tweet on forgiving the convicts, the heartbroken and disappointed Nirbhaya’s mother Asha Devi replied:
“Even if God asks me, I won’t forgive them.”
Speaking to IANS, over the phone, Nirbhaya’s mother who had been fighting for seven long years to send her daughter’s killers to the gallows, said,
“…even if god comes and asks me to forgive them, I will not. People like these (Jaising) are a blot on the society.”
Commenting on Jaising’s tweet, she said:
“Who is she to tell or suggest to me to forgive them. What relation does she have with me. I have nothing to do with such people. She can be a relative of those (the convicts) that she is having a soft corner for.”
“She is an insult to women. She is running a business in the name of human rights. She is a veteran, she should give a message to the society. But she instead will go against her own kind,”.
Not only Nirbhaya’s mother but also her father was wounded by Ms. Indira Jaising’s words.
While sharing with PTI how Indira Jaising should be “ashamed” of herself for suggesting pardon for the four death row convicts, he said:
“She (Indira Jaising) is a woman herself. She should be ashamed of her comments and apologise to Nirbhaya’s mother,” he told PTI.
“We have been fighting the case for seven years. We are common people and not politicians. Humara dil Sonia Gandhi ji jitna bada nahi hai (We are not as largehearted as Sonia Gandhi)”
“Such mentality is responsible for the rising number of rapes,”
Nirbhaya’s father said his wife held similar views. He said they had seen Ms Jaising in court but never interacted with her.
“Why did she have to say something and face insult when she has nothing to do with the case,” he asked.
At IFORHER, we not only feel disappointed but also heartbroken as our society and system has failed them. After living a nightmare of losing their daughter to fighting for justice for 7 years, we feel it is not only unfair but inhumane of anyone to ask these parents to forgive the monsters.
These parents have lived through a nightmare and we stand tall with them in their journey to seek justice for their daughter.
