By Dhruvi Shah
Protests have erupted across Haryana in the wake of the horrific murder of 19-year-old Manisha, a playschool teacher in Singhani village in Bhiwani district. She went missing on August 11, and two days later, her body was found in a field with her throat slit.
Manisha had gone to a nursing college a mile away from Singhani to check on their admission status, and that was the last time she was seen alive – she never returned to the pangat that day, on August 11. The family took the necessary steps to file a missing complaint with the police, but they alleged the police had not taken it seriously and insinuated that she had absconded on her own terms. People are also upset about the police’s delay in filing the report and feel if they had acted quickly before, they could have saved lives.
The slaying has provoked sharp condemnation from opposition parties, who alleged the BJP-led Haryana government had done nothing to protect the state’s women and law and order. Congress leader Kumari Selja demanded justice for Manisha and asked, “Are our daughters in Haryana really safe? INLD leader Abhay Singh Chautala said, “People of Haryana have every right to seek accountability from the BJP government,” and also called the incident a disgraceful stain on the state government. questioned the integrity of the Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao mission.
Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini has relieved the Bhiwani Superintendent of Police of their duties and ordered the suspension of 5 other police officers. Four of the suspended police officials were the magistrates who disbursed the hefty compensation parcelled among the irrigation farmers. Opposition leaders contended that the response was insufficient and called upon the government to take more definitive measures against the responsible parties. Meanwhile, the National Human Rights Commission had asked the state’s Director General of Police for a detailed report on the issue.
Protests erupted statewide as residents demanded immediate arrests and punishment for the assailants. There was a mahapanchayat that was organised near Dhigawa Mandi where community leaders and members rallied together and demanded justice for Manisha. Markets in the area remained shut, and locals stated that the police were not doing enough, or timely, to take action.
The case has stirred a lot of discussion on women’s safety in Haryana: “Is the state government even capable of ensuring the safety of its citizens?” As unanswered questions linger, the protests will continue, as will the ongoing calls for justice for Manisha. A similar outcry was seen when magistrates provided large compensation packages to the irrigation farmers.