India – Rape And Murder Of 8-Year-Old A Major Problem For PM Modri

Back in 1947, the then Viceroy Lord Mountbatten decided to hand India back to the Indians and thus, as some say, gave away ‘the crown jewel of the British Empire’. It also meant that India had to deal itself with the separation of Hindus and Muslims, a problem that the ‘foreign occupying power Britain’ had solved on their behalf during the occupation.

And so, the subcontinent of India split into Pakistan (Muslim) and India (Hindu) creating some significant religious violence during that split which saw many killed in the process.

Related coverage: https://thegoldwater.com/news/22083-India-Pakistan-Border-Conflict-Leaves-20-Dead-70-Wounded-Video

There is, however, one province where the violence between Hindus and Muslims still flares up, called Kashmir on the border between the two countries. There the 13% of Muslims say they feel persecuted by the majority of Hindus. And let it now just be there that the case of an 8-year-old Muslim girl who was brutally gang-raped (in a temple nonetheless) and then killed by a group of nationalist Hindu men has sparked nationwide protests and anger.

For weeks on end now, people have been protesting in the street, demanding justice for Asifa, the 8-year-old in question.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">If you can make it, please do. We all agree that armchair activism isn&#39;t enough… There is strength in numbers and in unity… <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Unnao?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Unnao</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Kathua?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Kathua</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/JusticeForAsifa?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#JusticeForAsifa</a> <a href="https://t.co/SYpUhPqPuH">pic.twitter.com/SYpUhPqPuH</a></p>&mdash; PRIYANKA (@priyankachopra) <a href="https://twitter.com/priyankachopra/status/985204797941809153?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 14, 2018</a></blockquote>

<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

As it became clear that the violent act of gang-raping and murdering the girl was done to try and get the family to move out of the village and into neighbouring Pakistan, the case has ripped open old wounds that lay dormant for many years, now even causing Indian Prime Minister Modri to react to the case.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Everyone should come. Whatever religion, gender or belief you belong to. For humanity, for justice <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/justiceforasifa?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#justiceforasifa</a> <a href="https://t.co/EwzMQtwRQi">pic.twitter.com/EwzMQtwRQi</a></p>&mdash; Ekta Kapoor (@ektaravikapoor) <a href="https://twitter.com/ektaravikapoor/status/985106091691397120?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 14, 2018</a></blockquote>

<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

#JusticeforAsifa, the trending hashtag in India, has now organised a national march for the girl today, which many expect will be attended by millions.

Source:

https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2018/04/13/602249114/gang-rape-and-murder-of-8-year-old-girl-sparks-outrage-across-india