Delhi Commission for Women chairperson Swati Maliwal on Sunday ended her 10-day-long hunger strike after President Ram Nath Kovind approved an Ordinance to award death penalty to those convicted of raping girls below 12 years.
Calling the passing of the Ordinance a “historic victory for Independent India”, Ms. Maliwal said, “There are very few movements that achieve so much success within a short span of 10 days. I was alone when I started my hunger strike and many people ridiculed me, but the entire country supported me and this gave me the strength to fight for the thousands of children who have been raped.”
‘PM was forced to act’
She said she was forced to sit on a hunger strike as she had received no response to over five lakh letters and notices sent to the Prime Minister outlining how children, some just a few months old and others below the age of 12 years, were being raped.
“The PM was forced to act as support from across the country poured in and the movement spread like fire. It gained so much momentum that the PM, within hours of returning to India from a tour abroad, called a special Cabinet meeting on Saturday and made an amendment to the law,” said Ms. Maliwal, thanking those who supported her.
She added that this was not the end of her fight and that if the government did not implement the law within three months as promised, she will start her protest again.
“I am an ordinary person but I can say today that women can achieve anything. I thank all the women who came here to support me as well as sent in their wishes. It is a victory for all Indians,” she said.
The DCW chief started her fast demanding death penalty for rape of minors and setting up of fast track courts across the country to try rape cases, along with other demands after outrage over recent cases of sexual assault in Kathua, Surat and Unnao.
The Criminal Law (Amendment) Ordinance provides for stringent punishment of a jail term of minimum 20 years or life imprisonment or death for rape of a girl under 12 years.
