Kathua Rape Victim's Mother Seeks Death Penalty For Culprits, Says 8-YO Didn't Know Hindu-Muslim Difference

As the Bakerwals make their way to the upper reaches of Jammu and Kashmir's Kargil area with their horses and other personal things as part of the bi-annual migration, she leaves her 8-year-old daughter's 'precious' belongings locked in a trunk in Kathua. She is scared to look at them again- the heart of a mother is burdened by the weight of her little daughter's death.

¡°Why was she killed? She was grazing cattle and taking care of horses. She was eight years old. Why did they kill her in such a brutal way. They should be given death sentence,¡± Asifa's mother said.

All she now wishes for is death penalty for the guilty. The mother explained that looking at any of her daughter's possessions would leave a lump in her throat and that is why " I gave away most of her clothes. The rest I locked up in a trunk and left behind.¡±

Asifa's father while speaking to The Indian Express said, ¡°If they had to take revenge, they could have picked someone else. She was an innocent child. Usey apney haath aur paun mein pata nahin tha, ki mera daayan haath kaun sa hai aur baayan haath kaun sa hai. Kabhi usney yeh nahin samjha ki Hindu kya hota hai aur Musalmaan kya hota hai (She couldn¡¯t tell her arms from her legs, couldn¡¯t tell which hand was right and which left. She never thought who was a Hindu, who a Muslim).¡±

And this says it all...

The society and the so-called politicians have time and again blamed rape victims for the heinous crime. They have often said that the girl must have invited trouble by not dressing up properly or have even blamed their eating habits for a rape.

But what about this eight-year-old little girl? What did she do to get raped?

Continuously crying, the mother remembers how much Asifa loved Kargil. It was one of her favourite places. She adds, the only belonging that she now have of Asifa are these horses whom the eight-year-old loved dearly.

The grief-stricken mother again asked, ¡°Kaise kar sakte hain aisa chhoti si bachchi ke saath (How can they do this to a little girl)?¡±

Unfortunately Asifa was not the first daughter whom the mother had lost. ¡°I lost one earlier and now again. She had taken away the pain of losing my first daughter and now I am living that pain twice over¡­ I can never think of raising a girl again, I could not keep them safe. Now, if my sons survive, that would be enough.¡±

According to the chargesheet, the girl was raped multiple times inside a prayer hall where she was held captive for seven days. She was starved, sedated, beaten up and raped and finally was hit on the head with a stone to make sure she was dead. Her mother only knows what she saw. ¡°Her skin seemed burnt, as if she had been electrocuted. I could feel her broken ribs and will never forget the blood stains on her head, where they had hit her.¡±

Posting messages on social media will not help us to stop this. We certainly need to stand up for our daughters, sisters, mother and for ourselves.

Enough is enough...