Page 46 - Shahrvand BC No.1231
P. 46
English Section 46
Indian Lawmakers Pass Tougher Penalties for Attacks on Women
By: Heather Timmons The new law is intended to deter and attack in Delhi,
New York Times punish sexual offenders, including
men who stalk and harass women, and and the protests
NEW DELHI — India’s Parliament to make the police and prosecutors
passed a comprehensive bill on more responsive. The Indian judicial that followed,
Thursday to impose stronger penalties system has been widely criticized as
on men who attack women and to lax and insensitive in dealing with ensured that both
criminalize offenses like stalking and crimes against women.
voyeurism. The law expands the definition of the opposition and
The bill passed quickly in the upper rape, substantially increases the
house of Parliament on Thursday; punishment for sex crimes like gang the government
the debate in the lower house on rape, makes repeat offenders subject
Tuesday was longer, lasting seven to the death penalty, and defines as cooperated in
hours. President Pranab Mukherjee crimes actions like disrobing and
is expected to sign it into law shortly. voyeurism. It also imposes stricter ensuring that this
“I think this is an important moment,” punishment for police officers who
said Vrinda Grover, a women’s rights fail to properly register complaints of law was enacted.” 1392 نیدرورف2 جمعه- 1231 شماره/ سال متسیب
advocate and lawyer. “We have taken sexual assault.
quite a few steps forward.” India’s democracy has often been Cabinet ministers
The passage of the bill comes less faulted for being so unruly and its
than three months after a New Delhi Parliament so dysfunctional that were quick to
physiotherapy student was gang- fundamental development issues like
raped on a moving bus and later died education and malnutrition are never praise the bill’s
from her injuries. The assault drew adequately addressed. The fact that
widespread outrage and prompted the rape bill passed both houses of passage. “The bill
protests across India, some of them Parliament speedily this week, despite
violent, over the issue of women’s the disruption of several unexpected is significant, as
safety. adjournments caused by a defection
Many Indians, including activists of one of the governing Congress it aims to protect
and politicians, demanded during the Party’s crucial allies, is a sign that the
protests and their aftermath that the voices of thousands of protesters had mothers and
government do more to protect women been heard, activists said.
and impose harsher sentences on men “It is good that India still responds as sisters of this country,” the minister of complete protection for women from
who molest them. Reported rapes in a democracy when there is pressure sexual harassment. “There are so
India have risen in recent years, and from citizens,” said Meenakshi home affairs, Sushil Kumar Shinde, many recommendations that were
northern India has witnessed a series Ganguly, the director of Human Rights rejected by the government,” said
of highly publicized gang rapes. Watch in South Asia. “The terrible said Thursday in the upper house, Sandhya Valluripally, president of the
Progressive Organization of Women,
according to the news agency Press including a provision the group
sought that listed child trafficking in
Trust of India. the definition of rape.
Activists said that continued public
The law includes many, though not attention and debate on the issue of
gender equality were still needed.
all, of the measures suggested in “The spectrum of change India
requires is much, much broader than
January by a panel led by a former amendments to the criminal laws,”
said Ms. Grover, the lawyer. “We
chief justice, J.S. Verma. But some need to really focus on enforcement
and implementation.”
critics argued that in the rush to pass Sruthi Gottipati and Pamposh Raina
contributed reporting from New
the bill, some major issues were left Delhi.
unaddressed.
“This is a step forward, but the
government could have done more
homework to bring about a stronger
legislation,” said Nirmala Sitharaman,
the national spokeswoman for the
Bharatiya Janata Party, the leading
opposition bloc. In touch with Iranian diversity
Some women’s organizations
said the law fell short of offering
‘I’m not going out like that’: Roommate of University of Central
Florida gunman describes thwarting potential massacre
By: Erik Ortiz Although Arabo Babakhani didn’t safety in my room,” he continued. with shrapnel.
New York Daily News know the horror his gun-toting “My biggest concern was him
roommate was planning to unleash, shooting through the door, shooting Officials also said they found a to-do
Arabo Babakhani, 24, said gunman his actions helped foil a potential through the walls.”
James Seevakumaran pointed a gun shooting spree at the University Babakhani tried calling 911 in his list referring to an attack and a final
at him after setting off a fire alarm. of Central Florida that might have room, but the sound of the fire alarm
He ran into his room and then hid in become another Virginia Tech. drowned out his voice. He moved to message: “good luck & give them
a bathroom to call 911. When police Babakhani, a 24-year-old sophomore, the bathroom, he said, and alerted
arrived, Seevakumaran was found was the one who called 911 just after the dispatcher that his roommate had hell!” Vol. 20 / No. 1231 - Friday, Mar. 22, 2013
dead. James Seevakumaran set off a fire gone off the rails.
alarm early Monday at their Tower “I was scared for my (other) A motive remains unclear,
1 residence hall — forcing students roommates because I didn’t know if
outside so that he could allegedly they got out. I knew one of them was although university officials said
massacre them. at home,” Babakhani said, adding, “I
That didn’t happen, and instead, hadn’t seen my other roommate that Seevakumaran was about to be
30-year-old Seevakumaran was night. I found out after the fact that
found dead from a self-inflicted he was out of town.” kicked out of the dorm.
gunshot wound to the head, police Then, Babakhani said, he heard one
said. or two gunshots — one of which He had been attending the school’s
Babakhani spoke publicly Tuesday would have been the self-inflicted
about the terrifying moment he shot that ended Seevakumaran’s life, Orlando campus since 2010 to study
peered out of his room just after authorities said.
midnight and saw Seevakumaran When campus police finally arrived, business, but wasn’t enrolled in the
raise a gun at him inside their dorm. they found Seevakumaran dead.
“I just saw what was going on and Dramatic video was released Tuesday current semester.
I was like, ‘I’m not going out like showing the moment cops stormed
that,’ so I slammed the door and I into the dorm room. Babakhani described his roommate
just crouched,” Babakhani told UCF They ended up finding a .22-caliber
Knightly News, a campus news assault rifle, a .45-caliber handgun, as a loner and socially awkward —
source. hundreds of rounds of ammunition
“I thought I was in a good degree of and four homemade explosives laced but never exhibited signs of violence.
“He’s not the type of person to
voluntarily speak,” Babakhani told
UCF Knightly News, adding that
“he just cooks food, spends time
in his room ... on his laptop all the
time.”
Highlighting Seevakumaran’s
solitude, no one came to see him for
Thanksgiving.
“He just cooked a whole
Thanksgiving meal for himself,”
Babakhani said. “He’s got no friends, 46
I don’t even know if he’s got any
family. I’ve never heard him on a cell
phone before.”
Indian Lawmakers Pass Tougher Penalties for Attacks on Women
By: Heather Timmons The new law is intended to deter and attack in Delhi,
New York Times punish sexual offenders, including
men who stalk and harass women, and and the protests
NEW DELHI — India’s Parliament to make the police and prosecutors
passed a comprehensive bill on more responsive. The Indian judicial that followed,
Thursday to impose stronger penalties system has been widely criticized as
on men who attack women and to lax and insensitive in dealing with ensured that both
criminalize offenses like stalking and crimes against women.
voyeurism. The law expands the definition of the opposition and
The bill passed quickly in the upper rape, substantially increases the
house of Parliament on Thursday; punishment for sex crimes like gang the government
the debate in the lower house on rape, makes repeat offenders subject
Tuesday was longer, lasting seven to the death penalty, and defines as cooperated in
hours. President Pranab Mukherjee crimes actions like disrobing and
is expected to sign it into law shortly. voyeurism. It also imposes stricter ensuring that this
“I think this is an important moment,” punishment for police officers who
said Vrinda Grover, a women’s rights fail to properly register complaints of law was enacted.” 1392 نیدرورف2 جمعه- 1231 شماره/ سال متسیب
advocate and lawyer. “We have taken sexual assault.
quite a few steps forward.” India’s democracy has often been Cabinet ministers
The passage of the bill comes less faulted for being so unruly and its
than three months after a New Delhi Parliament so dysfunctional that were quick to
physiotherapy student was gang- fundamental development issues like
raped on a moving bus and later died education and malnutrition are never praise the bill’s
from her injuries. The assault drew adequately addressed. The fact that
widespread outrage and prompted the rape bill passed both houses of passage. “The bill
protests across India, some of them Parliament speedily this week, despite
violent, over the issue of women’s the disruption of several unexpected is significant, as
safety. adjournments caused by a defection
Many Indians, including activists of one of the governing Congress it aims to protect
and politicians, demanded during the Party’s crucial allies, is a sign that the
protests and their aftermath that the voices of thousands of protesters had mothers and
government do more to protect women been heard, activists said.
and impose harsher sentences on men “It is good that India still responds as sisters of this country,” the minister of complete protection for women from
who molest them. Reported rapes in a democracy when there is pressure sexual harassment. “There are so
India have risen in recent years, and from citizens,” said Meenakshi home affairs, Sushil Kumar Shinde, many recommendations that were
northern India has witnessed a series Ganguly, the director of Human Rights rejected by the government,” said
of highly publicized gang rapes. Watch in South Asia. “The terrible said Thursday in the upper house, Sandhya Valluripally, president of the
Progressive Organization of Women,
according to the news agency Press including a provision the group
sought that listed child trafficking in
Trust of India. the definition of rape.
Activists said that continued public
The law includes many, though not attention and debate on the issue of
gender equality were still needed.
all, of the measures suggested in “The spectrum of change India
requires is much, much broader than
January by a panel led by a former amendments to the criminal laws,”
said Ms. Grover, the lawyer. “We
chief justice, J.S. Verma. But some need to really focus on enforcement
and implementation.”
critics argued that in the rush to pass Sruthi Gottipati and Pamposh Raina
contributed reporting from New
the bill, some major issues were left Delhi.
unaddressed.
“This is a step forward, but the
government could have done more
homework to bring about a stronger
legislation,” said Nirmala Sitharaman,
the national spokeswoman for the
Bharatiya Janata Party, the leading
opposition bloc. In touch with Iranian diversity
Some women’s organizations
said the law fell short of offering
‘I’m not going out like that’: Roommate of University of Central
Florida gunman describes thwarting potential massacre
By: Erik Ortiz Although Arabo Babakhani didn’t safety in my room,” he continued. with shrapnel.
New York Daily News know the horror his gun-toting “My biggest concern was him
roommate was planning to unleash, shooting through the door, shooting Officials also said they found a to-do
Arabo Babakhani, 24, said gunman his actions helped foil a potential through the walls.”
James Seevakumaran pointed a gun shooting spree at the University Babakhani tried calling 911 in his list referring to an attack and a final
at him after setting off a fire alarm. of Central Florida that might have room, but the sound of the fire alarm
He ran into his room and then hid in become another Virginia Tech. drowned out his voice. He moved to message: “good luck & give them
a bathroom to call 911. When police Babakhani, a 24-year-old sophomore, the bathroom, he said, and alerted
arrived, Seevakumaran was found was the one who called 911 just after the dispatcher that his roommate had hell!” Vol. 20 / No. 1231 - Friday, Mar. 22, 2013
dead. James Seevakumaran set off a fire gone off the rails.
alarm early Monday at their Tower “I was scared for my (other) A motive remains unclear,
1 residence hall — forcing students roommates because I didn’t know if
outside so that he could allegedly they got out. I knew one of them was although university officials said
massacre them. at home,” Babakhani said, adding, “I
That didn’t happen, and instead, hadn’t seen my other roommate that Seevakumaran was about to be
30-year-old Seevakumaran was night. I found out after the fact that
found dead from a self-inflicted he was out of town.” kicked out of the dorm.
gunshot wound to the head, police Then, Babakhani said, he heard one
said. or two gunshots — one of which He had been attending the school’s
Babakhani spoke publicly Tuesday would have been the self-inflicted
about the terrifying moment he shot that ended Seevakumaran’s life, Orlando campus since 2010 to study
peered out of his room just after authorities said.
midnight and saw Seevakumaran When campus police finally arrived, business, but wasn’t enrolled in the
raise a gun at him inside their dorm. they found Seevakumaran dead.
“I just saw what was going on and Dramatic video was released Tuesday current semester.
I was like, ‘I’m not going out like showing the moment cops stormed
that,’ so I slammed the door and I into the dorm room. Babakhani described his roommate
just crouched,” Babakhani told UCF They ended up finding a .22-caliber
Knightly News, a campus news assault rifle, a .45-caliber handgun, as a loner and socially awkward —
source. hundreds of rounds of ammunition
“I thought I was in a good degree of and four homemade explosives laced but never exhibited signs of violence.
“He’s not the type of person to
voluntarily speak,” Babakhani told
UCF Knightly News, adding that
“he just cooks food, spends time
in his room ... on his laptop all the
time.”
Highlighting Seevakumaran’s
solitude, no one came to see him for
Thanksgiving.
“He just cooked a whole
Thanksgiving meal for himself,”
Babakhani said. “He’s got no friends, 46
I don’t even know if he’s got any
family. I’ve never heard him on a cell
phone before.”
