#JusticeForGulnaz: 20YO Bihar Girl Burnt Alive In Vaishali District, No Arrests So Far!

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Five years ago, when my Bengali friend married her Muslim boyfriend against her family’s wishes, half of the North Kolkata was on rage and kept calling their affair another example of love jihad.

It took her more than two years to find acceptance from her kin, but they have been happy since ever!

Yesterday, when I read about Gulnaz Khatoon, it instantly hit a part of me — and I asked myself if my fellow countrymen would again call it a love jihad?

I think no!

Because this time, it was a Muslim victim, and the accused was a Hindu. And probably, this is why, even after more than 15 days of the incident, no legal actions have been taken yet!

And with every word I write, my heart aches by thinking of that young, innocent 20YO Gulnaz who was about to get married in just four months but was succumbed to her brutal and extensive burn injuries after she was set on fire by men who had been allegedly stalking and threatening her for a long time.

“She was to be married off in just four months. But Satish Kumar Rai, son of Vinay Rai, and Chandan Kumar Rai, son of Vijay Rai, burnt my daughter to death in Vaishali. She herself said so in a video before she died. We have nobody to speak for us,” says the mother of the 20YO deceased Gulnaz.

“She had objected to the sexual harassment and stalking they had been subjecting her to for three months,” said her younger sister. “When my sister used to go and dump garbage, these men would harass her. On October 30 at 5 PM, Chandan Kumar and Satish Kumar poured kerosene on her and set her ablaze,” Gulnaz’s brother added.

Gulnaz belonged to a simple family — her mother was a tailor; her brother was working in Patna. She was soon to be married and life, hopefully, had been admirable for her until these men started troubling her.

The saddest part of this incident is that the men who harassed, attacked and murdered this young Bihar girl was clearly named by her and her family but have not been arrested yet. A viral video on social media can be seen where the victim had clearly pointed out the accused’ names, but there have been no legal actions so far.

To make it worse, the media have gotten no response from the local police or Bihar’s re-elected Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. For like every horrific incident, #JusticeForGulnaz is trending online, but no one can see the pain and agony behind Gulnaz’s mother who has been pleading to the government and authorities for justice for over two weeks now.

“They had told her they would kill her, they doused her with kerosene and lit a match,” her mother shared — for someone whose young daughter had been literally burnt alive, one could not even imagine the way she would be holding herself.

The incident happened in the Vaishali district of Bihar, but it is another tight slap on the entire country’s face — and on those who have been whining on how love jihad is exploiting and destroying young people’s lives.

And if you think that this is only a case of religion and so-called love jihad then let me tell you that the accused men carry caste names of the dominant community.

The incident happened in the Chandpuram village of Vaishali district under Desari police station after which the victim was admitted to PMCH in Patna and 15 days later was succumbed to her injuries.

As per a report by ABP News Online, the accused, Satish Yadav, is a known goon of the village who used to harass the victim. He, along with his two companions, caught Gulnaz near her house and set her on fire after she complained about him.

“They had been saying they would kill me for days. I had told them not to stand here [stalk], they said we have bought the road, they poured kerosene on me and lit a match. He is Vinay Rai’s son,” says Gulnaz in her video statement.

The social media users, again, are divided, and some of them are calling out the hypocrites and asking if this would also be called a love jihad since the accused in this case is a Hindu and not a Muslim. At the same time, a lot of people are staying numb as the victim is a Muslim from a poor family and the accused are from a dominant caste.

Much like the Hathras incident, the local police here too did not take any action even after getting the information soon after the attack and reaching the hospital. As per the sources, they met the victim and registered her statement also but did not file an FIR until the victim’s video statement started getting viral on social media.

So there was no action taken by the local police for the first four days, and even after the victim’s death, no arrests have been made so far.

A classic (yes that’s what I would it) case of religion, caste, dominance and minority, Gulnaz’s case is not new — except that she is a Muslim. Her case is not first and won’t be the last also — and this will keep happening until the government and authorities get themselves out of this quagmire of caste and religion.

Sometimes Dalit, sometimes Muslim, and sometimes minor — no matter what the location or who the government is — it’s always a woman losing her life, her family crying their heart out for justice and a bunch of filthy accused people who roam freely around the city!

Now I ask you, would you call it a love jihad? #JusticeForGulnaz #Shame

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The COVID-19 pandemic struck the world when it was least prepared for. Ever since its inception, it has been a challenge to deal with. Things around us have become uncertain and prone to losses. When I look at this, I realise that the pandemic not just aimed at taking away lives but has also shattered people to their core by taking away their livelihoods as well.

This situation has been an eyeopener in making us realise the importance of financial freedom and financial security for both He and She. Especially for women, it turned out to be more difficult. But the question is why is it so much more important for women??

Why think of financial freedom?

We often hear the term ‘Women Empowerment’, but only a handful of people can decode the term. Empowerment means giving someone the ability to control their life and claim their rights. Therefore, the term emphasises giving women the power and ability to control their lives.

Financial freedom is a great way of doing the same. It gives women the authority to actually think good for themselves and act accordingly.

Women don’t need to be working in MNCs or government offices to label themselves as financially independent. They could be doing a variety of other things ranging from daily wage workers (for women coming from low-income families) to running a tiffin business from home (for middle-class women having little education).

Consequences of not being financially independent

Humans automatically take control of the steering of their lives when they start to earn. Women are no different!

Financial freedom becomes more important for women who live in abusive households. Reports suggest that 70% of women in India face some form of domestic violence. Still, they continue to live with their abuser as they lack financial freedom; the situation would be completely different only if they had the monetary resources in their hand.

What happens when women become financially independent?

Studies show that when a woman earns, she invests 90% of her earnings into their family compared to only 30% to 40% for a man.

It is shocking to see that with the advancements in the economy, female labour participation in India decreased from 34 % in 2016 to 24.8 % in 2020. It also reports that out of the 153 countries that were part of the study, India is the only country where the economic gender gap is wider than the political gap.
_{United Nations Global Compact}

Only if India raises the participation of women to the level that men do, it will increase the nation’s GDP by 27 per cent ― thereby placing India in a good position in the global economy.

There are a variety of reasons supporting the idea of financial freedom for women. A few of them are discussed below.

Enhance their self-worth

The power of liberty increases one’s self-worth; in a country like India, financial freedom is of prime importance for Indian women where gender equality is asymmetrical. A significant proportion of Indian women are dependent on their spouses, making it an arduous task for them to walk out of an abusive marriage. Earning money instils within them the power to make a strong decision when it comes to their life.

Support the family

There is a lot of pressure on the sole breadwinner of any family, which in most cases is the husband. When the only earning member in the family is the husband, there is a lot of pressure on them. Given the unpredictable situation of jobs in the country, pink slips are no longer a surprise.

The COVID-19 situation has further accelerated this problem. While people argue over the fact that women don’t need to work as their husbands, fathers, or brothers earn; extra income does not really harm. Especially in such delicate times, it would be a lot of help.

I know there’s never a ‘right’ time to have kids but for me a better time looks like: a marriage or healthy support system, a suitable home, a healthy & healed mind & financial freedom.
— SocialMediHer (@MONR0WE) March 7, 2022

Facing emergency situations

In life, everything does not go as per plan. We need to be prepared for any kind of unexpected turn of events. When there is an extra earning member in the family, there is comfort in dealing with such situations.

Sadly, the middle-class family survives from paycheque to paycheque, and such situations are not welcomed in such houses. If there is one more earning member in the family, it eradicates this problem as the extra money can be kept aside for emergencies.

Become a role model

Whenever we talk about women in leadership, very few names pop up in our minds. Ever wondered why?

The harsh truth is we don’t have many female leaders. A single woman’s financial freedom can act as a source of inspiration for all those women who are willing to do something but hesitate to take a step forward. Your progress chart will become directly proportional to the success rate of many other women who look up to you. A financially independent woman has the power to motivate and shape the lives of millions of women. You don’t realise, but that’s a big responsibility!

All I want is a healthy body, healthy skin, a healthy love life, and financial freedom. Happiness.
— Lil Baby 💍 (@DatDamnShorty) March 5, 2022

Ways to become a financially independent woman

Effective financial planning:

Determining real and achievable financial goals is the secret spice of being efficiently financially independent. Setting practical goals helps you to be in control of your income, investments and expenses.

Use personalised financial plan:

Choosing a plan just because it worked out great for your friend would be the last mistake you want to commit while choosing a financial plan. It is so because the same plan could do you more harm than reaping profits. Personalisation is the key to successful financial planning.

Select plans keeping in account your financial goals and needs.

Plan for the unexpected:

I have already talked a lot about how important it is to have an extra source of income in moments of crisis. Every woman should be ready to deal with any unexpected events.

Aim at securing the future:

You don’t just earn for fun, do you?

Once you start earning, you have certain responsibilities on your shoulder. As a working woman, it should be your major concern that your family goes through little or no financial stress in your absence as well. Begin to invest in insurance plans, mutual funds etc., as it will support financial continuity.

Financial freedom is important for each one of us, irrespective of our age and marital status. It is high time people must comprehend that the financial freedom of a woman or a working woman does not harm the reputation of the family. It is perfectly okay for a family to run on the income of a woman.

We live in the 21st era where we talk about equality. But this debate has no end if we fail to perceive the importance of women being financially independent. Even today, situations are highly uncertain for a woman in society. The majority of the time, she does not get a say in her significant life-changing decisions. Women have to face a lot of problems and criticisms. Financial security gives them the power to think and take a stand for themselves. It makes her believe her own instincts and complete her journey.

Infano supports every woman out there to take a step towards her success. Do not forget to read our HerStory column for all those inspiring stories of women who are breaking the stereotypes and making an example! #HappyWomensDay #FinancialFreedom