Durga Malathi

Artist

Kerala

HRDA has issued an urgent appeal to the National Human Rights Commission of India on April 27, 2018, regarding the abuse, intimidation and death threats to Ms. Durga Malathi for circulating her drawings in the context of the recent spate of rapes. Ms. Malathi hails from Palakkad district and is a renowned and socially committed artist who popularises prevalent issues in media through her cartoons and drawings.

The recent rape incidents in Kathua and Unnao have led to a series of protests and public outcry. On April 12 and 15, 2018, she drew two paintings depicting male genitals along with some Hindutva idols; the drawings were in reference to the spate of abductions and rapes of women and widespread protests in India. She posted them on her social media page, Facebook. Along with her cartoon, she wrote in Malayalam that she drew these images with the description that “there are people who think with their genitals, exert their politics using genitals”.

Since then she has been at the receiving end of criticism, threats and online abuses, including threats of rape, torture and death on Facebook and Twitter and through phone. Some unidentified persons have also uploaded morphed photograph of her face, and one with a child, with ugly comments and abusive language.

On April 16, 2018, the Hindu Sanghatan, a Right-wing group, through its president, Mr. Karuna Sagar Kashimshetty, filed a police complaint against her at the Saidabad police station in Hyderabad. And the same has been registered in Crime No. 136/2018 under Section 295 (A) of the Indian Penal Code for outraging religious sentiments. On April 18, 2018, she filed a complaint, No. 50601/2018, with the Pattambi police station seeking action against on he perpetrators and requesting to ensure her security, safety in travel and freedom of expression.

On April 19, 2018, late in the night, unidentified persons threw stones at her house and at her car which was parked inside the compound and the windshield of the car was damaged. She suspects that the Sangh Parivar might have been behind the attack as is evident that she and her supporters had been the subject of its hate campaign on social media.