Parliament should focus on ending the rape epidemic  
Dear friends across India, 
Parliament should focus on ending the rape epidemic, but Rajya Sabha Deputy Chair Kurien is too distracted fighting his own charge of rape to protect the women of India. Sonia Gandhi is debating taking away his prestigious post and together we can convince her to do it. Click to sign and share with everyone: 
Parliament should be totally focused on ending the rape epidemic, but the Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, P J Kurien, is busy fighting his own gang rape scandal! Sonia Gandhi is debating whether he should keep his post -- together we can convince her there must be no Chairs for rape suspects.
A young woman from Kerala claims that P J Kurien was part of the gang who raped her for over 40 days. The case has been dragging for years, but the Supreme Court has just ordered a fresh investigation and calls for Kurien to step down are growing. Sonia Gandhi is under massive pressure to act for women’s rights. Let’s call on her now to take away Kurien’s Chair until this gang rape case is resolved.
We have 24 hours to convince Sonia Gandhi before parliament restarts. When 20,000 of us sign, Avaaz will deliver our voices directly to her -- sign now and share witheveryone:
http://www.avaaz.org/en/no_chairs_for_rape_suspect_kurien_/?byTYUcb&v=22141 
A 16-year-old Kerala school girl was brutally raped by 42 men for 45 days. Although her torture took place nearly 17 years ago, almost all the criminals are free. But finally, the Supreme Court has said that true justice has not been done and is demanding a fresh look at the case.
Since her abduction, the victim has consistently named Deputy Chairman P J Kurien as one of her attackers. The true facts have yet to be established. Until they are, Professor Kurien should stand aside to focus on his case – and let the Rajya Sabha focus on ending the rape epidemic across India. Instead, Professor Kurien’s decision to stay in post is fueling exactly the kind of outrageous anti-women statements that make rape more likely. Even an MP from Kurien’s own Congress Party asked “Why did the girl not try to escape?†-- this about a girl who was not even able to walk properly when she was finally freed!
It’s no surprise that India’s leaders are failing to address the national rape crisis because so many of our law-makers themselves stand accused of rape and sexual assault. The Verma Committee demanded these politicians stand down until their case is heard, but no political party has yet agreed to this principled approach. Politicians fear that rape cases could be used to score political points, but the best way to be sure of the truth is to stand aside until justice has been done. Instead, all too often politicians remain in office to exercise power over police investigations of the allegations they face.
We can’t address this problem overnight, but we can take a vital first step by ensuring that one of parliament’s most important positions is not held by a man accused of the most vile crime against a child. Click here to call for Kurien's ouster and share this email with everyone: http://www.avaaz.org/en/no_chairs_for_rape_suspect_kurien_/?byTYUcb&v=22141 
Avaaz members across India sent thousands of messages to the Verma Committee and the Mehra Commission demanding an end to the culture of rape impunity. Now we can make sure that the politicians tasked with ending India’s rape epidemic aren’t men blinded by their own rape cases. 
With hope and determination, 
Meredith, Alaphia, Ian, Emma, Wen, Ricken and the whole Avaaz team
MORE INFORMATION 
Suryanelli rape case: Why P J Kurien is under a cloud? (DNA):
http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report_suryanelli-rape-case-why-pj-kurien-is-under-a-cloud_1799629 
‘Women cry rape when caught’: Congress MP shocker on Suryanelli case (NDTV):
http://www.ndtv.com/article/south/women-cry-rape-when-caught-congress-mp-shocker-on-suryanelli-case-332393?pfrom=home-otherstories 
Suryanelli rape case: Absconding lone convict arrested in Karnataka (Times of India):
http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2013-02-15/india/37118486_1_p-j-kurien-lone-convict-kerala-police 
1996 Kerala rape case: Protests intensify against RS Deputy Chairman Kurien (Times of India): http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2013-02-08/india/36992263_1_p-j-kurien-deputy-chairman-suryanelli
17 years of solitude (OPEN):
http://www.openthemagazine.com/article/nation/17-years-of-solitude