‘The Perfect Voice’ celebrates strong, trailblazers in this series with stories of women who brave battles every day that serve as an inspiration to the next generation. We have daughters fulfilling their parent’s dreams, victims of domestic abuse rebuilding their lives and professionals dealing with the famous ‘mom guilt’.
Part 1
The Fight for Justice
Vaibhavi Deshmukh, Beed
In Beed district, Vaibhavi Deshmukh, 17, is fighting for justice for her slain father while balancing studies and home with a dream to become a doctor.
At a time when most teenagers her age were poring over their books to prepare for the Higher Secondary Board (HSC) examinations, Vaibhavi Deshmukh could barely find the time to study. She was leading the protests to demand justice for her father—Santosh Deshmukh—whose brutal murder shook Maharashtra. “You all know what happened to my father. He was brutally murdered. I ask you to remain with us and ensure justice is done,” said Vaibhavi, her voice resonating with the pain and determination shared by the crowd.
At 17, she’s been thrown into the centre of massive protests following her father’s murder. Her father was the sarpanch of Massajog village who was murdered on December 9 last year allegedly at the behest of a “politically powerful” person of Beed district.
As the protest spread Vaibhavi boldly faced the mob. Fighting back tears, she has been boldly addressing every gathering, sharing the immense loss and anguish her family has endured since her father’s death. “The pain of losing him is unbearable. My father was a man of principles who always stood for justice. We will not rest until those who did this to him are held accountable. I consider all of you part of our family now, and together, we must ensure this never happens to anyone again,” she declared, her words drawing applause and chants of solidarity.
Recently Vaibhavi appeared for the HSC exam pledging to fulfil father’s dream for her to become a doctor. Despite limited study due to involvement in protests for justice she remains determined. “My father gave his life for justice. He was doing social work and stood for the rights of the people. Now, we demand the same justice for him. Please ensure no one meets a similar fate,” was her emotional plea at a recent rally.
The situation and circumstances have forced the teenager to become stronger, almost overnight. She juggles multiple responsibilities—her studies, her distraught family members, protests, visits of political leaders, media and queries from the investigators. Her brother Viraj has also joined her in the 'Akrosh Morcha'.
While addressing this huge Akrosh Morcha, Vaibhavi made an emotional appeal and said the government must ensure justice for her family. "I am a granddaughter of this soil from Wala village in Renapur tehsil. Stand with us in our fight for justice. May no family face the tragedy we have endured? My father prioritised the welfare of the community over his family and was even honoured with awards for his contributions to the Gram Panchayat. The government must ensure that we get justice and arrest the accused without delay," she stated.
The tears rolling down her cheeks are proof of the deep pain she’s braving but Vaibhavi isn’t one to sit back until the culprits are punished. Fearless, she accuses the authorities of hypocrisy. She said her family had been assured that her father’s killers would be brought to book; instead, the alleged mastermind of his murder, Walmik Karad, had been admitted to a hospital in Beed, where he had been shifted from jail. While doing so, why didn’t you think of my father, who was tortured before being killed?” Vaibhavi said that if the accused had not killed her father after torturing him, he would have been alive today. With a heavy heart, she said, “He would have been with us.” She demanded, “Give justice to my father and name those who are helping the main accused in the murder as co-accused”.
Watching Vaibhavi reminds one of Nisha Pahuja's documentary, 'To Kill A Tiger' which was nominated for the Oscars. Based on a real-life account of a farmer in Jharkhand, it’s the story of a father’s courageous pursuit of justice for his 13-year-old daughter. Here, in Maharashtra’s Beed district, a brave young daughter is relentlessly fighting to avenge her father’s murder. “My dad’s blood is on their hands. I will fight till I get to the end,” she vows.
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