Raping the enemy
within
RAPE; the dreaded four letter
word is an oft repeated word nowadays in India. The dreaded word has once again
found favour by way of news in television studios, debates taking place in
drawing rooms, lawmakers being questioned in parliament, Cops being shown in
poor light and women’s group and organisations demanding tougher implementation
of existing laws while coming out in droves to vent their frustration and
anger. The latest overbearing case being that of a photo journalist raped in
broad daylight or in the fading light of dusk in a vibrant and busy metropolis
like Mumbai.
Statistics say that rape is as rampant
as corruption in India. While an amount of over 43 million Indian rupees the
equivalent of US Dollars 0.70 million was paid as bribe by Delhiites during the
last three years, one rape happens every minute in the city of Mumbai; a
compelling and strange bit of statistics, for a country looking to catapult
itself into the developed League of Nations. Many of these cases go unreported
a sign of growing worry for the conscience keepers of the nation.
The recent rape of a girl in
Delhi pricked the conscience of a young nation and huge massive rallies were
seen in the capital city of India. Parliament passed stricter laws and all of
us reclined to think that this would signal the end of rapes in this country.
But alas how can rapes end unless you change the psyche of the men folk? Boys
have to be taught young to respect girls and see them as equal contributors to
society.
Laws though made stricter needs
the right implementation. For instance, a rape case reported drags on for
months in the court due to inadequate number of judges to monitor such cases on
a fast track manner. The cops have to be sensitized to the plight of rape
victims and punishment has to be meted out by adopting a ‘Robin hood’ method of
justice.
The Delhi rape case happened in
December of 2012 and we are yet to hear a verdict in the case, even after this
case going through a fast court and even after the entire nation keeping a
watch on the proceedings and after the expiry of 8 months. To reduce the number
of incidents the state and machinery along with its citizens will have to
unitedly join hands to face and fight this menace.
Laws in the absence of rigid
implementation, and social customs that adamantly resist change will not be
able to stem this rot. The various social practices in India will have to be
abolished to blend with the modern way of thinking, and local village panchayats
and mafias needs to be pulled up and sternly punished for stifling voices that
call for change.
Punishment meted out should be
roundly publicized so that prospective rapists get the message and acts as a
deterrent. More and more victims should come out to identify themselves.
Invariably in most of the rape cases, the perpetrators of the crime are seen
warning the victim against disclosing anything to anyone. They live on the
premise that since in society the victim will not be able to openly come out
they will be spared the indignation of being paraded or subjected to brutal
punishment or highly publicized trials.
The Park street victim is a
classic example of how to fight rape. The victim identified herself and came
out to protest in rallies openly. Her line of thinking was absolutely clear. “I
am a victim not the perpetrator of rape, so why should I hide my face and
identity. What wrong have I done? In fact it should be the perpetrators of my
rape who should be hiding their identities and face. It is they who should feel
ashamed; they should be ostracized in society. I have every right to hold my
head high and no reason to feel ashamed”.
Robin Varghese
24 August 2013
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