There are many things in which we
Indians are not proud at. One such area is the attitude towards women at some regions
in India; many consider them more or less as a tool for sexual satisfaction
than an equal human being.
Rape is not unique to India; there are
many places in this planet were rapes are routine and culprits walk free. But
that doesn't make our record good. We are not supposed to compare our country
with some stateless places where rule of the law is never heard of (or still
rules by medieval rules).
What troubles me more is, even after so
many incidents and too many laws every day it happens.
However, media reports those incidents depends
on its news value to them (after all they are not doing any public service).
Hence, instead of presenting the simple fact that a girl was raped; they
highlight the social status of that girl and family. Those who don’t fit into
these brackets hardly matters. Hence it is not an innocent girl who was raped
but a Dalit girl. What you think? A girl was raped because she is a girl or
because she is a Dalit girl?
Another thing which troubles me is the
way laws are implemented. First of all, court affairs are very costly and not
affordable even to middle class. Another problem is lengthy proceedings; by the
time you get final copy of verdict (after all appeals) your you might have
spent all most all money and life. If the accused are rich enough to hire good lawyers,
then it may even turn out to be a futile exercise. Assume that you are ready
for all this. Will that decision offer any protection to you? A girl from
Rohtak (close to National capital and seat of Union government - Delhi) is an
example of that irony.
Couple of days back this 20-year-old
college student was found in the roadside bushes of Rohtak. She was raped and
left to die. What makes this case deadly is; those who raped her now already
raped her three years back. They probably did this again because she was
determined to fight against them in courts.
As per news reports, "Family
members said the attack last week was retaliation for not withdrawing the case.
Instead of settling the matter in court, the five men had wanted to do so out
of court, the victim’s family members said. The accused wanted to pay about
$75,000... but the victim’s family members said they repeatedly rejected the
offer."
So who are the culprits here? Those five
men? or Indian Law & Order and Judicial system towards which those five men
had any respect or fear. Earlier the state failed to protect her, later state
failed to bring those culprits to justice, later state failed to stop the
culprits from threatening her family, finally state failed to protect her when
those five raped her and left her body in the bushes to die.
What we want is not extraordinary laws
or all power to police; both actions are useless. We need our law and order machinery
to protect citizens, their life, wealth and property and judiciary to make
things fast and less costly. Is it too much to ask?
Sajeev
Reference
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