I. When the media flashed the news of gang rape, there was one particular point stressed by the reporters continuously. It has happened to a college student in the capital city of our country, DELHI, and that too in one of the busiest areas. The take away for the audience - it can happen in a remote village to a dalit but how do we digest such a crime otherwise. No, I am neither an anti feminist nor a communist but only trying to decipher the reason behind a biased projection of reality.
II. The parliament demonstrated immense drama once again with a few opposition party politicians demanding justice and some artist stating guilt for her helplessness despite being an MP. It was all for a day, as always.
Image courtesy : niticentral.com
III. At times, we seem to go overboard by carrying slogans such as 'don't teach your sons to rape but respect women' or 'don't tell us how to dress up but tell them not to rape'. We must remember that none of the parents preach antisocial activities to their children or support them in such ventures. Take the case of traveling by train. There are posters stuck all over the railway station requesting the passengers to wear lesser jewellery and carry minimal cash to avoid thefts. We judiciously act by doing so. Do we question the authorities as to who they are to tell us not to wear jewellery or carry cash? It is the duty of the government to protect our safety, agreed. However, at the end of the day, isn't it wise to be proactive than pass on the reactive solution to them? Sometimes, we have to read between the lines and try to understand the true meaning intended by the speaker. The reason for our politicians for not voicing their opinions in such situations is the fear of being cornered or twisted for all that they say.
IV. Consideration of capital punishment for rape will not help reduce its occurrence but only aggravate for one strong reason - most of the rape accused are relatives or friends of the victim. The accused could the breadwinner of the family. His loss will mean a lot. As suggested by the author of an article published in The Hindu (name forgotten)recently,reporting of rape cases might reduce in such case.
Our society has a long way to go in becoming modern, in the true sense. We need laws to safeguard the rights of all sections of the society and yes, much better ways to ensure their execution. Until then, it is always wiser to seek justice in a manner of invoking prompt action rather than provoking extreme emotions.
