Ostracise the rapist

I wish I could define ‘Rape’. The very word gives one goosebumps.

Just imagine this: A ‘man’ comes near you. You move away. He settles calmly beside you with his wide eyes slyly hinting at something. You try to move further hastily. But before you move he grabs your hands. He gropes you. You fight vigorously to escape. He seizes your hands and body too tight for you to move. He touches your breasts. You scream. He covers your mouth, kills your voice. You turn helpless…

Can one even begin to feel what it might have been like, for the Delhi gang-rape victim, to have not only male hands and bodies manhandling her, but metal rods too used in the bargain?

What kind of world are we living in? Who gave the rapist or the molester the right to assault the victim? And why aren’t we questioning this violation of one’s fundamental right? I might feel disgusted at that ghastly incident that girl went through, but I also feel so helpless at the same time. What democracy is this that makes us sit back on our haunches with our palms under our chins?

Can’t we order one action — on the demand of thousands, if not the 1.2 billion protesting across cities — that can act as a deterrent to brutal crimes against the hundreds of women and children across the country?

Why does the offender or the rapist never fear punitive action?

Criminal inaction

We have had a woman president serving us, the national capital has a woman at the helm. The president of a key political outfit is a woman. The speaker in the Lok Sabha, which is the ‘House of the People’ is also a woman. And yet, we don’t get justice.

Assurances are the stuff of jokes. And the police advising women to keep indoors only benefits rapists, who go on the rampage in search of new victims. “ Jaane do...Police ke lafde mey kaun padega ,” is finally the attitude.

What is really stopping the government from declaring a hearing on the case right away? Expose the rapists in public. Don’t make the victim or their kin feel guilty. Create an online portal to declare the offenders’ names, they should be denied all privileges and admission to any institutes, colleges and even jobs. Get rape and sexual offence cases fast-tracked. What earth-shattering business prevents the government from taking action?

Besides punitive action, we also need to change our mindset. Crimes against women should not be seen as unimportant. We also need to bring up today’s children with more sensitivity towards women, with more respect and understanding.

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