As the Central Government passes the ordinance of death penalty for the rapists of children below the age of 12, we cannot help but think about the shocking reality that after every 15 minutes a child is subjected to sexual offence in India. There has been an increase of more than 500 percent over past 10 years in the crime against minors; something broough to fore by the NGO named CRY.
A crime like rape cuts across various social structures; cast rape, class rape, police rape, rape of minors etc. It happens every where and it happens to all. On recent accounts, the entire country had its head hang in shame when an eight year was brutally raped and murdered in Kuthua. It didn’t stop at that. Not even a month had passed and we hear a six-month old baby allegedly raped and murdered in Madhya Pradesh. A 30 year old man raped his 13 year old daughter in Bihar post which the girl committed suicide. A woman caretaker in Mumbai sexually assaults a 4 year old. In Orissa, a 6 year old girl, out to buy biscuits, strangled and left to die in school campus. Sportswoman raped by a doctor at Kolapur recently. A 10 year old boy was sexually assaulted by a 30 year old person in Jammu.
As the classification suggests and as the past records speak for itself, rapists don’t see cast, creed, colour, place, age or anything. It is just an exercise of power and control of one person over the other and it is the woman who mostly becomes the victim of such a sadistic display of ‘power and authority’.
No one is denying that men and women are biologically different. However, these differences should not be allowed to prevent people from being equal in the eyes of law and society. The societal control exercised by men on women in the way that every male and female is groomed from the early stages of their lives. This is the role of socialisation and years of conditioning of our minds that every individual goes through, and how stereotypes are registered. By regulating the behaviour of both men and women in a particular way, men are taught to be strong and assertive, socially trained to be protectors of women while as women are supposed to be weak and gentle, seeking protection. Boys have always enjoyed a celebrity status and are seen as ‘fortune cookies’ by everyone. Egos of men are perpetually stroked by the parochial mentality.
Society has never rebuked men for their creepy and weird behaviour towards women and are rather shielded and defended by everyone calling it as ‘natural progression’. It stems from the kindergarten where we allow violence towards girls, saying, “He likes you, that is why he teases you.” It is always boys who are encouraged to get violent and vent their anger in jest and hatred. Ever heard of the phrase in class, “Even you girls are now misbehaving, at least girls, show some manners.” I wonder why is the ‘manners department’ only assigned to girls since childhood while as boys take pride in being mannerless. One wonders why the girl is being degraded by calling her various derogatory names in the society. Also praise like ‘don’t be such a girl’ as if to demean a boy. These are the discriminatory practises that rule our lives.
The patriarchal structure of our society that we live in refuses to recognise rape as violence and often dismisses incidence of sexual abuse as the victim’s ‘fault’- shifting the burden on them to protect themselves. Some people have gone to an extent of justifying the rape by calling the victim a ‘loose girl’, who may have a boyfriend and passionate of wearing short dresses. A politician giving a statement saying, “Guys are like that only and girls should be more careful.” It speaks of the sick and deep rooted patriarchal mindset of people. The ‘me too’ campaign is a step-forward but only the first in a huge journey to end systematic patriarchal power structures, rape culture and objectification of women. The question is, however, how many women have actually come up and have named the culprits and not faced the consequences at the hands of the so called ‘powerful men’.
It is a fact that not everyone of us is a rapist, but we are definitely responsible for what is happening. People in general are equally complicit and take part in micro-aggressions.
As we fight for an egalitarian treatment, a patriarchy free mindset, it is absolutely necessary that our laws keep pace with our society. The abysmal state of affairs and lack of consideration is the direct result of collective apathy, practised by all sections of society.
We all have welcomed the ordinance of death penalty for the rapists of children below 12 years but what about children from 12-18. And what about victims beyond the age of 18 who are gang raped and tortured? Is the crime any less grave?
India can take a page from books of other countries and offer stringent punishment to the rapists. Without a doubt, it is going to change the current scenario and will make the culprits shudder with the fear of punishment. The police resources and their accountability has to be increased in order to see a change at the grass-root level. More than changing laws, the implementation of the same is indispensable.
With just 3 percent conviction rate and 89 percent of pending cases till 2016, shows that even death penalty which comes post conviction will obviously mean least to vast majority of victims. The constitution of India guarantees all citizens justice, liberty and equality. But what preserving dignity and integrity of all genders, casts, classes, regions etc. Safety of women in public and private spaces should be made mandatory. Affirmation of the meaning of consent and providing respect to women on all platforms – be it judicial, socio-legal, socio-political, personal, professional so that every girl/ woman can life with safety, integrity and respect.
As said by Dr Ambedkar, “Rights are real if only accompanied by remedies. It is no use giving rights if the aggrieved person has no legal remedy to which he/ she can resort when his/ her rights are invaded.”
Let’s not wait for another dastardly crime to happen, before we change our laws and our attitude.