At the time when thousands of people came onto the streets to protest against the ghastly incident of gang-rape that took place in Delhi on December 16, 2012, I thought change would come. When protesters were tear-gassed and still decided to stay put, I thought change would come. But I was terribly wrong.
Hardly a day goes without rape incidents becoming news in this country. Nothing has changed after December 16, at least not on the ground. Police and politicians still remain indifferent, insensitive towards rising incidents of crimes against women in this country called India.
After the horrific incident of gang-rape in a moving bus, the recent case of a 19-year-old girl, student of class 12, who was brutally gang-raped by three men in a tempo, shocked me.
The traditional talk of describing India as a country where women are respected and preached as idols is all crap. The recent news of alleged rape of a 25-year-old physically challenged woman by a 50-year-old man in Behala, and of kidnap and rape of a three-year-old girl in Mallapuram district of Kerala fill me with disgust.
What sort of men are these? What are we all doing to stop and curb the nefarious designs of these men? Where do we lack as a society where we give space to these men
to breed? Why has the anger of thousands of people, who were on the streets of India to protest against the Delhi gang-rape incident, failed to fright those who are constantly looking for their prey? Shamefully, a girl is not even safe inside her own home. Instances of fathers raping their daughters cannot be condemned in harshest of words.
As per the figures provided by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), six lakh cases of atrocities against women and over two lakh cases of molestation, kidnapping and abduction of women and girls were reported across India between 2009 and 2011.
Minister of State for Home RPN Singh informed the Rajya Sabha that NCRB data shows 2,03,804 cases, 2,13,585 and 2,28,650 cases of atrocities against women were registered in 2009, 2010 and 2011, respectively.
In 2011, 78,533 cases involving molestation, kidnapping and abduction of women and girls were registered against 70,408 recorded in 2010.
It shows how vague the Central and state governments` promises are. The authorities claim patrolling has been increased in the wake of rising crimes against women; how fruitful is the step is evident by the figures provided by Mr Singh. The Bhandara rape case, in which three minor sisters were kidnapped, raped and murdered, has still not been solved. There are surely many Bhandara-like cases in each state of India which are either closed or still waiting to catch the glimpse of investigating officers.
And then the classification of women who get raped in this `great Indian society` as sort of untouchables is a sickening fact. Women`s virginity is understood to be the proof of their sanctity here. Most of them are taught to remain silent since their childhood, which is one of the major reasons behind increasing cases of incest.
I hate the tag of `weaker sex` attributed to women. We are not weak. And those who make hue and cry over giving capital punishment to rapists citing their human rights need a major rethink. Why do we have to save these mentally retards? The country is becoming unsafe, thanks to the weak social fabric coupled with ineffective policing. The occasional protests at Jantar Mantar have become a fashion for the youth of this country. The country, I feel, is not ashamed. And this is sad.
(The views expressed by the author are personal)