Delhi gang-rape victim’s death shameful for all

Can her death open a new chapter for the safety of women in India?

It is not only due to ‘her’ death that we should be hanging our heads in shame. The shame is also that Delhi is being called the ‘RAPE CAPITAL OF INDIA’. After winning this infamous title a decade ago, the state and the central government did nothing to erase this ignominy. A matter of ultimate shame for which we should hang our heads! There are certain benumbing tragedies that make us bereft of words.

The 23-year-old paramedical student had no idea that joyful moments of her life would soon take a dangerous curve on that fateful night of December 16. Any amount of consolation would only be a bunch of clichés. It’s the dream of every person on this earth to earn name and fame, but definitely not the way ‘she’ received it. The girl’s entire life fell apart when ‘she’ was gang-raped and brutally assaulted by six men, including a minor, in a moving bus in South Delhi and her male friend was badly bashed when he tried to protect her. What an irony! Six men assaulting a woman as if she is created of soft earth which can be moulded in any whichever way a ‘man’ wants to – else will be washed away by pouring water. A heinous act like rape is nothing new, not only for India but for the entire world. If humans are capable of carrying out such a barbaric and demented act then the solution to prevent such acts also lies within the human mind. Harsh punishments like lifetime unemployment, capital punishment or castration may infuse fear in the mind of rapists, but ‘change from within’ is the only solution to stop the horrifying crime. Lot of people, including politicians and several members of Khaps have in the past put the blame on the women for getting raped. Vestiges of such mindset are visible even in the most progressive urban areas. Statements like "Did you see the clothes she was wearing?" or "She was moving on her own after midnight inviting for rape" are often found to be made. A grosser mentality could never have been found. Instead of finding ways to secure women or demeaning the cruelty of rotten minds, people start to point their fingers at the victims. On the one side, our ministers, including the Prime Minister, are offering condolences (for the rape victim) and advising people to remain calm; and yet, at the same time, no quick action is being taken on passing any law for the protection of women. Doesn’t this portray shameful double standards? Why can’t a man have a heart and a mind which can understand the agony of a woman? After all he too has a wife, daughter, sister or a girlfriend? And one thing is a given - every man has a mother – who is also a woman, and because of whom the man exists in this world. If these bestial men cannot respect women, then the women - especially mothers - have to take the onus of instilling in them the reverence for womenfolk. They have to be told that women are much more than objects of lust, or vessels through which they might satiate the rush of power to violate her body. Top cop Kiran Bedi has rightfully said, "Mothers of India should ask their sons to take an oath that they will never disrespect women." Educational institutions can also go a long way in building the minds of children, as this is the right time to teach kids about giving respect to all. Schools can play a big role in carving a child into a good human being as kids learn the most (good or bad) here. Every educational institution teaches a child to respect, regard and keep faith in teachers, parents and elders. So if a child, right from the beginning, learns to differentiate between rights and wrongs, only then the root cause of a crime can be eradicated. It’s been rightly said, “Morning shows the day”. If right from childhood a child is taught to respect women and understand the importance of human life, then I am sure perspective of the society towards a woman will also change for the better. But mere education is not enough to move the mountain and bring forth a change; upbringing of a child and especially that of a boy, is very important. In our society, as soon as a male child is born, the entire family celebrates it as a moment of pride and hold their heads high for the rest of their lives. On the other hand, in a family where a girl is born, the entire family, especially the mother, bows a little down while thinking about the entire journey of the upbringing of that little girl. Why can’t the upbringing of a child, either a boy or a girl, be the same? If a girl is being taught to respect others, be responsible, have patience, understand the value of life, sacrifice, should be open to criticism and many more, then why can’t the same be taught to a boy as well? It’s the need of the hour that from the very beginning a child (male or female), must be taught to respect all and also a sense of equality between man and woman should be instilled in him. Everyday newspapers, TV channels are full of news of rape and molestation of 3 year, 2 year, 42 year and even 70-year-old females. But the minds and hearts of the culprits never change. Even the society keeps on torturing the survivors of the heinous crime by repeatedly cautioning the victim and letting the accused go after meting out only little punishment to them. Also it is high time that the Indian government sets up some strong rules to protect the women of the country. The pain of losing a near and dear one is unbearable and can’t be described in words. The only means to lessen the pain is by getting justice at the earliest. Let`s pray to God to give peace to the soul of the deceased girl (rape victim) and courage to her family to have patience at this crucial time. Let’s unite and make India a safer place for the times to come. But an open-ended question on which our leaders should immediately act is: Can her (Delhi gang-rape victim) death open a new chapter for the safety of women in India? If the politicians can take big decisions like FDI in retail and that of hanging ‘Kasab’ as swiftly as they have done, then they surely should be able to pass a strict ‘women’s safety bill’ at the earliest too. A more understanding and humane response would embolden the `victims` to come forward and expose the beasts who try and commit such dastardly acts.