On December 16th, 2012, a 23 year old paramedic
student was raped and beaten up by six men in a private bus in Delhi. Thirteen
days later, she finally succumbed to her injuries and died in a hospital in
Singapore. I shall not get into the facts of the gang rape, as most of you are
already well versed with it. However, what followed this rape case was what I
believe is even more shameful and nauseating.
Everyone decided that this was the right time to grab their
fifteen seconds in the limelight. The media went ballistic trying to report
every minute detail from what the victim had had for breakfast to when her next
poop was scheduled, while rapes continued unnoticed all around the country. The
youth meanwhile decided that it was high time for them to do something.
Proactive, as they are, they decided to resort to facebook and twitter to
ensure rapes do not happen in the future. People violently protested on the
roads of Delhi leading to government property being damaged, police having to
resort to violence to control the mob, and ten metro stations being shut down
in the capital indefinitely. Perfect steps to ensure that rapes do not happen
henceforth.
The more creative people decided to take to the streets with
plays and songs in order to discourage people from indulging in rapes and
showing their solidarity with the rest of a few thousand morons who had already
lined up.
The sole topic of conversation at every coffee shop, dining
table and roadside tapri is the same-
should rapists be given capital punishment or should they be chemically
castrated? The same time has also been efficiently utilised by our politicians
to come up with statements which conclusively puts their intellect at the same
level as my maid’s pet mongrel.
Now, let me give you the facts and figures and explain why
this phenomenon amuses and nauseates me at the same time.
Section 376(2) of the Indian Penal Code lays down the
punishment for gang rape with rigorous imprisonment for a minimum of ten years
which may extend to a life term, along with a fine. And now there is a call to
reform the law and impose the death sentence. Now, one must understand that laws
are not made overnight. The framers of these laws do not make them arbitrarily.
They discuss every minute aspect in detail before coming to a conclusion. The
increased number of rapes is not therefore due to a flaw in the law, but a flaw
in the law enforcing authorities and agencies.
A 2009 report stated that there were more than 300 prisoners
on death row, 28 of whom were waiting for presidential pardons, while the rest
had appealed in front of the various appellate courts in the country. Since
then, there has only been one execution, so it is only reasonable to assume
that the numbers have increased. The rest of these 300-400 odd people are
serving their time in prison, exactly the same way that they’d spend it, if
they are convicted under Section 376 of the IPC.
Another report suggests that in India, a rape happens every
54 minutes. Barely a year back, NDTV published an article stating that Delhi
has the maximum number of rape cases. Since then, very little has been done by
the Delhi administration, and nobody seemed bothered about it, till this
particular girl got raped.
Subsequent to the girl getting raped, she has been termed as
a ‘braveheart’ and received the name ‘Damini’ from the Bollywood movie where
the protagonist fights to protect a rape victim. Let me clarify here, there is
nothing brave that the girl did. What happened to her was unfortunate but it
was not a danger she faced knowingly, and neither did she manage to overcome
it. What then, was so “brave” about her act?
There were 414 rape cases reported in Delhi in 2010. What
makes this stand out? Why was this girl different from the hundreds of others
who are raped? There are women who are subjected to marital rape every single
day, and their voices go unheard. Very often people do not even get to know
about these cases. These women who manage to go through life facing trauma
every day are braver than the girl who just died. But then again, uploading a
status on gang rape and expressing your solidarity will surely get you more “likes”
than something as drab as marital rape.
By symbolically naming the victim of the Delhi gang rape
case, all that the media houses have managed to do is double their TRPs, and
all that you idiots have managed to do is upload 6 meaningless statuses on
facebook in a desperate attempt to show that you care, when you could not be
bothered less, covered in your blanket with your cup of hot chocolate.
Two thirds of the world’s countries have abolished the death
penalty and accepted that executions are unacceptable under any circumstance.
Yet, we speak of chemical castration and death by hanging. So, it’s perfectly
okay for us to behave in a barbaric fashion, but it’s wrong if a criminal
commits a barbaric act? What then, is the difference between you and the men on
the bus? The violent protests outside India Gate and the Presidential Palace
have proven that the same barbaric mentality is prevalent amongst all Indians-
all that differs is the degree and the way they express their barbarism.
The vast majority of women who get raped do not have the
means to be transported and treated in Singapore. By treating this case
specially, you, the Indian aam aadmi,
have proven yet again, that your empathy can only reach out to those who can
afford it.
By making this a public spectacle, you have successfully
raped whatever was left of the victim’s dignity. And mind you, since all of you
have done it together, and on various platforms simultaneously, it is as good
as gang rape.
Our society has always needed something that they can
discuss relentlessly, and pretend to feel passionate about, over a cup of
steaming chai. For the past twenty three
years, it has been Sachin Tendulkar. I guess his shoes have been filled up pretty
soon after his retirement. Well done! I am sure your mothers and sisters are
proud of you.
