Why are women still being taken advantage of in India?
Some years ago, when I was living in the southern part of India, a gruesome incident of the Nirbhaya gangrape happened on the outskirts of Delhi-NCR. The entire country went berserk, and the mass sentiment was with the victim and her family. Not to withhold my emotions while writing this article, but I am trying to capture the same sentiment when India woke up with the news of a mass rape case by an honorable MP (member of parliament) from the Hasan constituency of Karnataka state.
I am not likely to write the name of the MP as he is absconding now, and I am praying hard for his defeat in the current Lok Sabha elections in which he is contesting from the same seat.
Last year, when Delhi was reeling under wrestlers’ protests against the then WFI chief for alleged sexual crimes against women wrestlers, I was trying my best to understand the problem of sexual crimes against women.
In Uttar Pradesh, there were rape and murder cases in Unnao and Hathras where basic human rights were intentionally tossed into thin air by the government machinery.
Why is the societal disparity getting wider?
Writing about the inhumane impacts of the entry of unsocial elements directly into politics is disheartening.
Yes, I am saying this, and everyone with a penchant for politics will say this.
A ‘Sengar case’ or ‘Chinmayanand case’ is too little to draw this conclusion.
Sexual abuse is in a shameful and dangerous stage.
The slogan ‘Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao’ is going null and void because of the lack of government willpower.
The rise in wrongful body touch in public places says it all.
Not only this, but intentional sexual harassment is capable of damaging humanity, be it the slightest of the slightest case or maybe a serious one.
In a sky full of vultures, how can little avian survive?
There were days when women and children roamed here and there happily, and in those days there were predators too, but they were negligible in numbers.
Nowadays, we cannot even imagine who is the criminal, who is the habitual pedophile, who is the molester, and who has an eye on unnatural sexual activities against the underprivileged.
Every other person, be it women irrespective of their age group or be it kids regardless of their gender, is prone to sexual abuse, and this is the harshest and saddest reality of today’s India.
Since the fateful Nirbhaya incident, we have had a condemnable deterioration in terms of making society a livable place for our women and kids.
The safety of women and children in our society was not that grim, perhaps when we didn’t have specific popular slogans in favor of them.
I am too skeptical while writing this, but the infamous Revanna case is giving me daydreams, lest I say a nightmare.
It is not that before this, the women or children in the society were protected.
However good samaritans outnumbered the culprits and strict punishments were there for later by the law.
With the vulnerability of the underprivileged group, the issue of their safety is real, and ignoring this is going to be a grievous threat to the social ecosystem.
Loss of words for the rise of sexual abuse cases
Life still looks threatening for many. Recently, I read an article on an infamous Madhya Pradesh rape case where the rescuer of the victim turned into a perpetrator. He was arrested for unnatural sex.
The outrageous gang rape case of Bokaro in 1999 is still in my memory.
But the public outcry is not enough for the culprits. Prevailing laws, rules, vigilance, and stricter punishment didn’t have enough impact on the offenders.
Funds are either unutilized or relocated for other projects instead of helping the victims. And for the inscribed punishments as per law, the more powerful the offender, the greater the chances of his acquittal.
The latest sex scandal by a so-called honorable member of parliament, a grandchild of the former prime minister of India, is too hard for all of us as human beings.
Physical, mental, and psychological suffering
We must acknowledge that we are all part of a larger community, living together as a cohesive unit. Our social fabric binds us and gives us a sense of belonging and security. Let us cherish this fabric and work together to strengthen it for the betterment of all.
We and the broken tiles of the social floor.
There are cases of gruesome rape by teens on teens, and there are rape cases of children as little as just a few months old.
There are sexual assault cases involving senior citizens as victims.
Many sexual abuse cases remain under wraps because of social stigma.
Many culprits choose to murder their victims or force them to commit suicide.
The more heinous act is filming the horrid rape or forceful sexual assault on the hidden camera and then posting the same on social media platforms.
Even boys are not safe from appalling sexual abuse.
There are victims of age ranging from just a few months old to octogenarians, and the same applies to the culprits too.
Gone are the days when there was a fear of strict laws, but here is another reality that will shake you to your core as the so-called protectors turn out to be offenders at the chance.
So, where to go to stay safe from the tormentors?
Physically dominating a weaker section of society does not make any person look supreme or revered.
Enjoying the helplessness is not just inhumane but also devilish.
Trying to robe another person’s modesty is raffish.
The problem is not just crime or criminals, it is the feeling of insecurity in the society whose responsibility it is to protect the weak and the underprivileged.
The real concern is to protect a large section of the social structure from being mentally, physically, and psychologically abused.
The problem in recent years has been to ignore the problem without paying attention to the plight of the victims and this increases the morale of the criminals.
The direct entry of these criminals into politics is now becoming hell for many people and now they are feeling more unsafe than ever.
Whenever women muster courage and try to speak against these inhuman atrocities or decide to fight, they get sympathy. At the same time, our patriarchal society makes serious fun of their plight.
Always choose your representative wisely and with confidence. Never let yourself be held accountable for the actions of dishonest and demonish politicians.
Raising your voice will strengthen and save all humanity.
