DELHI
GANG RAPE PROTESTS
ACT NOT ON PROTESTERS
ACT ON GANG RAPISTS
(POST-3 Dated 22-12-2012)
URGENT MEASURES NEEDED
For once the women (or Girls mostly) of Delhi have said, Enough is Enough. Hang the RAPISTS – is their uniform refrain. Amend the Law,
Hang the rapist- said almost each of the Demonstrators in Delhi. At least in respect
of the GANG RAPISTS, I totally, totally
agree with them.
But, it is really sad that these protesters were tear-gased
and lathi-charged, very indiscriminately in Delhi. My first and foremost suggestion
to ALL CENTRAL and STATE GOVERNMENTS and
COURTS is – for God’s sake, stop these brutalities on peaceful protesters
Enough is Enough. We are now not in British Raj. Lathi charge should be only
for VIOLENT MOBS – not at all for peaceful protests.
Police must be sensitive to the issue agitating the Protesters. Eve-teasing can happen to their womenfolk too in Delhi that they are Policing - they must remember that. We all need Urgent measures to avert crimes against women - and that is what all these peaceful protesters were asking! We just can't have our women folk feeling so much insecurity in our capital city.
I am suggesting the following measures. The Home Minister has been responding well to many issues. I do hope, he will respond to this issue also very fast and very appropriately.
I am suggesting the following measures. The Home Minister has been responding well to many issues. I do hope, he will respond to this issue also very fast and very appropriately.
LATHI-THE CRUELLEST
WEAPON : The present shape, size,
length, diameter etc of the LATHI were designed in British time. They continue
till now in the same or perhaps worse shape. These are designed to BREAK BONES
and incapacitate people for a long time. They can even kill a person. A blow with this Lathi is itself a huge punishment for any human
being, without any court punishment for any crime. Even a Buffalo cannot
perhaps bear these lathi blows. And, Police do use it with all their strength, several
times even on the same person, as we can see in all videos. They also use it
several items on a fallen person, in a very cruel way. As in all other cases, there are no statistics
on what happened to such persons who received lathi blows in India in the past.
I strongly suggest to all Jurists and those in decision making capacity to
reduce the DIAMETER of this lathi to HALF of its present diameter. It will
still inflict severe wounds on the skin but will not break the most useful and
strong bones in the body. The person will not be crippled with this modified
Lathi for life. When we talk of Police Reforms, I feel, modification of lathi
and modifying the cruelty inflicted on peaceful protesters are two significant
reforms I would suggest.
CURRENT GANG-RAPE CASE
- WHAT ACTION : The Fast track court
must start functioning within a week; proceedings must start and the GANG
RAPISTS must get their punishment within 3 months from now. The Law must be
amended to include HANGING as the punishment for GANG RAPISTS. FAST TRACK COURTS must be the norm in GANG RAPE
CASES. The punishment of HANGING must
apply to all GANG RAPE CASES currently being investigated. All women’s
organizations and Men’s organizations must demand this.
OTHER CRIMES AGAINST
WOMEN : In other rape,
molestation and eve-teasing cases, we must leave it to the Judiciary to assess
the circumstances. But, the punishment
should be given within 3 months – in all
rape cases, if the crime is proved. One way or the other, the case must
come to a clear, satisfactory end within 3 months. Judiciary and Police must
take this seriously. Today’s punishments under law for rape are not that bad, but can be improved further. But,
their implementation is very bad.
IS DEATH PENALTY
NECESSARY IN ALL RAPE CASES : I must point out
that a hundred murder cases of men and women would have occurred on the same day
that this Gang rape has occurred. No one is even talking about any of them. How
many will be really convicted in those cases – God only knows. Even for Murder,
only in rarest of rare cases, death penalty is awarded but not for all murder
cases. GANG RAPE and attempt to murder are what have happened in present Delhi
Rape case. This definitely deserves DEATH PENALTY. Other Gang rape cases also
deserve death penalty, if not for all, at least for a few of the rapists. But,
in all other rape cases, I feel, as a crime, RAPE, is slightly lesser than
Murder. It does not deserve death penalty normally. For a serial offender,
death penalty may be deserving. When all nations are doing away with death
penalty totally, we can’t be extending to smaller offences than Murder and Gang
Rape.
ATTACH SOCIAL STIGMA : But, I propose an additional punishment. I propose as
additional Punishment (like in olden days) that - every confirmed rapist’s head
must be shaven off completely and paraded
through all streets in DAY LIGHT
(at least 10 miles) with a Flag stating –
I AM THE RAPIST. Or, he must be kept standing in a central, busy locality
for about 10 hours like this in full public view.
This must be done especially in his place of present
residence with shouting by the people accompanying (either Police or Police and
members of public). This must be done for every SERIOUS, HARD CORE EVE-TEASER
AND MOLESTER. Strong Social Stigma
must attach to the RAPIST, molester and Eve-teaser. Today, it is not there.
Many care less about Jail. But, will care more about such social stigma.
EVE TEASING IN DELHI : The one major point I stress (as in my last Blog Post)
is about EVE-TEASING in Delhi. Delhi
must stop ALL EVE-TEASING, at all costs. The normal, routine Police is quite
incapable of tackling this level of EVE-TEASING. There should be SPECIAL SQUADS who must travel by Buses
in civil dress, identify SERIOUS
OFFENDERS, drag then out of the Bus immediately and take them into custody.
Ten days minimum Jail must be the punishment given to the offenders caught by
the special squads, by special courts, WITHOUT
SEEKING FURTHER PROOF. Those caught by special squads are OFFENDERS. As
simple as that. Special squads must also keep vigil near Bus stops, in trains,
near colleges and so on and catch the offenders. Near Men’s colleges, number of
offenders may be initially more – but the Squads must do this exercise at all
such places for about three months in Delhi. Punishment for offenders caught by
the Special Squads must be awarded by the special courts on the SAME DAY. Then,
this process can be repeated weekly or fortnightly one day.
ALL STATE CAPITALS : A similar exercise must be done in all state capitals simultaneously – so that EVE-TEASING is
rooted out in all state capitals. This is a TOP PRIORITY EXERCISE for all
Governments. We just can’t have this level of eve-teasing in our society.
LADIES-ONLY BUSES : All Metros must introduce ladies only Buses at peak times in much greater number than at
present. The kind of jostling and over-crowding that happens with the present
number of Buses is one primary cause of EVE-TEASING.
PERMIT PUBLIC TO
HANDLE EVE-TEASERS : Why do public not
respond in case of crimes on our roads and buses and trains? The biggest
problem is posed by none other than the Police and –even the courts of Law. If
you don’t do anything, there is no problem for you. Problem is only for the
woman being teased. But, if you quarrel with the eve-teaser, scuffle with him,
or beat him, the Police will start teasing YOU. You will be called to Police
station, you may also be taken into custody, the woman also may be taken into custody;
then, if and when the matter goes before courts, the case will drag on for next
10 years (by current standards); and you never know when you will be called as
witness or even for the crime of quarreling with eve-teaser. Our systems are bad
enough – to ensure that there are NO WITNESSES for any crime. This was the case
with the GANG MOLESTATION INCIDENT of Guwahati, Assam.
This should change. If public beat up a criminal, an Eve-Teaser,
a gang molester, and if the eve-teasing incident is a fact, the Police and the
court, from day one, should stand by the woman and the Public. Calling the
public often and on to court or Police station
is totally incorrect. Record their statements once – preferably on the
spot, or in the court. Then, they should not be called at all. If public are
allowed to handle criminals without fear of courts and Police, our crime rate
will come down to some extent.
For the Delhi Police Administration - the current Gang rape
case is the acid test – to show their efficiency in dealing with the case and
in averting all such cases in future.
PS : SEE MY 2 PREVIOUS DETAILED BLOG POSTS ON SAME TOPIC AT :
PS : SEE MY 2 PREVIOUS DETAILED BLOG POSTS ON SAME TOPIC AT :
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