GANG RAPES – HANG THE RAPISTS
BUT HOW DO YOU PREVENT RAPE?
GANG
RAPES – in Delhi, in Haryana, in Assam, in Bangalore – it is
really maddening to hear of them, day in and day out.
But, where is the
Punishment? How deterrent is the punishment? How long does it take to find and punish
the gang rapists and gang molesters – even when video recordings are available?
And, they are not available?
These are essential
questions – but still these become peripheral questions compared to the more
important question of how to PREVENT rapes and molestations.
PREVENTION is the PRIME
question.
It was about 17 years ago
that I, for some time, used to travel in a particular train route to my office
(and back) in Chennai. On almost every day, whichever train I boarded, I found
EVE-TEASERS standing at the junction point of the second class General section and
the women’s section of the same compartment and passing all, unbelievable,
obscene comments on the women in the women’s section. Those days, there was a
passage from this side to that side also. I do not know the present
arrangement.
The Eve teasers used to go
from General side into the women’s side, look, and point at each women – of all
ages – from age 6 to age 70 – and pass “no words barred” comments on them. I
discussed with some of my male co-passengers on advising the eve-teasers to
desist from such things. Each one of them refused on the ground that if we
advice them, they will turn violent against us and against the women as well.
They were probably right. They are rogues who wouldn’t listen to us. This was
my daily routine in the train for over 15 days.
After 15 days, I wrote out
a detailed letter of about 10 pages to the Southern Railway Public Grievances
cell – on all these happenings, and gave about 20 suggestions to prevent such
Eve-teasing.
Within about a week of
receiving my letter, 2 Police officers of sufficiently high rank from the
Southern railway visited my office, sought to know whether I had written the
letter and also sought more details on how grave are these happenings. I told
them very frankly that- their or my mother also are unsafe in that route. If a
girl is caught alone on the women’s side, these rogues will definitely molest
and rape her also. Even in big groups, the ladies of any age are being so much harassed
and feeling so much unsafe.
After some time, I got
several letters from the railways on the type of action taken by them. They had
taken the severest possible action on these eve-teasers, in each train, for
over a month – and I heard personal accounts from many co-passengers later
about how wonderfully and sternly the Police had tackled the Eve-teasers.
Believe me, for the last 17 years now, there is not much of eve-teasing in that
train section in Chennai.
To an extent, it
is there in many cities, in some bus routes – in buses plying on routes where some
male-dominant colleges are there. It is true that the boys may or may not dare
to actually touch the women passengers, but short of that, the nuisance they
create in those buses is unbearable for all passengers, especially women.
Should Police be waiting for
complaints – for what is possibly a daily affair? The conductors and Drivers
are also a much harassed lot in those bus routes.
Hardly 5% of the students
would be committing such nuisance, but, there is no one to check their unruly behavior
in Buses.
I have seen similar things
in Chennai and Delhi. Possibly, this may also be there in Mumbai , Kolkata and other
cities.
GANG RAPE is of course the
WORST POSSIBLE CRIME against women. How do you prevent Gang Rape? How do you
prevent gang molestations? How do you prevent Gang eve-teasing? Then, how do
you prevent Individual level rape, molestation and eve-teasing?
In any crime, a pro-active
approach is the BEST APPROACH – to prevent crime.
All the above crimes are EMINENTLY PREVENTABLE. They are preventable very, very easily. Just that, our
Politicians and our Police must rise above their narrow Politics.
We must first tackle every
EVE-TEASER in every Bus across all
cities in India as firmly as the Southern Railway Police did 17 years ago, on
my simple letter containing over 20 odd-“non-violent” suggestions. They ignored
all my suggestions of course; but they just took the anatomy of crime that I had
described and tackled it very heavily and very effectively in their own known
ways. I am thankful to them and congratulate them for doing it. THEY HAVE
PREVENTED CRIME AGAINST WOMEN for a long,
long time to come.
WILL INDIA DO IT in all of
its cities?
We can’t say, I won’t act against
students, because, students backlash will be there, this and that. Face it for
once. I repeat, hardly 5% of students or even less will be actually indulging
in EVE-TEASING. But, potentially, they may be the sons of powerful politicians
or belonging to other political or social groups. This is possible. Do we act
against every EVE-TEASER, irrespective of their parents’ position? This is the
crux of the issue. We must ACT on this Hard core 5% eve-teasers so that the other
95% students will heave a sigh of relief. Also, so that, women traveling in
trains and buses, which is 50% of our population heave a sigh of relief.
I have two distinct
suggestions. The first one is – for the Governments of each District, each
state, and each city. The second is – to the women’s organizations.
(1)
Government must tell the students that they
must mind their studies and never ever commit eve teasing. Government must
ensure that - Education teaches them character. Tell this sternly to the
Principals and managements of the schools and colleges. I can definitely say,
LESS THAN 5% of students only are
actually involved in such EVE-TEASING activities – and others are unable
to prevent this HARD CORE 5%.
If
you tackle this 5% on the Buses, at Road-side, in the Bus stops, in the trains,
in railways stations and so on, PROACTIVELY and WITHOUT WAITING FOR COMPLAINTS,
as sternly as needed for about a month on daily basis, we would be preventing
many future GANG RAPES, MANY INDIVIDUAL RAPES, many molestations and many eve-teasings
– for a long, long time to come. Subsequently, a weekly surprise check is all
that is needed. But, that surprise weekly check must be a MUST.
On
a pro-active basis - It is VERY EASY to locate the EVE-TEASER. It is not easy
to locate the rapist. It is not possible at all to locate the GANG RAPISTS –
until after the event.
But,
today’s eve-teaser is the potential rapist or even a gang rapist of tomorrow. So, the law
can and must prevent EVE-TEASING first and the eve teaser must be handed down
stern punishment. If 10 students or workers are other groups are found to be
involving in EVE-TEASING, round them up and put them for 10 days behind bars. That
is enough of a punishment. The college or school must suspend them for one
year. Do that in all metro cities once – and stand your ground if student
unions protest – at least once –there will be sufficient deterrence for
eve-teasing – and potential rapes and gang-rapes.
(2)
My second suggestion is to the women’s
organizations. They must tell all Governments – either you act against
eve-teasers or we will vote against you – as simple as that. Eve-teasing in
public places is the most easily preventable crime. No Government can or should
ignore it. If this is done, rapes and gang rapes will come down very fast and
very significantly.
(3)
All rape and Gang rape cases must be
adjudicated by a special judge nominated for the purpose. He must ensure that
the trial and punishment are OVER WITHIN 3 MONTHS. Make this a law. The judge
and the superintendent of Police together are to ensure this.
(4)
Personally, I feel, GANG RAPISTS, against
whom, sufficient evidence is available, MUST BE HANGED. I don’t
think, even murder is a greater crime than GANG RAPE. It is not pardonable at
all. In other cases, may be, the individuals can be reformed, or, may be,
evidences may never be sufficient, or may be, there could be fictitious
complaints and so on. So, in them, it will depend on the case.
(5)
In any case, EVE-TEASING is the most easily
preventable crime. INDIA must prevent it TODAY. We can’t delay it for the next
5 year plan.
(6)At the end, I also want to
put in another small opinion. Some women say, they must have TOTAL FREEDOM to
wear any DRESS even in Public according to their choice. I am definitely not in
agreement with that argument. Though no man has ever done that, how would it
look, if some men go without any dress below the navel? Obscene. Right. In
respect of women, a similar logic applies especially for the front portion. This country is neither advocating Burkha as
in the west Asian countries nor total nudity as in western countries.
It
is not advisable to wear a dress which evokes sexual interest even in decent
men especially in public places. Men and male hormones are made biologically to
be attracted in such cases. But, of course, this is not given as the main ground for eve-teasing or other crimes. But, it is also another ancillary reason for it. I am not saying something new. Lord Siva (forcefully
attracted by Vishnu in Mohini form), Viswamitra (forcefully attracted by
Menaka) and so many ancient examples are given only for our wisdom. Adi Sankaracharya has made it VERY, VERY EXPLICIT
in his BHAJA GOVINDAM slokas also. Almost, every wise man has said that. The
male-female laws of attraction have not changed much from those days to this
day. But,Yes. Male and female Potency is coming down gradually, possibly due to
over-exposure of female sexuality. There are so many recent studies on this aspect.
Now,
if some women want to ignore this biological fact and claim total freedom to wear
or not wear anything – they will find many men agreeing with them – but, I am
not in agreement with that. Here also, I do agree, that over 95% of women do
wear reasonably decent dress. The 5% indecently dressed women pose problems not
only for themselves – but also for well-dressed women. This is the unfortunate
problem. The psychology of eve-teasing and rape is still not understood –
either by women or by men – sufficiently.
PS : PLEASE READ MY 2 OTHER DETAILED BLOG POSTS ON SAME TOPIC AT :
PS : PLEASE READ MY 2 OTHER DETAILED BLOG POSTS ON SAME TOPIC AT :
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