Kalyani Shankar
In William Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar, Cassius, a nobleman, speaking with his friend, Brutus confides in the latter that in the best interests of the public, Julius Caesar must be stopped from becoming the monarch of Rome. Cassius tells him “The fault, Dear Brutus, is not in our stars, But in ourselves, that we are underlings.” How apt is this quotation today! The solution lies in us not elsewhere.
The aftermath of the Delhi gang rape victim’s death must make us introspect. This should begin first with the self, the family, followed by the society and then the Government and the legal system. The failure of the system lies in all these spheres. The 23-year gang rape victim’s name is still being kept a secret and the public knows her as brave heart, Damini, Nirbhaya and what not. The point to ponder is that even after this gruesome incident there are reports of other rapes, which shows how insensitive we are as a society.
There are lessons to be learnt from this incident. First of all, why was the Government defensive instead of being proactive and assuring the public that the authority would prevail and culprits would be brought to book? In the United States, there are crimes and rapes, but by and large, the public is aware that the big brother is watching and they will be caught sooner or later. Is it the same position in India? While the protestors are still continuing their agitation, the media reports on rapes and other molestation cases in Delhi and elsewhere this past fortnight have revealed that the criminals have no fear of the authorities. The people have lost faith in the Government, which was evident in the street demonstrations. The Government should show that there would be zero tolerance for this kind of crimes and seen to be implementing the existing laws. The priority of the Government should now be restoring the confidence of the public and improve the governance. This is going to be a huge task.
The second is to improve India’s image abroad as some countries have already issued advisories against visiting India. The media hype and the anger of the public has made it worse. A message has gone abroad that much needs to be done on the law and order situation. It will take a while for the Government to address this.
The third is that it is a sad commentary on the Government that despite the Supreme Court’s observation that the judicial reforms were urgent the Government has been dillydallying. The backlog is stupendous and the cases take too long, proving justice delayed is justice denied. Several posts are yet to be filled up and the judicial system needs to respond to the public needs. Building up of weak cases even by the CBI has enabled the culprit’s get away free or with minimum punishment.
The fourth is the educational reforms. There is no doubt that the system needs some shaking up. The children should be taught moral values right from their childhood so that it remains entrenched in their subconscious minds. The moral fabric of the country is tearing up slowly and this needs to stop. The children should be taught to respect women in a country where the Shakti cult is still relevant.
The fifth is the social outlook. The society has to change its present attitude. Firstly, a rape victim should not suffer from any social stigma. Secondly, the family should give moral support to rape victim. Third is that the family and relatives should not protect their relatives if they raped their daughter. Data show that the persons known to them often rape girls, particularly minor children. For family considerations, these rapes are hushed up. Unless rapists are brought to book they may be emboldened to attempt more rapes. A watchful society is very necessary to check these heinous crimes.
The sixth is that the archaic laws need to be amended. It is bizarre that when a child of two or three is raped and is unable to give evidence, the culprits go scot-free because the mother’s evidence is considered secondary evidence. How can a two-year-old child give evidence of rape? It is this kind of incongruity within the legal system which needs to be addressed. The onus of proof should not lie with the victim.
The seventh is the implementation of existing laws. There is no fear of the authorities and many think that they can get away by bribing the police. The courts take a long time to provide justice and innocent people often do not have the money or the time. Had the authorities implemented the existing rules that the buses should not have tinted glasses, some passerby could have detected this particular gang rape. (IPA)
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