After battling heroically for thirteen torturing days, the 23-year old paramedical girl student, gang raped and bestially assaulted by six persons in a running bus in Delhi, passed away to her heavenly abode. Doctors at Safdarjung Hospital and then at Mount Elizabeth Hospital in Singapore, to which she was shifted for very special treatment, tried their best to save the life of the victim.
The entire nation has mourned the death of this daughter of the nation and even the doctors and attending staff of Mount Elizabeth Hospital of Singapore, where she breathed her last, praised the courage and strength with which she fought her assailants and the death that hovered over her head for thirteen days.
Mourners in all the four corners of the country have expressed grief, anguish and anger on this heinous crime against women. People, especially the youth expressed their grief and sorrow in different ways. Hundreds of thousands covered their mouths with black bands, thousands kept night vigil and many took out silent non-violent mourning rallies across the country. They demanded protection of life and honour of women in the country by promulgating stringent laws against incidents of rape and sexual harassment.
People from all walks of life irrespective of class and creed and profession joined the crowds of mourners demanding stringent laws to protect women. Members of voluntary organizations dealing with human rights and NGOs of various categories, social workers and personalities, Bollywood celebrities and organizations dealing with humanitarian activates, all brought out rallies to mourn the death and express their anguish on inadequate protection available to women in the country. Almost all mourners in different parts of the country demanded capital punishment to the perpetrators of this bestial crime.
Delhi police commissioner told that the police would bring the charge of murder against the arrested parsons and in this connection documents would be filed on 3rd January. This will be other than the rest of charges that have already been framed against the culprits. The Chief Justice of Delhi High Court has already ordered constitution of a fast-track court that will hear the case on day to day basis so that justice is done speedily.
The Prime Minister has assured the country that the sacrifice of the 23-year old paramedical student who faced the death with such fortitude will not go in vain. This is tantamount to a commitment that the Government is obliged to take all measures that would provide foolproof security and safety to women in the country. The laws in this respect need to be amended and upgraded. The time has come when we should think and act realistically in regard to brutalities like these against the weaker sex. Nobody should take consolation in the belief that we in India are highly respectful of women and then go on quoting history in support of our presumptions. More often than not, social evils are stamped out not through persuasion but through the force of law and through punitive action. Recurrence of a heinous crime and brutality can best be prevented by delivering exemplary punishment to the culprits against whom the crime is proved. Delay of justice naturally leads to watering down the anger of the people and increasing empathy for the criminal. In our country things have come to a pass where even crimes of murder, loot and arson are politicized and allowed to go scot free. This is indirect encouragement of a culture of criminality with which our society is beset now. Even earlier we have seen almost similar cases of crime against women. Take the case of Jessica Lal that took place a couple of years ago. We can recollect how the entire case was messed up by the police and investigating authorities. That case also outraged entire nation. Why did not the Government and all concerned quarters take up the question of making laws more stringent and devising mechanism that would provide foolproof security to the women in the country? Why has the thinking dawned only after the tragic event that has happened and has thrown a pall of sorrow over the nation?
We would like to draw the attention of authorities to an important aspect in this discourse. In Pakistan, a soldier was hanged for some crime. About 21 members of the European Union expressed their displeasure on capital punishment given to a criminal. It warned Pakistan saying that EU’s economic aid was closely linked to the improvement of human rights situation in Pakistan and the hanging of a soldier is looked upon as great deterioration in observing human rights in that country. Drawing an inference from this, it has to be remembered that the court of law may rightly give stringent punishment to the culprits in this case as deterrent but the crucial point is why the state should allow such things to happen. In other words it means that law and order enforcing authority in the country has to be streamlined to the extent that any recurrence of such crimes is not allowed. This is a challenge to the state and there is no short cut to it. The onus is on the Government and the law enforcing authorities. A crime of this magnitude in the capital city and at not too odd an hour and not too odd a place is inexcusable. Entire nation has protested against it, entire nation has fallen under a pall of sorrow on the tragic death of the young and brave girl. Adequate memorial shall have to be raised in her name in all big cities of the country. The day of her death has to be earmarked as National Women’s Safety Day, and all states should unanimously declare it a day of deep introspection and redemption of our responsibility to womanhood.
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