Delhi is the pride of India. It is an establishment that comprises of the richest people in the country, heritage buildings, headquarters of most crucial organizations, and a generously cosmopolitan society. Also known as ‘Dilwalon ki Dilli’ (City of the large- hearted), its charm is unparalleled. So is its crime and lawlessness. The kind of adverse crimes carried out against innocents in this city are enough to send a shiver down anyone’s spine.
The crime rates in Delhi are worsening day by day. If this wasn’t enough, Delhi has been pipped as the ‘rape capital’ of the country way too many times. Children, women, and the elderly are especially unsafe in this city. We aren’t exaggerating. The statistics prove how terrifying the situation really is. There are babies being raped, old couples being robbed and murdered, women being brutally raped and hit- This, in addition to minor crimes such as stalking, harassment, eve- teasing and others. The NCRB data shows that in 2015, there were 927 incidents of child rapes reported in Delhi. That’s three children being raped per day. In 97 percent of the cases, it’s the people known to them, says Delhi police data. Apart from child rapes, Delhi has been on top amongst all states and union territories with 37 kidnapping and abduction cases per 1,00,000 in 2015. That’s about 29 kidnappings per day. In 60 percent of these abductions, the targets are children. Delhi had 7,730 abductions in 2015. In terms of rapes against adult women, there were 1,893 rapes in Delhi in 2015. That is more than five per day. All these statistics are 50- 60 times the number of crimes in these categories in other cities. It’s high time we accept the truth and face facts.
There are a number of reasons we may consider for this heavy dose of crime in the city. We may attribute it to the vast expanse of the city or the large population. We may consider the ratio of the tiny police force and the huge population, or the migratory trends of rural population belonging to villages around the city. However, the most important reason for the perpetuity of this situation is lawlessness. Now lawlessness comes about due to the attitude of the people, and nothing else. It’s the insensitivity of Delhiites towards female victims. It’s the ‘freedom’ they exploit with callousness. It’s how perverts and sexual offenders feel ‘at home’ in this city. These are the reasons why Delhi stands where it is. We all are too laidback and too cold- blooded against crimes against women. We all simply sit at home, watch the news, and ‘tsk tsk’ at the situation. At the most, some of us stand in candle marches at India Gate and pray in vain. The insensitivity is not only limited to the common man; it includes the ones holding authority- the police force, the government officials, and the bearers of law.
Almost every few months we hear of a case where rape victims were not helped, even mistreated. So many cases have been reported where the raped woman sought help on the streets, naked and vulnerable; but no one came to her rescue. Forget taking her to the police station or hospital, they did not even offer her clothes or some money or even a kind word. How cruel must we be, when we see a woman in a pitiable state and not even look at her a second time? This negates the concept of humanity itself. Even dogs come to offer comfort to a human if they sense that he/she is sad. And here we are, well- educated developed ‘superior’ beings, who couldn’t care less about a woman bleeding and dying right in front of our eyes.
Who can forget the infamous Nirbhaya case? The woman was literally mutilated at the cost of the sexual frustration of a handful of men. NO ONE on the streets or on patrol noticed anything strange or fishy happening while that one bus kept taking the same route time and again. The poor lady kept lying on the roadside in a pathetic state and passers- by failed to help her. Even after her tragic demise, justice took way too long to be served, and the ‘juvenile’ added to the complications. Post this dreadful case, there is no change in the laws of the country related to crimes of rape and no drastic decrease in the crime rate against women. We all have returned to our routines and no strict measures in public are being taken to ensure that the number of rapes decrease gradually. Since our attitude is this unsympathetic, perpetrators feel free to continue with their heinous crimes for they fear no law or punishment.
It is safe to say that the people of Delhi are highly insensitive to crimes against women. It is becoming a city where parents fear for their daughters. It is a city where women feel unsafe even when stepping out for a stroll around the block. We have to bring about a change in our mind-sets and attitudes. We have to start speaking less and acting more wisely. As someone put it correctly, “Don’t ask your daughters to not step out of the house at night; instead, teach your sons better.”
