After 9 months’ long wait, the entire nation was waiting, with bated breath, for the verdict of the infamous Delhi gang rape. Yes, it was a rarest-of-the-rare kind of brutality that occurred on the fateful night of 16th December, last year. It brought the entire nation, rich and poor, young and old, onto the streets, protesting and demanding justice for the 23 years old victim who was brutally raped by 5 young men in a moving bus. This case had created uproar in the parliament house and even in the narrow-minded alleys of India and stirred up international conscience. But still, there were some last minute mitigations among the bench of judges, leading to deferring of verdict. Considering the brutality involved in the high profile, cold-blooded and grisly gang rape and murder case, the nation demands the quantum of punishment to be pronounced as the verdict. The family of the victim is ready to settle for nothing less than death for the accused. But there are the human right activists who strongly advocate against sending the convicts to noose. They still believe in reforms. The truth is, it is really shocking to believe that the people who conducted such crime and are still not repenting, and yet will reform in the coming years of their life term sentence. Yes, a dramatic change in the mindset of the ‘MCP’ men is the best way to lessen the crimes against women but that is like a sky-high dream and is not going to happen in the near future. So, till the time men change their mindset, let legal action play deterrent to their egotism. There is one simple question to the human right activists who stand for the mental reforms of criminals. While you advocate for the convicts who have done heinous crimes, where are the rights of the victim who mercilessly met her brutal fate in these criminals’ hands? Don’t the victims deserve some rights to show anger and remorse against their perpetrators who spoiled their lives? The Delhi gang rape, which was just like an open book with all the proofs and accused nabbed, took 9 months and 130 court hearings (in the fast track court, of course!) to pronounce the five accused as guilty of the crimes. So what about other rape and abuse cases against women which are happening every single day in our nation, and yet go unreported? At least, this one, being a rare case, should be treated with its own seriousness so that the verdict acts as a deterrent for those who even think of doing such heinous crimes. Oh, sure, a death sentence for the Delhi gang rape convicts is not going to make the streets safer for women and kids but still it will surely set an example that the government is capable of taking the extreme end, in the bid to protect its citizens.
Yes, the Dec 16th rape case has been termed as a fast trial rape case, judgement passed after a short 9 months period. However the question that arises here is that, is this a bench mark in the Indian history of violence against women? Is the judgement for death penalty an end to the crimes against females and assure them safety, guarantee them the freedom to roam in the streets of their homeland without fear? I guess not. Judgement against a single rape case(crime) is not going to end violence and molestation against women. In fact, it is one of the many incidents that suddenly occupies the scenario after each decade and the mass uprising ends with the judgement announced. rape is a stigma which victimizes the victim all the more. The Indian society constantly chides the female sufferer and so many at times, the victim refuses to file any case against the rapists for fear of social seclusion and criticism.No capital punishment will not help end rape crimes in the nation, it is the Indian mindset that needs to undergo change and broaden its perspectives on the position of women in the society. people should understand that man and woman are legitimate social beings at par with each other and gender inequality should be curbed in order to reduce and demean male chauvinists. The need of the time is to maintain the mass uproar against eve teasing and molestation. any crimes against women, minor eve teasing to major molestation and threatening should be dealt with severe penalty against the criminals.It is significantly important to train women with self defense and more and more mass awareness programes should be promoted to help encourage women to voice against crimes.
