Why India is turning into Rapistan? What measures we can take to control it?

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Time and again rape incidents stir our conscience and sends chills down the spine after listening to brutal,insensitive assault on girl/women & the mental trauma they must have undergone.

Although a crime like rape is nothing new but the rate at which it’s increasing in India is quite worrying &gives us goosebumps.

I feel we have become more of insensitive,morally bankrupt,emotionally drained out unsympathetic,uncompassionate unapologetic Society.

Its sad to see when we can’t even provide safety & freedom to a girl as young as 4 or 6yrs or as old as 70 yrs.Age is no bar for the rapists.

The world is too harsh for gentle souls ,which is full of monsters in shape of humans today.

Although we are in 21st century where girls are given education they happen to know more about their rights,they know how to keep a check on such flesh eaters,still many cases go unreported either due to the fear of society or family pressure..as if being victim to the rapists is a bigger sin than the one who does it.

And the misery caused to the victim is huge even after reporting and filing FIR,the accused are not arrested immediately and even though if they get arrested they get the bail.

After coming out on bail the risk of life of a victim and her family members increases manifolds ,as the accused if belongs to any political party or has influences in the govt threatens them to withdraw the case or attack them to harm them.

That’s the reason many cases of women abuse,molestation,child sex abuse,rape,eve teasing stalking etc goes unreported.

Rape is a severely under-reported crime with surveys showing dark figures of up to 91.6% of rapes going unreported.

As how many girls in India have courage to go through this journey of pain after physical &mental assault by the rapist during rape?

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The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) has released the annual Crime in India Report 2017 on October 28, after a delay of two years.

According to the report, a total of 3,59,849 cases were reported against women in 2017. In comparison, in 2016, 3.38 lakh cases of crime were registered against women, while 3.2 lakh cases were recorded in 2015. The number of cases reported has increased.

Looking at state-wise data, Uttar Pradesh has again topped the list with 56,011 cases of crime against women. It is followed by Maharashtra with 31,979 cases and West Bengal at 30,002.

The most disheartening to see that even after the rise in the cases the conviction rate is too low.
While the conviction rate for all crimes against women stands at a measly 19% across India as compared with an average conviction rate of 47% for all crimes.

A troubling observation is that while cases being reported have increased over the last five to six years, conviction rates, unfortunately, have remained stagnant to slightly falling.

For crimes against women overall, pending cases increased from 1,081,756 to 1,204,786. Of course, this is a consequence of the larger inefficiency in the judicial system which had pending cases increase from 9,012,476 to 9,703,482, a truly staggering number.

Although many amendments have been brought in India’s legal system, including the passing of stricter sexual assault laws,creation of fast-track courts for prosecution of rapes. Recent cases have also led to legislative changes. At least four states – Rajasthan, Jammu and Kashmir, Haryana and Arunachal Pradesh have introduced the death penalty for rapes of minors, defined as below 12 years of age. According to news reports, the Centre is also contemplating amending the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act to introduce the provision of the death penalty for raping minors aged below 12 years.

But then what’s stopping the fall of crime rate graph against women/girls?

Just making laws will not help unless there will be a strong will to execute those laws practically and unless authorities are made to be answerable for not solving the case in time.

All this makes me ponder more, Being a mother I fear for my child,I am more worried for the downfall of our society’s morality status.

More worried that when my daughter will grow up and will leave me for higher education,job or after marriage will people be considerate compassionate, empathetic and supporting towards her the way I am today for her?

Will they have a big heart to respect her difference of opinions the way I do ?

Will they forgive her for her immaturity,her faults,mistakes and follies without shaming her ?

Will she be able to enjoy her rights while she will be executing her duties in future?

Even after educating her about her rights,duties,responsibilities and making her empowered will she be able to break those shackles of patriarchy society?

Will she ever be free to express her views,emotions and expressions through her own ways without being judged?

Will she be able to enjoy the life of a free girl ,spirit of happy womanhood and not be dictated with rules,norms under the pretext of the fact that she belongs to the weaker gender?

Being a girl will she be needed to submit to the wishes ,choices and decisions of a male counterpart who is there in the form of friend,father,brother,husband or in laws or in any form of relation?

But worrying alone is not the way to find out the solution to a problem.

It needs to be tackled seriously and intellectually not alone for the happiness of our daughters but for the betterment of society and humanity.

To me there are various precautionary ways to check and keep a control on such incidents.

1.Parenting:

To start with I feel Parenting the child in the right way will make a healthier and most positive impact.Which will go long way.

Sadly but true ,as said_ “Too many of today’s children have straight teeth but crooked morals”

As a parent our job is not just to worry about their looks,their physical health, education,employment &marriage aspects.

The most important part in building up the personality of a child is their mental health, the morals we teach them right from the begining not just by telling but by practising them ourselves in a family.

A family is the smallest unit of the society.If a family will have mentally ,physically,morally healthy individuals only then it will help in making a better,positive society.

Children imbibe more from the surroundings ,rather than what they are told or dictated.

If a boy in a family will see how his father ,respects his mother,loves his daughter,gives equal rights and freedom to his wife.And ask his son to be compassionate towards one sister,mother or any female individual,it will become easier for him to follow this in his life and he will be equally well behaved when he will go out in the society with other girls when he grows up.

Teach your boys how to respect the girls consent, feelings, emotions &difference in opinions.

One must definetly learn to respect the difference without making it an ego clash.

One must learn gender sensitisation.

On the other hand educate your Girls ,empower them &make them emotionally strong to take control of themselves.

Along with that few rules must be followed in the family like:

*No abusing atmosphere,specially men should strictly avoid it in the house.

*In case maids have been beaten by their husbands after drinking ,try counselling them next day about its repercussion on their children.

*vulgar movies with rape scenes,vulgar comedy belittling women should not be seen either on TV or in movie hall,as things like that somehow normalises the gender biased environment.

*Treat your son and daughter equally.

*Teach your children virtue like modesty,which needs to be taught to both girls and boys.

*Drill the morals,good manners right from childhood.

*Pay attention to the grievances or worries of your child on urgent basis because if things not dealt in at the right time will lead to depression or mental ill health.

*Educate your child about Good touch and bad touch.

*Educate your child about the child sex abuse which might happen at school or at public places or may be at home by known people.

*Be open and frank with your children so that they don’t fear to report you in case they have been mishandled by someone outside.
Tell them it’s not their fault but the culprit is he who did the wrong thing.

2. Impact of Movies on our society :

Movies are a powerful medium to spread a message in the society.

Sometimes movies are made to inspire society like we had 3 idiots, Tare zameen par etc & sometimes movies conspires to pull it down.

Movies unknowingly or knowingly plays an important role in a country specially when illiteracy rate is high,where people are not able to distinguish between what’s wrong and right but copy their favourite actor character be it ethically or morally wrong from the screen.Forgetting that they are there just to play a role of a bad or good guy for which they are getting paid.

In India less educated people follow their movie icons blindly,sometimes to the limit of making them feel “God like”

In such a scenario the onus also lies on the film industry to use a decent language or dialogues which do not promote gender biasness and do not promote stalking,raping ,abusing language, belittling of women or to project them as sex symbol or as an object of the glamour world.

For instance these are the dialogues from a recent Akshay kumar’s film,called “Houseful 3 “,sadly it evokes cheap laughs.And the audience has no problem with it.

  • “Uski ovaries nikal do. Na mamma banegi, na mia milega. Mamma Mia!”

  • “Hey! Kya tum meri tawayaf, oh, wife banogi?”

Normalising every abusing word,every act of stalking,cheap commenting,vulgar comedy & then cheap laughs over it.

Talks about the mental status of the society.We need to take care of our mental faculty too.A healthy mind does not believe in negativity.

I think we should restrict such filthy or derogatory remarks to come out into the society through movies.We should have filters to control such things if a movie is getting “U” certification from the board.

3. Political scenario: (Talking in context with India )

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One thing I don’t understand is how rapists,criminals and sex offenders in India get through the process of filing their nomination papers for elections in India?

How can a person who has in past done hate speeches based on raping dead bodies of a particular community get through as clean?

How come people with criminal backgrounds of rapes and murders,communal violence and abuse cases can file their papers so easily without any objection from the election commission?

They must be rejected then and there without any further explanations from them.Even if they have got the bail in such cases or if the cases are pending in the courts they are still the accused of such heinous crimes.

But in India getting in power absolves all your previous sins.

All the criminal records get rolled out.All the criminals be it even an accused terrorist like Pragya Thakur gets the clean chit. And they are again in a position to play their next innings of blood and lust.

And we the citizens are fool enough to vote them to power because they play with the mind set of the people,play hatred agenda against minorities and on that basis they get to power.

But are we so insane not to analyse the facts and figures in today’s situation where 49%(223) MPs are facing criminal charges with 29%(159) MPs facing serious charges (Rape, murder, crime against women etc)-BJP(87) ,CONG(19)

On one hand we vote for rapist and on the other hand we cry for justice.

How can we expect rapists to make rules and laws against themselves?

Do you really think they are bothered about girls/women safety?

“Beti Bachao” is another jumla for them.

Amongst many one latest case of Hyposcrisy from BJP party was hours after protesting for Hyderabad rape victim,BJP youth leader Ashish Goud was booked for sexual harassment. Ashish is also a member of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM). “The accused is absconding and we are yet to apprehend him,” said the police.

Many leaders and supporters from their party like Sengar, Chinmayanand,Sakshi Maharaj,Asaram Bapu,Ram Rahim,Nityaanand etc are either BJP leaders or fraudulent babas which under BJP cover are still roaming free even after facing serious charges of Rape or were brought to books when the public protested against them. Even BJP party was involved in child trafficking.

When an 8 year old girl Asifa from Kashmir was raped in the temple for couple of days and then murdered,then the public and the leader from BJP party marched in support of the rapists.

Many other rapist were also given power & position by the govt. This is the example they are setting for the rapists. In such conditions do you think there will be any fear of law and order in the hearts and minds of public for this crime?

So basically If we vote for a rapist then we are a supporter of rape.We are equally responsible for their crimes.And we have no right to make hue and cry if we send such criminals to the parliament to represent us.

What you sow,so shall you reap.

Yesterday it was someone else’s daughter,tomorrow God forbid it can be your sister or daughter.

Therefore start raising awareness,start asking questions to the leaders,police and set them accountable for the justice you want.

Media should play a responsible role by being a spokesperson of the public & victim instead of the leaders who are hand in glove with the criminals.

Let them feel the pressure of public to mend their ways.

In my opinion the severe punishments are the deterrent in the path of crimes.
Fast track hearing of such cases should be done and strictest punishments should be given to the criminals.

4. Rape Used as Fear Tool :

Some rapes are communal, which are difficult to forget and forgive because they are done with the agenda.

Political party like BJP used Rape as a fear tool against minorities ,this is the lowest anyone can get to.

Yes,this happened in 2002 Gujarat riots under Modi who was a CM then.It was a state sponsored Communal riots.

No one speaks about those 330 gang rapes during the 2002 Gujarat riots where one thing distinctly rotten about it was use of rape as a form of terror.

And all those rapists are living freely out there, most probably with an even higher position in society today.

Harsh Mander writes about women and children who were subjected to the most sadistic and vicious forms of violence during the 2002 massacre.

Even more horrifying than the use of sexual violence during #GujaratCarnage as a tool to subjugate, humiliate was to see how it was being ‘celebrated’ months later, when Modi took out his #GauravYatra stopping sometimes at sites of grave crimes. I wonder how do such people sleep at night and those cries of innocents and bloodbaths do not hunt them?

The man who used #Rape as a fear factor in #Gujarat is secretly applying same strategy in #Kashmir by either through army or through squads which he had sent to Kashmir.

Few activists have managed to get the ground reports from there which are disturbing.

The stories of humiliation are still under cover as Kashmir has been locked down from past 4months ,where net,mobiles and schools etc are all shut down.And people are not allowed to express their concerns.

So do we expect his govt to do justice to #DaughtersOfIndia ?

When he himself is partner in such crimes like rapes?

Ask your conscience.Think rationally and then come to the conclusion if I am wrong in judging him.

Conclusion:

Start Parenting your children with responsibility.Teach them the true meaning of morality empathy,compassion, consent and respecting of differences.

Society needs to be more responsible too about their surroundings.Help the girl/women if she is in need.Protect her like a brother or father,on the road,in public places etc.

Film industry and Media have to take a stand to make this society more positive and stop promoting patriarchy and negativity towards girls /women.

And If a society expects to have justice,it needs to stop voting such immoral,irresponsible,corrupt, criminal leaders into power.

Strict law and order needs to be set up by the Police. Judiciary needs to punish the rapists who so ever it may be irrespective of position and power.

And those markets and shops are needed to be raided where rape videos are widely sold out in markets. The availability of such videos on Whattsapp can boost the rape culture.So it needs to be dealt in with hard rules.

Be the change,you want to see in the world. Start from yourself.

Here is the link to my poem’s animated version of #DaughtersOfIndia which I wrote after #AsifaRape #KathuaRapeVictim.

The links :Supporting my article.

https://theprint.in/pageturner/excerpt/one-thing-was-distinctly-rotten-about-2002-gujarat-riots-use-of-rape-as-a-form-of-terror/225511/?amp&__twitter_impression=true

https://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/2016/10/dark-trade-rape-videos-sale-india-161023124250022.html

Arshi Alvi @Arshi7Khan :Independent writer/blogger,Poet,Social Activist,Associated with Bazm_e_Urdu_Dubai

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