At Least Punish The Rapists.

At Least Punish The Rapists. 

The rape was not a severely punishable offence until the Delhi gang-rape of December 2012 of Jyoti Singh which not only opened government’s eyes towards the cruelties of rape but stirred the nation’s conscience to raise their voice against the crime. The people’s agitation resulted in quick arrest of her rapists and forced the government to amend the rape law to grant up to death penalty to the rapists. The media spotlight on rape crimes ended with this case along with the anger and frustration in the common people. The fact is those rapists are still in the jail enjoying government’s hospitality and the rape crime or crime against women having increased manifold since 2012. 

What has happened few days back (July 2016) with a family going to Shahjahanpur on Delhi-Kanpur highway near Bulendshehar took the rape crime to another level. The dacoits not only looted the people in that car but gang-raped a mother and her daughter by tying her husband –son with ropes. What shocks more is the non working of emergency police helpline no: 100 in that area. The fearless rapists escaped easily when there was a police post just hundred meters away from the place where the incident happened. Help reached them after five hours of the crime. My question is what made these rapists so fearless? The answer is weak justice system. The courts which are safeguarding our constitution have failed in assuring justice in such cases due to incompetent police system and the loopholes left in every law by the lawmakers. 

Rapists knew that there lawyers somehow manipulate the case to their favor or stretch it too much that media’s attention will divert somewhere else thus public’s concern towards the rape victim will also end and they will easily escape the jail term. The countries where hard punishments are given for any crime timely will report fewer crimes. Saudi Arab for instance cut hands for theft, public stoning for rapist so such crimes are almost negligible there. Even in China if rape is confirmed, the rapist is punished to death within one hour of conviction. Why India can’t make such strong laws? The answer lies with the parliament where one third MPs are criminals, how can they make laws to punish themselves? In most of the rape cases also we see involvement of MPs, MLAs, councilors, policemen or their family members or associates who never get punished. They roam freely with law on their side result of which we see such heinous crimes daily.

Whether an 80 years old women or a two year old child nobody is save in this great country from these sick minded criminals. The so called nationalists who feel offended when someone criticize government or army or religions dig themselves under layers when crime against women happens. There is no study in all these years on rapists to know why they rape. One we all know is the patriarchal mindset of our society which looks women as inferior to men even though they are ahead or shoulder to shoulder in every field of male dominance.

Lessons on respecting a woman/girl should be given to boys first at their homes and then in the schools. Studies should be conducted on rapists to know what type of people usually indulge in this crime and then such people prone to rape must be visited by councilors. Education should reach every nook and corner of the country and most importantly laws should be strengthened so that rapists get punished to spread fear in potential rapists.