The country was recently shaken by a rape case that happened in Hydrabad. Dr Priyanka Reddy (Disha) was raped by four men (truck drivers), who came up with an offer to help her mend a puncture. She was then raped and burned alive.
This heinous crime was something we must be ashamed of. Today everyone is talking about how development is slow in our country but not about safety of women.
And again this time the so-called human rights activists who are champions in defending terrorists and rapists came up to defend the rapists. It was not surprising because it is something that happens every time an accused is about to be penalised.
One question that comes to my mind is that if a rapist has human rights then do these people think that the victim has no human rights? If a heinous criminal much worse than an animal has the right to remain alive then I surely think that animals have the complete right to live. Hence, animal slaughter must be banned.
I was told by a woman that killing a rapist and killing an animal are two different things. Really? A rapist is better than an animal? I do not think so. It is easy for activists to protest against every punishment given to rapists, but do they really understand the pain of those more than 4 lakh women who were raped? Those women who are raped are ruthlessly burned and ripped of their right to live and walk freely. Do these activists even know what the girls go through if they are unlucky enough to live? All the mental trauma, physical pain and emotional agony she goes through every day and every moment of life.
The major question is what are these activists even thinking about? Instead of protesting for the victim they are defending the accused. When a man looks towards women in an unhealthy manner, when women go through teasing or any kind of assaults, it leads to serious mental trauma and here we are talking about rape. Do we not know what was the condition of Nirbhaya who was in such a state that her body could not even accept even a drop of water to drink? Have we forgotten about Damini who was raped in the Capital? The Unnao case, the rape in West Bengal and all those rape cases which have been reported in the previous week are something that tell us that there is no fear in the minds of the rapists.
The rapists do not fear punishment. They do not think that if try to rape a woman they will be punished. The problem is that rape is not even considered a nonbailable offence in our country, forget a strict punishment for it. The rapists are arrested and after some time are out on a bail, why? Because they have human rights. An attempt to murder the Unnao rape victim was made on December 6 by those who were out on bail.
And then politicians come up with theories that rape is a mistake. They come in to insult the pain and plight of the victims. Adding to that we have those who question the attire of women. Now the question is when a two-year-old is raped then what dress code should be confirmed for them? Saree or a salwar suit? Or whatever they feel is an anti-rape dress.
This is the time that we cannot rely on candle marches and some kind of stupid political agenda. We all know that these were the politicians who were even against the triple-talaq law. They were the ones who used the West Bengal rape case as a political weapon. Not taking names of those politicians who think that rape cases can help them achieve their political agenda. It is time that the country requires strict laws that ensure capital punishment for rapists. Fast track courts cannot give justice to the victim. We have already seen what kind of justice was given to Nirbhaya.
When Sita was abducted by Ravan, Ram had punished him with death. Today the country which used to worship women is witnessing the dreadful situation of the same women. It is saddening that we are still debating over capital punishment, after all those lakhs of such crimes happening. Today if the rapists were allowed to escape, the entire media would question the police force about their integrity of work and now that they have done their job people are coming up to say that it was a breach of law!
How do you even expect us to believe the law? How do you even think that women can remain assured about them getting justice when we know that a whole life time passes away but the victim dies without justice? People’s happiness over the killing of the Hyderabad rape accused is an indication that the public want capital punishment for rape.
The laws that were made in 1950 were for the society of 1950 and not for the society of 2019. This is the time that the leaders stop coming together for politics and work for the improvement of the country and its safety.
It is high time that the human right activists stop fighting for those who cannot be considered humans. It is also high time that capital punishment should come up for such heinous crimes. It is time that rapists have to get severely punished. Because justice delayed is justice denied.
(Contributed by Sanskriti Singh, Class XII)