By Jenniefer Dkhar
Susan Brown Miller writes in her book, “Against Our Will: Men, Women and Rape” : “rape is nothing more or less than a conscious process of intimidation by which all men keep all women in a state of fear.” This may be a feminist perspective of rape but it may not be incorrect to give it a thought as rape is the call of the day in the present day’s routine. Never a day passes without any violence committed against a girl child or a woman. Rape, brutality, violence, murder, torture seems to define our society today. Frighteningly, these days, soft targets are children who are yet to understand the meaning of their existence. What could a four or five year old child be aware of what is being done to her fragile body? All that she could feel at that time is cruelty and pain. What emerges is the monstrosity of man. He no longer shudders to lay hands on a child that is still pure and naive about the life and how it is lived. How gruesome could a human being of flesh and blood be to inflict such cruelty on a helpless child? Has man become so hideous that he has become numb to the aching painful cries of the child? What kind of sadistic pleasure does he achieve out of pain inflicted on a child?
Almost every corner of the country is plagued with this disease called Rape. The billion dollar question is why do men rape? What provokes the act? Well, there are reasons galore: rape is an act that constitutes control, dominance, authority, strength, and the power to humiliate, hurt, defile and defame the victim. There are also men who rape to gain sadistic pleasure. Sexual excitement and pleasure arises in the victim’s agony, pain, anguish, torture, vulnerability, and suffering. While the victim is writhing in pain the rapist undergoes an erotic experience. Sex industry like pornography, prostitution, etc also does serve as a confident boost to increase sexual violence against women.
What makes one wonder is if rape and sexual violence, in a way only accentuates stereotypical views about women who are usually projected as objects which can be used, abused and subjugated by men. Yet at the same time one also attributes the abundance of atrocities on women and the girl child to the degeneration of a human being’s consciousness and a disintegration of man’s moral and ethical values, an exaggerated sense of masculinity, command, power, supremacy, low opinion that men have on women. What could be more painful and frightening as a human being, as a woman and as a mother to live in a society that is no longer safe and protected?
It is very important that rape and sexual violence should and must be discussed by society. Such sadistic acts should never be kept a secret or go unreported. Sadly, most victims fear to go to the police to lodge an FIR. We have seen, read and heard of the high handedness of the police, their callousness towards rape victims and their family members. To add to this is our legal system that was, has and perhaps is still very liberal with the perpetrators of such devilish acts. At times there are no arrests made and even if the culprit is arrested the law takes its course and the law is usually slow paced. In the meanwhile the perpetrator often gets bail thus leading a regular, normal life without any feeling of remorse for the heinous crime he had committed. Frighteningly, at times he may even commit many more heinous crimes and offences. After all why and who should he fear? The law is too soft and too slow to award severe punishment due to him. This rather acts as an inducement to others to perpetrate similar crimes without any inhibitions and fear. Instead of the law taking immediate and stringent action to curb such crimes and act as a strong deterrent against such menace to the society, the inaction and slow pace of court trials further tempt such evil minded men. The failure of our legal system to deliver justice to the victims and pronounce judgement on the perpetrator appears as if the laws require more teeth.
One of the root causes of rape is the low conviction rate. Therefore there is a need to increase conviction of rape cases. For this to occur, the law and the courts have to make rigorous changes to the existing rape laws. Only then will rape laws act as deterrents. No criminal should get away with three or four years of imprisonment and minimal fine nor should any resourceful and influential criminal compensate for the crime by paying a huge amount of money to the victim and be acquitted, free from blame or even pardoned. The law must ensure that these criminals who are without any conscience, scruples and moral values will are awarded punishment equivalent to the pain and stigma that the victim goes through throughout her life. What is left to be seen is if the Criminal Law (Amendment) Bill, 2013 that received President Pranab Mukherjee’s assent on 3rd April, 2013 will be implemented to the fullest so that it comes as an aid to the victims and help deliver justice. Also how fast and quick will the fast track courts help deliver justice remains to be seen. Let us hope that fast track courts will indeed live up to their names and bring speedy justice for victims.
At this juncture, what is of utmost importance is for each and every citizen of the country to be conscientious and understand that rape and sexual violence against a girl child and women must be stopped. We have seen a great many of us making ourselves heard but it is also true that no amount of protests, candle light vigil, peace march will bear fruit until and unless the government at the Centre and the respective states realise and feel the intensity and urgency of this grave issue. The perpetrator’s conscience that is dead and frozen must be thawed and brought back to life. He must be punished for the wrong that he has committed only through stringent legal action against him. In a democratic country the only redress can be found if the law is strict, and the criminal pays for his crimes. However it is not only the law and the legal system that has a role to play but we as common citizens also have our respective tasks and responsibilities towards our society whether at home, at school and in our day to day lives. As parents, teachers and elders, it is our duty to nurture the minds of our children with a feeling of love, respect and esteem towards our fellow human beings. We must inculcate in them a feeling of oneness and the pleasure and importance of living in cohesion with one another. It is important for one human being to value the worth of another human being or else this disease that is no less than a plague will gradually corrupt and devour the entire society. Therefore rape has to be addressed with the seriousness it deserves. As concerned conscientious citizens we must stand up against such degrading inhuman actions. If not we are sure to meet our doom as it could happen to anyone of us.