Some call it
a national shame, many say it’s a cultural problem and few others say it’s time
to think whether it’s worth visiting India. Whatever be the form of reaction,
the Delhi Gang rape episode has generated an angry wave, both nationally and
internationally.
On the
fateful December day in 2012, the 23-year old victim was gang raped by six men
in a moving bus in Delhi. She and her friend were savagely tortured and thrown
out of the moving bus. For over 40 minutes the poor, wounded duo was left naked
in the streets as the passers-by did not bother to offer help. To top all
these, the police and hospital staff had shown absolute nonchalance, taking
their own sweet time to discharge their respective duties. And Delhi streets
have seen unprecedented protests since.
Comments in the
social media have unanimously condemned the ghastly attack and criticised the concerned
authorities for their snail-paced work ethics. Conservative camps have lectured
on how ladies should conduct themselves to steer clear of such accidents.
In order to
analyse all of the above a series of questions in form of soul-searching would
do a world of good.
1. Should
the victim or ladies in general be held responsible for such incidents?
It’s a sporadic
joke in a tragic movie. It can happen to anyone. Any such backward sentiments
that try to find fault with the victims, in form of conservatism or even
tradition, should be shunned. In fact, the brave heart and her companion should
be saluted for the fight they had put on.
2. Rapes
seem to be commonplace in India. Do we spot a pattern here, especially in
Delhi?
Unfortunately,
the answer has to be a ‘yes’ given that two more such reprehensible incidents
have occurred since then.
3. Can
it be said that the pent-up passion created in youngsters by the restrictive
family culture found in India finds manifestation in such rape incidents?
The UN rape statistics which is general in nature and includes only reported
rape cases, declares that the US [84,767] has the highest number of rapes in
the world. India [22,972] comes next, though as a distant second, followed by
UK [15,934]. If a rate per 100,000 populations is taken, the rates for these
countries for the year 2010 are:
US - 27.3; India - 1.8; and UK - 28.8.
The number of
rapes in India is indeed high even though the rate per 100000 falls down
greatly. Even though one has to account for unreported rapes, especially in case
of Indian societies, the rate seems to be relatively low given that the
population of India is in excess of 1.2 billion.
There is no
evidence to say that countries such as the US and the UK wherein relatively
freer cultures operate are any different either. In fact the rape count is much
higher in the US. Hence views associating incidents like these with the culture
of a nation is often ill-founded and superficial. Culprits are culprits
irrespective of where they come from. What matters is the punishment dished out
to them and how effectively it is done.
4. Is
there anything else that is wrong in Indian culture that leads to such callous
accidents?
Culture is nothing but shared values, habits, sentiments and thought processes of a nation. There is absolutely nothing wrong in Indian culture if it is followed thoroughly. What can create chaos is when those aspects of western culture that does not blend well with Indian culture are slavishly aped unnaturally in cinemas, shows and in life.
The case of
paedophile, serial sex offender Jimmy Savile in UK has greatly affected the
public’s psyche. This case, in fact, is more disturbing given that the victims of
this vile person have ranged from dying patients to children, over 6 decades. It
is strange to note that no charges were made against him despite being reported
during his living days. If culture has to be blamed for such incidents, is the
Savile episode a reflection of British culture? It would be superficial to
declare so.
One should
take a holistic view and apply systems thinking in order to paint the big
picture. That will obviously include all those protestors in Delhi streets and
the media / public who voice opinions against Jimmy Savile in UK, in the
respective cases. If it is a cultural problem or something of a routine in these
nations, they would probably not be shocked or react in such fashions.
5. Ok,
but is it not true that women are not respected enough in India?
Yes it’s true. It has to change. Period.
6. What
is to be done now?
a. Excuses
on culture should not divert the focus of this wave. Instead an enduring,
common sense approach should be exercised in tightening the policing and legal
systems of India.
b. Public
will feel free to help, if police is friendly. Police should start thinking ‘innocent
until proven guilty’. Had they done that they would have been more responsive
to the victims on the fateful night.
c. People
should stop idolising under-performing or useless politicians. PM or CM is a
public servant and that’s the way it should be – nothing more nothing less.
d. Create
more fast track courts and judges. It is said that there are not enough funds to
do this. Why not stop freebies and expenses made for election campaigns and use
those funds to clear the mess?
e. More
training for police with simulated case scenarios. Training should be world
class, periodic and not just at the beginning of a career. Clearly, discussing
jurisdiction on the spot for ages when the victim is dying is abysmally
sub-standard service.
f. Stricter
actions on police officers who fail in discharging their duties
g.
The
formalities required in hospitals need re-visiting and should be made
people-friendly
It’s all
about change - the beginning of a long change. Whatever might be the final
verdict of this case in the court – death sentence or otherwise – the real
verdict from the nation is Change or
Quit.
It is a
verdict handed out by the Indian public to the police, office bearers of law,
government and to all such. It says
Change thy attitude or Quit thy position.
It’s as
simple as that. This mantra can be spread out in normal conversations, social
media and during elections etc.
Having come
thus far, may I ask the reader [for brave hearts only!] to use a bit of
imagination?
Visualise
yourself sitting in that bus as a mere passenger and think through the incident.
Take a mind tour for 5 minutes. If you have braved through those 5 minutes -
and did so honestly - you will then have no qualms in chanting with me – ‘Change or Quit’.
