WOMEN, INTERRUPTED

IS A WOMEN RAPED EVERY THREE MINUTES OR EVERY SIX MINUTES? IT IS FAR TOO MUCH, WHATEVER IT IS.

The horrific gang rape of a young woman in Noida which falls within the National Capital Region –is yet another gruesome reminder of just how unsafe our national capital is for women. Each time the press headlines any incident the public is outraged, government official’s mouth stock condemnations the police promise thorough investigations and nothing changes. Life goes on. As if it were not enough that this case was unconscionable, the reaction of the sarpanch of the village where the alleged perpetrators hail from, and the stand taken by the Samajwadi Party are outrageous. The sarpanch is quoted to have said that it was just a matter of rape and not such a big deal. The SP called for a bandh, alleging that it was impossible for 10 people to be involved in a gang rape, and that those taken into custody were being framed. It is this callous attitude towards crimes against women that emboldens the perpetrators. In the absence of effective deterrence, and encouraged by the primitive views held by a section of our society, they continue to commit such dastardly acts with impunity.
Delhi is by far the most unsafe city for women in this country. But it is not just here that women are vulnerable to crime, especially of the sexual sort. The National Crime Records Bureau, in its report for 2007, documents that there were 513 reported rape cases in Delhi city. This was way above the number of cases reported in Mumbai, which stood at 171. Bangalore reported 62 cases, Indore 74, Pune 65 and Chennai 46. And this is just a count of those cases that were reported.
There are several instances where rape victims in India do not report the atrocity committed against them for fear of attracting social stigma and for fear of physical safety. This speaks poorly of both our society—which is deeply patriarchal in its attitudes—and our law enforcing machinery. Instead of enabling women who have been victims of sexual assault cope with their trauma, large sections of our society often heap indignity on them.
India aspires to great power status. It prides itself on an impressive economic growth record and increasing international clout. This is perhaps justified given facts about the overall performance f our economy, especially when compared to that of other countries in this time of global economic gloom. However, India’s progress is, and will continue to be, severely stymied if it does not secure the life, security and dignity of one half of its population. No matter how rapidly its economy grows, its prestige will not improve much if its women continue to be treated with scant respect.