‘Rape’ is a word that has shaken the entire nation. It is an act of depravity and degradation that has ruined and ended countless lives and still continues to do so. There are countless cases registered every day around the country. What’s worse is not only how often it occurs but also the fact that no strict action is taken towards the culprits, while the victims, on the other hand, face even more humiliation and stigma at society’s hands even after going through such a horrific ordeal. Rape culture is a real thing, and it is being promoted in various ways.
The first one is obviously by taking little to no action against the rapists. This is because of the flimsiness of the justice system, which has seen many other forms of criminals being released too. Taking examples of the Nirbhaya and the RG Kar incidents, it is clear that the authorities are seriously lagging behind when it comes to women’s safety. The Nirbhaya rapists were sentenced to death after a long period, and one minor was sent to juvenile hall as he “didn’t understand what he was doing.” The RG Kar case is a bigger tragedy than that because atleast in the former, we still got some form of justice. The point being that the government doesn’t care for people’s rights and freedom and only uses their pain for its own benefits, such as during voting. However, to be honest, there is not enough clarity on how much the people want justice either as all the anger, rage and cries for justice dies down quite quicker than it should.
The second way is justifying the horrific acts, such as by questioning the victims character and how it is their “shameless dressing and behavior” that causes rape, while in reality, it is simply a pathetic and illogical way of reasoning. This patriarchal mindset is damaging as it is both degrading men who have no qualities other than wasting time and money and suppressing women, whose limited role in society, is only being made worse. It has corrupted the minds of many youth and those who justify violence against women, which ironically includes other women, who see the victims as indecent and promiscuous and see rape as a punishment for these qualities, rather than seeing it as an actual wrong. If a girl complains of being raped, people will grill her first over what she was wearing and where she was going. Why she went out with male friends and why she came late when she knew the streets were unsafe. There are many such allegations made against the victims, while the victimizers are released from prison in just a matter of days, and that is considering if they are caught or not or if they aren’t immediately let go in the first place. Focusing on the issue of victim blaming, many of the questions and the blame they put on the women seem accurate only to those who are stuck to their stupid morals that existed in ancient times. To a logical-thinking person, none of them make any actual sense.
Firstly, sexual violence is committed against any woman, no matter what she is wearing. A woman in a burqa can get harassed the same way as a woman in a miniskirt. Rapists don’t care for their clothing. For people criticizing young women for their choices, it would be interesting to hear their reactions on the assaults committed on infants and elderly women who are also being subjected to sexual assaults. People assault their own children and parents. We can ask those people for their conclusion on a baby’s and a sickly old woman’s dressing sense. We need to understand that people like these don’t actually care for anyone. Most of them are sick-minded themselves, as they choose to blame innocent women for trying to live life rather than blaming the government and themselves for being a failed society that has made the streets unsafe for women. Secondly, what is the point of blaming women for going out at night, rather than asking why it is unsafe for them to do so in the first place? The problem with the patriarchal thinking is that it sees women as mainly problems, liabilities or inconveniences. For them, women are essentially God’s mistakes that need to be controlled, and when they are not, they’ll either destroy society or be destroyed by society. Sure there are some real examples of such women, but by that logic, there are also twice the amount of men that do the same as well. It’s a problem of morality, not gender. This narrow-minded thinking has not just ruined women’s lives but also men’s, as many men who don’t believe in this cruel thinking have been ostracized by their peers for being ‘impotent’ or lesser men. If being savages is what masculinity stands for, then why not? Well, for those ‘manly geniuses’ and those women who are so devout towards this ‘wonderful’ thinking of their ancestors that they justify killing infant girls and assaulting women, I ask only how any of them are still alive? How were they able to be born when their mothers were supposed to be killed when they were? How come they didn’t kill their own mothers and grandmothers when they were children? They put worth in stupid traditions such as the dowry system and then blame the girls for being a burden to them, while they burden themselves with pleasing the groom’s family. Honestly, the lack of reasoning and double standards just get exhausting over time.
Back to the matter at hand, it is evident that unless this issue is tackled, the country will fall to a level of degradation where no women (be they mothers, sisters, wives, etc.) will be safe. So, focusing on how to handle these issues in court, it is clear that it is a tough matter. Because many things have to be taken into consideration. Firstly, the type of punishment. Rape is a crime that destroys a person’s life. They die inside and are ignored by society. Surely, the rapist deserves a similar fate. But that doesn’t happen. The rapists, in real life, are jailed for a few days and released. As I was told by a friend in the law department, the Indian justice system focuses on mercy and rehabilitation. Killing is either unacceptable for them no matter how many lives the criminal has destroyed or taken or should be avoided as even the culprit has a family or deserves to be repent. Unfortunately, the criminals know this more than anyone, which is why the crimes take place easily. So, rigorous punishment is needed.
The first type of such a punishment one can get is the death penalty, but that has multiple issues too for both men and women. For women, it can pose a threat to their own lives, because a rapist might kill their victims after assaulting them to prevent them from talking. And for men, it is no secret that many men are also falsely accused of rape by women, so innocent men can be killed for no reason. But again, talking about the example of the Nirbhaya case, it can be considered that those who have been proven guilty can be hanged once they confess or their guilt is proved. Though even this can be vague and problematic, as not every situation is the same. But the point is that for someone whose crime has been clearly proven, it makes no sense to argue over it for long. It’s time to take action. Next is focusing on imprisonment. Life imprisonment is appropriate for any person who commits brutal rape and murder, as they are a threat to society and so must be kept away from it, without the possibility of bail. It’s seen how easily many rapists are bailed or let out for good behavior, and they return to commit rape again. So, any hardcore convict must be kept strictly imprisoned so that they don’t hurt anyone ever again. And if an innocent person has been jailed, then they might get a chance to prove their innocence. While there are many things to consider while discussing punishments, atleast we should agree that punishments should be given. Because this is what also allows these crimes to occur and get worse. When we start to think that they aren’t crimes in the first place.
But as the saying goes, “prevention is better than the cure,” and with two cures that are so bitter and ineffective at times, it is better that we go for prevention. The goddess Kali killed the demon Raktabija by drinking his tainted blood that gave birth to more versions of him. The same way we must destroy the corrupt ideals and mindsets that give rise to such rapists. Educating people about women’s empowerment will do so. ‘Being manly’ and ‘harassing women’ should be seen as two different things, rather than the latter being a characteristic of the former. Because we can see the consequences of them being considered the same, it results in a constantly degrading society. A person should know love and love with all their heart those they hold dear instead of losing their mind and morality to lust and illusions of grandeur of their manliness caused by stupid and superficial thinking. Indian goddesses such as Durga, Saraswati, Parvati, Kaali, etc. are all revered for their strength, wisdom, power, beauty, and love for anyone who wishes it. Yet, when it comes to women, society acts like Mahishasura, Raktbija, and the various other demons that were slain by the goddesses. The hypocrisy and corruption are so prevalent that anyone can see them if they try. So, a deep and logical level of thought is required if this issue is to be tackled. This monstrosity has destroyed many lives, be they the victims or their close ones. So, it is for the benefit of humanity that we must put an end to it. Lust and arrogance aren’t great. True love and respect towards one’s fellow man and woman is great. Because it sustains. Sustains good emotions, progress and a better outlook for the world itself. Equality is the soul of liberty; there is, in fact, no liberty without it – Frances Wright. Just felt right to end on a quote.
