March 8, 2013. International Women’s Day
In the backdrop of violent sexual assaults Indian women
unlike in the previous years are up against this widespread menace staring not
only upon them but on the entire society. Indian citizens across all States
have taken up cudgels to take on the perpetrators of these dastardly crimes. It
is noted here that those who fall prey to the massive sexual abuse include not
only the women and girl children at the lowest of the pyramid, but the middle
class, upper and lower middle classes, women, a number of them ladies,
housewives, working women both in factories and offices, street side dwellers
who don’t have shelters thanks to the so-called ‘pro-poor’ attitude of States
and Central govts. In this connection it is shocking and deplorable to note
that sexual assaults have become the order of the day in our national capital Delhi
under the very nose of those in the corridors of power. They are pre-occupied
with several other matters of relevance to them, yes, to them not to the
citizens of the nation. Delhi is being branded ‘the rape capital of the world’
as it is not a recent phenomenon, the hydra of sexual assault and even murders
has been spreading its tentacles since decades. No govt worth its name don’t have
the strong will or the guts to rein on the thugs roaming free down the streets
of Delhi during day and night. Rapes, murders, loot and arson do occur even in
broad day light at one place or another in New Delhi.
After their patience reaching the bottom line the women of
not only Delhi but the entire nation grouped
under one umbrella with the news of a 23-year old student being raped by
six persons on a running bus at about 9.30pm and later both the student and her
boy friend were thrown to the roadside. The sexual assault was too
blood-chilling that on admission to the hospital the doctors attending on her
broke the shocking news of her sexual organs and interiors of her abdomen badly
damaged.
Thanks to a pro-active media the news like a wild fire flashed
across the screens of Television channels. The Delhites including women, men,
students and other children upon watching the TV Channels rushed out of their
residences in rage and fury and gathered at Jantar Mandir,Rajpath,India Gate
and a number of landmarks shouted slogans demanding the immediate capture of
the scoundrels who had made a mess of a
student’s life and asked the law and order authorities and the Delhi govt and
the Centre to bring them to justice. They wanted exemplary punishment to be
meted out to the culprits immediately.
The student whose condition grew worse and worse was later
shifted to the famous Elizabeth Hospital
at Singapore. Till the last moment she without losing her courage kept a
flame of hope that she would be rescued at any cost from an inevitable end. She
struggled against all odds. Such was her will power but after struggling with
death for more than one week she succumbed
to her injuries.
With the news of her death spreading across the world as a
whole ,the citizens of Delhi,majority of women, girl students and children grew restive and
their anger and indignation brought Delhi to a standstill. In the rage and fury
the political leaders belonging to both ruling and opposition parties who
wanted to interfere were booed at by the agitating mob. During their hours of
needs where were these political leaders? Their pent up anger burst out against
them .
In the meanwhile reports of rapes, poured in from various
States and such news were given prominent coverage by a pro-active media.
The other day in Kerala a three year old child was brutally
raped by a sexual pervert- he has since been arrested and the three year old is
struggling for life in the Medical College, Kozhikode. The child was sleeping
together with her destitute mother on the street-side as she couldn’t get a
shelter too sleep in the night with her child. The child’s condition is reportedly
precarious as her sexual organs were grievously damaged during the brutal rape.
Crimes against women and children are not only confined to
India but they are prevalent across the world as pointed out by Dr.Desmund
Tutu, Nobel Laureate, peace-activist and a former prominent freedom fighter of
South Africa. On delving deeper into the reasons for women across the world
being exploited and abused, reasons are aplenty like poverty, discrimination,
lack of education, patriarchal system, unemployment etc etc could be found
out.
A collective initiative by the citizens, both women and men
needs to be taken on a war-footing to elevate the status women on a par with
men. As there is no meaning in celebrating this day I can’t extend best wishes
to the women across the world as a formality. Sorry.
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