Following the brutal gang rape of a young lady in Delhi on 16 December 2012 popularly known as the Nirbhaya gang rape where the victim died in Singapore inspite of best efforts of the Government of India to save her life. The Government of India then constituted a committee and invited suggestions from the public/women’s organizations and NGO’s. Over 80000 suggestions were received and they were mostly of the view it is the government’s fault for not having effective stringent laws to deal with the rapists as rapes have become order of the day. In 2013 the President Pranab Mukerjee promulgated an Ordinance titled Criminal Law Amendment wherein several tough laws and hash punishment for the rapists have been initiated.
However rapes have not stopped in India. Several rapes and gang rapes have taken place and in some cases the rapists have done away with the victim. A very recent incident of a rape of a Dalit minor girl aged 14 who was repeatedly sexually assaulted in Delhi and fed with a corrosive substance that completely destroyed her internal organs and died a painful death. Quite noteworthy the rapist who was roaming free was arrested by the police only after the death of the minor Dalit girl.
According to the terminology of the Indian legal system the word “Evidence” plays a very important role. If there is no evidence the rapist or the accused go scot free. This is not the case in most countries. If there is circumstantial evidence and laboratory proof the rapist is rounded up and locked inside with a very little scope for a fair and a free trial.
How can our political society forget women are our counterparts and we require them at every stage in life? Rapes and gang rapes have been going on in India for the last 3 years and effective legislations (Ordinance) passed in 2013 have not served the purpose. Taking into consideration the value and dignity of human lives and comparing with rapes and murders of rape victims, the 42 women parliamentarians attached to different political parties have to play an effective role in safeguarding the honour and dignity of women and urge the PM to review the situation and enact legislations for rapes and punishment for rapists as prevalent in most countries which treat rape or sexual assault as a very serious offence.
