When parliament in India begins to politicise the issue of women’s safety, and the proceedings of the house are adjourned as a consequence, it is a sign that the country’s moral and social fabric is being torn to shreds by the very people who have been chosen to safeguard it.
Politicians have lost the capability to see eye-to-eye and tackle the issue of rape —a disease that imperils the safety and security of women, irrespective of their age — with a unified voice. Meanwhile, instances of rape and unspeakable indignities heaped upon women, and girls, continue to be unraveled on a daily basis.
After all has been said and done to protect the interests of women in India, it is shocking to see that governmental institutions have failed to show sensitivity in tackling the issue of rape. Police high-handedness, coupled with negligence and apathy is now the order of the day. The home ministry appears to be totally out of its depth as rapes are being recorded with unerring regularity across the country. Victims are being treated as culprits and this has rendered the revision of laws, enforcement of fast-track courts and improved policing null and void.
Legislations must be put into place to tackle any instance of dereliction of duty by public servants. The message must trickle from the top that these instances, witnessed across the country, will carry severe punitive measures and will no longer be tolerated. Accountability must be the key and women’s well being must never be compromised.
The government, supported by the opposition, must announce a comprehensive plan of action to tackle the menace of rape and, equally important, the approach of governmental institutions to tackling this danger. A blueprint of statutory measures must be given to state governments so that they can also impose it with efficacy.
Sadly, however, these crimes also betray what is wrong with Indian society. A rewiring of people’s attitudes is necessary. An age-old nonchalance towards the subject of harassment of women has now escalated into a full blown national crisis, where few can escape from the glare of the media.
The limits of tolerance have been crossed. There is no looking back as the onus to tackle the problem lies squarely with the state and the lawmakers.
