No Miscarriage Of Justice, Certainly Not This Time!

Crime has not been foreign to our country. In fact, we have witnessed high profile crimes and cases that eventually went forward to become national interests and also motivated changes in laws and order. One among these is the popular Delhi Gang Rape of 2012 that shook entire India and also made headlines across the world. This is one case that is classified among the ‘rarest of the rare’ cases and the entire world has been looking forward to the verdict against the accused.

Although all the living accused were sentenced to death (God knows when the sentence will be implemented though), the juvenile accused who was younger than 18 years of age at the time of the crime was sentenced to only three years according to the juvenile law. And, since the accused has served the three-year term now, he is set to walk free this December.

I have been seeing a lot of petitions being circulated requesting the Judiciary to prolong the punishment of the accused who is believed to have been the most dangerous and ruthless of all. Just because he was a minor at the time of committing the crime, of course, we cannot overlook the nature of the crime he committed.

Rape itself is among one of the most brutal crimes that one can commit. Destroying a woman completely, dragging out her internal body parts and attempting to kill her along with a male friend is surely not something that deserves a term of three years at a reformation centre. If the boy had the understanding and audacity of raping a woman and killing her, I don’t think he was anything lesser than the other accused just because he was not 18 years of age then.

Anyway, the number of petitions and pleas being made to the court to reconsider the victim’s sentence and put him behind the bars is certainly a good move. It is good to see that people are actually fighting for a girl who they did not know but are still concerned because India lost a braveheart daughter like her. Of course, despite the changes made in the law, rapes have not receded. But, if, in this case, the juvenile is tried in a way similar to that of adults, it will discourage minors from committing such crimes and create a fear in their mind.

We all think miscarriage of justice should not happen, at least not in this case!

16 December....An year later!

16 December 2012! Who wouldn't remember this date? A day of terror, a day that shook every Indian, a day that led to an uprising all over the country, a day that raised questions over women's security! It is 16 December yet again! Its past an year that the country witnessed one of the most horrendous crimes in its history- the rape of a young girl on a moving bus in the national capital. One year after witnessing the terrific incident, an year after fighting for the security of women, how safe are we today? Is there anyone to answer this?

Last year, India witnessed a ghastly crime, one of its nature, that left every India awestruck. After holding candle marches and protests, after having sentenced the criminals to death penalty, India still today fights to protect its women from the horrible intentions of some males. After the Delhi Rape Case, although protests were held in every part of the world, what did really change? Although the law relating to rape, molestation, etc changed, do women in India feel safe today? I had previously written an article over this (http://your-speak.blogspot.in/2013/12/law-has-changed-but-how-many-changes.html) where I had attempted to analyse the after effects of the Delhi case and the subsequent changes in law. For those who have read the article, you would surely know that the number of crimes against women, particularly molestation and rapes, showed a slanting upward  graph. So what lessons have we taken from the deadly incident an year ago? Nothing? Even after an innocent girl lost her life?

When the question of security of women is raised, we haven't been successful in making the world a better place for girls. There are so many women who commute with fear everyday, late night, because they work in shifts or they have to support their family! Haven't they got the right to enjoy a secure life? Even Mumbai, that was once considered as the safest city for women in India, has had a record of crimes in the last year. Every day I commute, I see men staring, some even passing comments, some singing, whistling and what not! And every girl has witnessed this at some point in life, however, many of us simply ignore because that's the best way to deal with it! And then people say girls are at fault, their dressing is blamed ! Why don't we simply attempt to teach our sons and brothers to respect women instead?

Today, on 16 December 2013, I have written this blog to salute the spirit of the young braveheart who fought for life despite being completely destroyed. Yes, we can never imagine the ordeal she went through, so just a salute to her spirit, will power and bravery! If every girl in India shows this spirit and raises voice over even the smallest of crimes, we would definitely be able to make our country a better place, if not the best!

Law has changed! But how many changes could it bring?

We are in the last month of 2013 where people count on what they achieved the entire year, the losses made and plan and make resolutions of the future. The month of December also reminds me of something else- the fatal gang rape that took place in the same month an year ago in the national capital. As the memory of the dreadful incident flashes my mind, I am forced to think about what we learnt from the incident. Following the horrendous crime, there was national outrage with people protesting vigorously for women's rights, participating in candle marches and forcing the government o bring changes in the existing rape laws. And, considering the grave nature of the crime that occurred, the rape laws were amended or in other words, widened to cover a number of other crimes of a smaller nature that often go unreported or unnoticed.

Statistics of rape cases in 2013

As I read the news everyday, I find at least one news on rape, molestation or sexual assault. In an year where the nation united to fight for the rights of women, an year where the accused of the Delhi gang-rape case were awarded death penalty, the number of rape cases have reportedly gone up by 158 percent! What a shame for the country! As reported by IBN Live on April 23, 2013, the cases of rape all over the country had gone up by 158 percent while those of molestation and eve-teasing by 600 and 700 percent respectively. Alone in the national capital Delhi this year, the number of rape cases have increased from 330 in the last year to 806 this year. The increase is quite sharp and, moreover, shocking even after the law for rape has been amended and redefined, encompassing even crimes such as molestation and passing lewd comments, etc.

Cases that attracted media attention

If we observe and scan the passing year thoroughly, we have some rape cases that caught the attention of media and left the country speechless. The gang rape of a Mumbai-based journalist on assignment, accompanied with a male colleague at Shakti Mills, the gang rape of a female cop carrying the corpse of her sister in Jharkhand and the recent high-profile Tehelka sexual assault case that falls under the bracket of rape is an evidence of what changes have taken place in practicality despite law amendments.

What next?

We Indians need to change our mentality first, men should respect women and their integrity and only then a better for women will be born.