Last night Nirbhaya the 23 year old Delhi girl who had been gang raped by six goons died. The rapists were led by a driver of a bus company notorious for their obnoxious behaviour with citizens and total disregard for the law.
To the credit of the police and the public, the perpetuators of this terrible crime were swiftly apprehended. Why have the owners of and the employer of the bus driver not yet been apprehended? Is it because the bus company is owned by politicians?
The people are furious as can be judged by the spontaneous outbreak of widespread protests across the country. Braving the cold weather and the heat of high handed police and political action, protests across the country, by men and women, appear not only to be sustained but growing in momentum.
The government appeared to be paralyzed but this has been just a depressurizing ruse. Politicians know that public memory and fury is short lived and they typically duck responsibility until the storm passes over.
However, unlike in the past this problem refuses to go away. The key word being 'problem'.
However, unlike in the past this problem refuses to go away. The key word being 'problem'.
It is distressing to see that people as usual are focusing on the symptoms rather than the problem. Rape, theft, robbery, kidnapping, intimidation, extortion, violence etc. have become quite common in our society. They however are not the problem, these are mere symptoms of great malaise in our society.
As social creatures our behaviour and responses are the result of our social conditioning.
- Conditioning no 1: Movies depict that women really want to be pursued and preferably by force. Their resistance is just a put on. This leads to eve teasing and tendency to rape.
- Conditioning no 2: Television serials normally depict women in poor light as scheming evil creatures that deserve to be shown their place.
- Conditioning no 3: The normal citizen exists at the pleasure of a political class armed with draconian power of the state and the scary power of the criminal.
Film and television producers have to reconsider their approach and recognise that their need for making money has to be tempered with their responsibility to depict women as worthy of respect.
The greatest 'problem' is, criminalization of our political system and the presence of a large number of criminals in all elected bodies and now heading many of the democratic institutions and even business enterprises.
Why is that such a problem? The criminals now increasingly control, policy and law making and enforcement. The criminals control the tax authorities and statuary authorities and investigation agencies to intimidate opponents and to protect themselves.
History bears proof that all regimes, democratic or otherwise attempts to maintain the social and economic status quo of those in power. If the power is based on criminal minds and deeds, what else can be the outcome? Institutions are now being used to protect the interest of those in power and their henchmen who believe they are above the law. It is not a belief but a fact that criminal politicians and their cronies are indeed above the law.
No political party filled with criminals wants a strong and independent police force nor strong democratic institutions.
We the people instead of merely demanding the emasculation of rapists should demand and ensure that the politicians stop emasculating our police force and raping the people.
The only effective weapons in our hands is our voice, at the polls, through social and mainstream media and protest on the street. Are you doing your bit?
*Image by Alexa Meade
