The recent Delhi Gang Rape Case has sparked a spew of conversations and debates over issues pertaining to safety of women and how they are treated in our society in general.
Over time and a lot of conversations later, I was struck by something someone said, "What do people mean by 'Teach your sons and brothers to respect women instead of teaching your sisters and daughters how to dress?' obviously no one teaches their kids to rape!"
I was positively flummoxed by the question. Of course no father tells his son to go ahead and rape an unassuming girl! But is the boy taught to respect women in the true sense? Is he taught to treat them with chivalry? Is he taught to see girls and women at every stage in life as equals and not an inferior gender?
What is funny is that not everyone who brought up in a gender unequal environment becomes a rapist. There are those who turn into the protectors and do their bit to protect womenfolk in general. In this sense, it is a moot point to raise fingers at the upbringing styles.
A strong message to discourage, rather stop, rape cases would be a harsh punishment for rapist, and not just in the case of the Delhi Gang Rape. A friend suggested branding, literally with hot iron, the faces of rapists in order to make their life a living social hell on earth. Possible? why not.
In a way, our country reacts more social symbols than anything else. In the past we have seen women being ostracised socially for being a widow (the white saree and plain dressing is the giveaway). The caste system made sure that those of lesser lineage make their status known by wearing a 'lota' around their neck among other things. Surely, a physical brand on the cheek of a rapist should do the trick. But will it be enough to reduce and stop the occurrence of rape in the larger scheme of things?
And what of the rape cases not reported? Forget rape, I am sure there are many who will agree that cases of eve teasing, molestation and sexual harassment at work go unreported for the fear of the stigma that is attached to such incidents. The fact that people say, "She must have put out!" without even knowing the person is sheer insanity in my eyes. Yes there are girls out there that send out obvious signals, but there are more out there who value their modesty and do not want to be touched! Just like men insist not to generalise a gender on the basis of a handful of rapists, please do not assume every girl out there wants to be raped.
What of domestic rape? How do you deal with that? What of wives who are the victim of rapes that are not only difficult to prove, but also exceedingly taxing on an emotional, mental and physical level? What do you do in cases of domestic rape where the wife feels compelled to take a backseat to let the mother in her do her duty?
The truth is that as a nation, we are yet to grow. Education seems to have done little to uplift our thinking. Morals be damned, we are still a nation that harbours somewhat cliched Neanderthal mindsets where so called educated men imply women to be of lesser mettle and standing. Let's not even start with how our politicians have been caught on record demeaning the substance of their female peers, in full public view.
Punishment is required. Yes. But what of those who have not raped physically? What of those who have not helped when a woman is being raped? What of those who justify an act heinous as rape by saying, "She was dressed in a way that begged her to be touched." If short skirts and low necklines are the reason for instigating rape, then God bless our heroines and models. And God forbid such an Indian male go abroad to the shores of Hawai or California or the French Riveria. He will be 'compelled' by the women sun bathing and swimming to rape them.
Excuses are abundant. Reasons, not one!
In a nation where the President's son thinks it is OK to pass a sexist comment when emotions regarding the issue are at a peak, one begs to ask, "What will actually, permanently and effectively hit home in this case?"
A hollistic ring view will reveal that the issue goes deeper into the social fabric of the nation. And until we exorcise the root cause, we shall keep reading of gang rapes in moving buses, rapes of infants, rapes at the hands of authorities and 'men of standing' and the murder of innocence by and large.
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