It is pathetic that support is given to murderers and rapists by organisations, politicians and lawyers

By Sheshu Babu*

Atrocities on women including rapes and murders have been discussed and debated at length. Also, violence on girls and girl- child have been highlighted many times. But, these days, girls below teen age are not only raped and tortured for days but also killed in a most grotesque way. Any word, whether ' terrible ' or ' horrific ' sounds euphemistic in describing these cold-blooded murders. Even more pathetic is the support given to these murderers by organisations, politicians and lawyers making police system, which is already inefficient, ineffective.

Kathua and after

Even as Asifa case has gained prominence and demands to punish culprits are on the rise, there are reports of a brutally raped and tortured body of a minor girl aged about 10 was found in Surat, Gujarat (April 14, 2018, kracktivist.org) . Another girl aged about 9 or 10 was mutilated and the body was found near Rohtak, Haryana (April 16, 2018, timesofindia.indiatimes.com) . These are few cases reported. There may be others which are not reported. Even disabled girls are not spared. According to a report in mumbaimirrror.indiatimes.com (April 15, 2018), by Rahi Gaikward ,almost all deaf and mute girls at Karjat School were sexually abused. The caretaker was arrested on the complaints. The girls could communicate through sign language.

Crimes

The crimes against women and girls are horrendous. In Congo, as young as six months old babies have been raped by army according to a report by Marianne Schnall, women media center (February 6, 2009, www.alternet.org) . Nazi Germany had experienced sexual assaults on women and girls during world war. All over the world, women and girls have been sexually abused during wars. Around 120 million girls ( slightly more than 1 in 10) experience sexual assaults or forced intercourse according to UNICEF (2014) report published in www.unwomen.org (“Facts and figures: Ending violence against women”). About 35% of women worldwide experienced sexual or physical assaults.

Reasons

While women are vulnerable, girls, especially those below sixteen years, are more fragile and vulnerable. They have little or no awareness of how to tackle violence. Male hegemony makes girls indefensible and they are forced to succumb. If they raise voice, they are either killed on the spot or taken to remote places and murdered. These days, women and girls reporting assaults has increased though it is still low. To erase any chance of being caught, girls are being killed by the rapists. They fulfill their sadistic desires as long as they wish and murder the helpless girls in order to escape punishment. Many are not even charged with sexual assaults despite legal provisions.

Shame

These incidents are a shame to humanity and reflect the rising trend of cannibalism trait in males. These incidents are hallmark of a regressive archaic society. No amount of condemnation is enough to deplore such acts of violent atrocities.

Future

The present situation is very sad. One is moved to tears when one comes to know of such atrocities. The civil society must start to find measures for stopping the assaults on a war- footing. Male chauvinism should be eradicated. Most of these crimes are related with religious hatred. The women and girls fall aprey to religious bigotry.

Any hate - national or international - has vast impact on women lives, specially girls under nineteen or twenty. They become prime targets. The politicians use the situation to spill venom into society. They assist in atrocities continue to achieve their goals. Many leaders have brazenly supported Kathua rapist accused and even threatened those who voice against the criminals.
Girls are future of civilization. They must be protected. They are vulnerable section of society. Stringent measures should be taken against eve - teasers, perpetrators of crimes on women or girls and rapists.
Society is at the cross- roads. It is on the brink of disaster. To prevail sanity, male criminals should be punished. Awareness of consequences of such crimes must increase at the earliest.
---

Writer from anywhere and everywhere. Whenever the writer ponders on the question 'Who am I?', he finds some answer in a lyric by Bhupen Hazarika written in Assamese ' Ami ek jajabor': " I am a gypsy ...* The earth has called me her own
And I have forgotten my own home"

Comments

Buddhist shrines massively destroyed by Brahmanical rulers in "pre-Islamic" era: Historian DN Jha's survey

Nalanda mahavihara By Our Representative Prominent historian DN Jha, an expert in India's ancient and medieval past, in his new book , "Against the Grain: Notes on Identity, Intolerance and History", in a sharp critique of "Hindutva ideologues", who look at the ancient period of Indian history as "a golden age marked by social harmony, devoid of any religious violence", has said, "Demolition and desecration of rival religious establishments, and the appropriation of their idols, was not uncommon in India before the advent of Islam".

India sees 62 journo deaths, 4th highest, amidst pandemic: Swiss media rights body

By Our Representative The Switzerland-based media rights body Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) has noted that India is the fourth most affected country as far as mediapersons’ death on account of Covid-19 is concerned. According to Blaise Lempen, secretary-general of PEC, the global tally of casualties among media persons in the Covid-19 pandemic has reached 1,036 journalists in 73 countries till date.

Liberating Bengal Hindus? Worst flames of communal division, lessons from the past

By Shamsul Islam* The whole thrust of the RSS-BJP election campaign for 2021 state assembly elections in West Bengal has been to save Bengal from the rule of Mamata Bannerjee who is allegedly not a ‘Hindu’. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, a self-proclaimed Hindu nationalist, as usual set the polarizing agenda. While addressing the first election rally, he called upon the electorate to overthrow the ‘nirmam’ (cruel) rule of Mamata by showing a ‘Ram Card’. He did not name Hindus directly but there was no confusion about the religious identity of the electorate Indian PM was addressing to.

Swami Vivekananda's views on caste and sexuality were 'painfully' regressive

By Bhaskar Sur* Swami Vivekananda now belongs more to the modern Hindu mythology than reality. It makes a daunting job to discover the real human being who knew unemployment, humiliation of losing a teaching job for 'incompetence', longed in vain for the bliss of a happy conjugal life only to suffer the consequent frustration.

Rs 5 crore 'demand' for India Today anchor: What about 52 lesser souls who died in April?

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat* A well known Hindutva protagonist masquerading as journalist passed away recently resulting in messages of condolences and tribute right from the Prime Minister and the Home Minister to progressive liberals expressing grief of his untimely death. It is said that he passed away due to cardiac arrest, though the fact is, he was also Covid infected. The Prime Minister and the Home Minister termed him a ‘brave’ journalist, insisting, his passing away has left a big ‘vacuum’.

Modi's Hindutva 'ensuring' empowerment of rich, disenfranchisement of poor

Bhabani Shankar Nayak* The Hindutva socio-psychopaths are neither nationalists nor patriotic people. These medieval reactionary forces don’t understand the idea of citizenship, justice, liberty, equality and humanism. Indian democracy is merely an electoral transaction for the Hindutva forces. Hindutva forces neither follow science nor understand the sufferings of fellow human beings. These core qualities are common among the Hindutva forces in India.

Pradeep Bhattacharya, who spent his life for the cause of working masses, rational thinking

By YS Gill* At 11:30 pm on May 3, 2021, I lost my best friend and comrade Pradeep Bhattacharya. He spent his life dedicated to the cause of the working masses and rational thinking. A person of thorough scientific outlook and a well-read student of Marxian thought, he was a walking encyclopedia and could speak on a wide variety of topics from art and culture to science, philosophy, history and politics.

Communal rhetoric? Hindutva preached by RSS-BJP is 'monolithic', not Hinduism

By Prem Verma* I am a devout Hindu but not a believer of RSS Hindutva form of Hinduism which brings about hatred of other religions. My Hindu religion has not taught me to look down on other religions and neither has it instilled in me to go about converting others to my religion because my religion is superior.

India's Covid-19 'nightmare': A product of majoritarian Hindutva ideological praxis?

By Bhabani Shankar Nayak* Indians struggle to find place and time to bury their dead due to the devastating effects of the second wave of Covid-19 in India. The crematoriums in the capital cities are overflowing with dead bodies. People are dying without oxygen and basic medical support. The cities like Delhi and Mumbai are struggling to cope with the rising number of infections and COVID-19 led deaths. The deaths and destitutions are products of a defunct BJP government led by Narendra Modi.

Indian media persons collapsing to Covid disease as fast as 3 per day, third highest

Yogesh Sharma, Shailesh Rawal By Our Representative The Switzerland based media rights and safety body, Press Emblem Campaign ( PEC ) has said that it is “alarming for Indian journalists”, who have lost at least 107 colleagues to Covid-19”, noting, Indian “journo-colleagues” have been collapsing to the Covid-19 complications now as fast as three scribes per day. In a statement, PEC said, “India with 107 media corona-casualties has already placed itself on the third position just below Brazil (181 dead) and Peru (140) in the list of Covid-19 victims among journalist.”

Counterview

Search This Blog