Another rape case sends shivers down the spine of Haryana dwellers. A 22 year old woman was dragged out of her car and raped while her husband and brother-in-law were held at gunpoint. An incident which has yet again left us gasping! Not only is the incident enough to get anyone flustered but it also raises the age-old question all over again – are women safe in India, leave alone Haryana?
In the recent past, India has seen innumerable cases of such tortures on women being highlighted in the press and media. In some cases, police were able to nail the perpetrators and in some, the cases just went into a loop. The government has sometimes spoken out in a bid to help and save their political face and in some have gone plain numb.
The point, however, remains that being tight lipped and letting action be taken post such mishaps, is not the solution.
Haryana CM, M L Khattar has given immensely disarrayed statements over the past few years. From asking women to dress decently to now, when he says that misfortunes such as these happen and the police would do its best in resolving them; the fact persists that we Indians need to go beyond the blame game and identify the real reasons.
Women safety is far more significant than the release of a movie. It is way more important than the politics of two parties. It is imperative, if as a nation, we really want to progress.
It is high time that the politicisation of frivolous issues be condemned and societal problems such as rape, dowry, sanitation and education of women be delved into. The penalties for committing such heinous crimes need to be severer than what they currently are. Educating people about these punishments also needs to be widespread. As of now, the uneducated population which often commits such criminalities, isn’t even aware of the repercussions. If they would have been, the chances of controlling themselves from such wrongdoings, could be higher.
Patrolling of police cars, emergency contact numbers, safety norm adherence (even by corporates to ensure women workers reach home safely); all of these need to be put into tighter rules.
Otherwise, it wouldn’t be long before another newspaper headline hits us stark in our faces. Another episode which makes our blood chill. And another painful reminder of our ignorance.