Yet, another shocking incident rocked the
country with the rape of an eight-year-old girl in the rural areas of Bihar.
The victim was found dead in a canal, but sadly, it did not make the headlines
in majority of the newspapers. The reason obviously is known, but the question
still remains as to why the government lacks the urge to amend the law
regarding punishment of the accused. Are our current laws enough to stop crime
and protect our women from the prying eyes of men? What makes Indian men feel
that rape is the ultimate way to prove their masculinity? Why are not they
being taught at home about the importance of treating the opposite gender with
respect? Why do they have the urge to look beyond a woman's veil and strip her
of her modesty and chastity? What gives them the arrogance and boldness to pave
the way for this act? When will our nation rise from the shackles of
gender-biasness and feeling of superiority in support of the male community?
When would our women be able to move freely out of their homes without being
haunted of fear of the unknown? When will our nation rise from the perils of
injustice meted out to the people belonging to the economically backward
classes? The questions are many to be asked and pondered about and the answer
lies within us. The fact that the birth of a male child is more welcome than
the female child is in itself the most shocking ritual existing in our society.
The moral and ethical standards of men in our country are questionable. And the
worst part is that many girls lack the courage to reveal to their parents their
ordeal and the dastardly crime committed on them. Few make it to the police
station and only a handful is allowed a proper hearing and judgment. Rape and
attempt to rape are crimes that have become common in our country. Classic
examples are the Billa and Ranga case, Priyadarshini Mattoo case, Shonali
Mukherjee case, the recent case of two school girls raped by fifteen men in
Madhya Pradesh, and many more which do not even make it to the last pages of
our newspapers. What is stunning is the fact that rape is being considered by men an
easy way to prove properties characteristic of the male sex. Is our country
enough enlightened and our women enough empowered to deal with the inappropriate
behavior of men and fight back for justice? Or do we have to still wait for
another era to begin where women will be given the same amount of regard,
esteem, reverence, and consideration as our men?
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