Rape: Lets go Capital!

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    Rape: Let us go Capital!

    Yet another victim (read easy prey) being driven around on the ghastly roads of Delhi,

    the rape capital cityof India 1, raped brutally and left back alive; to die every moment

    of her lifeless life and hopelessly wait for an infinite ordeal to end. The assassins may be

    caught or may not be; trial may end soon or may not; sentences may be passed or may

    not be; but the show ..will go on!

    And if she is lucky enough, she will be proposed for marriage by the bride-the rapist-

    groom and this re-rape may be committed on the victim in front of the jurisdiction,

    police and us. As usual, women activists, media, movie-makers and almost every one

    around will be ready to cash on her immediate plight. But soon, we will forget it and

    her just like any another breath of ours. Emotions will soon be run over by our I, Me &

    Myself busier than thou existence. Glamour will majestically sprawl across the centre

    stage of the newsprint, relegating the follow-up news to a short and dark corner of page

    no.5. But this Deadly-Ghost will return to haunt usagainand againand again.

    Rape is a weapon that distorts a woman's sexuality, restricts her freedom of movementand violates her human rights. It leaves a woman feeling exposed, humiliated and

    traumatized. A rapist not only violates the victim's privacy and personal integrity, but

    also causes serious irreparable physical and psychological damage.

    India ranks third over all in the list of countries with maximum number of rape cases,

    superseded only by USA and South Africa. 2 It has been declared a tourist rape

    destination by few too. There have been countless shameful horrifying incidents of rape

    in India.

    It goes way back to the Bandit Queen case which depicts the tragic story of a village girl,

    who was exposed from an early age to the lust and brutality of some men. She was

    married to a man old enough to be her father. She was beaten and raped by him. She was

    later thrown out of the village- accused of luring boys of the upper caste. She was

    arrested by the police and subjected to indignation and humiliation. Was also kidnapped

    and raped by the leader of dacoits and later by the leader of a gang of few upper caste

    men, who stripped her naked and paraded her in front of the entire village. This is truly

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    one story that shows the apathy of the existing society. And, the infamous rape case of a

    medical undergraduate by a minor boy in a historical monument located just opposite a

    premier medical institution of the country (2002). And, the sensational Dhaula Kuan rape

    case in Delhi where a university student was gang-raped in a moving car. And, the recent

    rape and murder of a British teenage girl in the coastal city of Goa (2008). Yet again,

    police, media, politicians and virtually everyone else shamelessly ensured the denial of

    justice to the inconsolable mother. Leveling irrelevant allegations of drug-use and

    doubting behavioral conduct of victim and her justice-seeking mother has done

    irreparable damage to the humanity. And, the Orissa nun-rape case (2008) wherein this

    heinous crime was committed in the garb of riots. And, the recent most case of rape of a

    German minor girl by the son of a political honcho has really made our judicial system

    look toothless and impotent (2008). And 2009, 2010, 2011. Ans now 16 December 2012

    Vasant Vihar Delhi brutal gang-rape case of a medical student. The poor victim is still

    battling for her life at the time of writing this article..

    And, And, And, the And never ends!

    So what is the one simple effective solution?

    Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India advisory suggests speedy investigations

    be conducted in heinous crimes like rape. Fast-track courts and speedy justice? Indeed

    few of these cases have been solved and the accused convicted. But has it managed to

    raise fear among these beasty rapists? The National Crime Records Bureau reported over

    22,000 cases on rape in 2010 alone, an eight-fold increase from 1971. 3 It is not difficult

    to realize that it is just tip of an iceberg. The laws carry an inherent bias themselves, how

    can they ensure justice to victims. Failure of law reflects failure of society to serve

    humanity. Or to educate the masses? Or to ask the fair sex (?) to cover themselves from

    head-to-toe? Or to impose fairsex-curfew past 8o clock in the walled city? Or to follow

    the guidelines laid down by the Honorable Supreme Court for trial of rape cases? No

    these are only time-gap measures and part-solutions, but definitely not complete

    solutions.

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    As far as I, a bonafide citizen of this democratic country, think in all of my rationality, let

    us go capital; Make Capital Punishment as the bare minimum punishment for these

    rapists of Humanity. Capital punishment in India is legal, but rare. The Supreme Court of

    India ruled in 1983 that the death penalty should be imposed only in the rarest of rare

    cases. If capital punishment be imposed on rapists, then rape is likely to become a rarest

    of rare case. Yes, it would neither de-rape nor re-chastise the victim; but it would

    definitely serve as a deterrent for the future rapists. And, to be an effective deterrent,

    there needs to be surety of punishment guaranteed upon this severity of punishment. Few

    may counter-argue that it is too painless a punishment for rape. Or, the human right

    activists would raise a hue & cry, debates would come alive, polls would be conducted

    and relentless oppositions would come; but We Shall Not Deter! Let us all come forward

    together for being really fair towards the fairer sex. Come on everyone, let us pledge that

    we will not let anyone rape humanity and go scot-free.

    According to Wikipedia, currently many countries including Egypt, China, Guyana, Iran,

    Iraq, Kuwait, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Sri lanka, Syria, Tajikistan, Thailand, UAE and

    Vietnam have a provision for Capital punishment for rape. 61 countries currently award

    Death penalty for ordinary crimes too..

    So to my fellow countrymen, I again propose, let us go Capital; this time with a real

    capital C.

    References

    1. Delhi: The Rape Capital of India. Available from:

    http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/762338.cms [cited 2004 July 2]

    2. India ranks third in rape cases. Available from:

    http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India/India_ranks_third_in_rape_cases/rssartic

    leshow/3813759.cms [cited 2008 Dec 9]

    3. NCRB-MHA. Crime in India 2012. National Crime Records Bureau. Ministry of

    Home Affairs, Government of India.

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    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supreme_Court_of_Indiahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supreme_Court_of_Indiahttp://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/762338.cmshttp://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India/India_ranks_third_in_rape_cases/rssarticleshow/3813759.cmshttp://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India/India_ranks_third_in_rape_cases/rssarticleshow/3813759.cmshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supreme_Court_of_Indiahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supreme_Court_of_Indiahttp://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/762338.cmshttp://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India/India_ranks_third_in_rape_cases/rssarticleshow/3813759.cmshttp://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India/India_ranks_third_in_rape_cases/rssarticleshow/3813759.cms
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    (Source: Annual Report, Ministry of Home Affairs, 2011-12; Weblink:

    h t tp : / /www.mh a .n ic . in /p d fs /AR(E )1 1 1 2 .p d f )

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    http://www.mha.nic.in/pdfs/AR(E)1112.pdf)http://www.mha.nic.in/pdfs/AR(E)1112.pdf)