Rape: Questions and Confusions from a vanilla movement:

Dear friends.

 

The agitation at Jantar mandir and other places of Delhi over the gang rape issue did result in some legislative measures being taken. Besides setting up a judicial commission, the government has also written to all political parties for suggestions for bringing in harsher  laws against rape. The agitation also demonstrated the governments’ alacrity in taking positive action. So far so good: However there are few questions which baffle and confuce me and Iam putting it across for you to think.

Firstly why does it need a national level outcry for a responsible democratic government to react? Why can’t it react in itself? This proves the inherent inertia of our administrative system. The point here is about the level of insensitivity seen on all aspects of our civil rights. Take the case of the two Italian marines arrested by the Kerala government over a shooting spree in Indian waters which resulted in the death of a fisherman. The Italian government pursued this matter at the highest level, and ensured that the marines were back  home for Christmas. They were released over a surety bond of 25 crores. On the contrary nearly 50 Indian sailors are kept captive by pirates and are languishing somewhere in the Indian Ocean on board hijacked vessels. Similarly 375 Indian fishermen mostly from Porbandar in Gujarat are languishing in Pak jails. Is  our government bothered. Do we need another revolution for this?

The second question is, ''Are Rapes committed only in Delhi or Mumbai deplorable which will make our ‘’dented and painted’’ women come to the streets.?  This Saturday a woman was gang raped and Killed by 8 men in West Bengal after brutally assaulting her husband who is now fighting for his life in a Calcutta hospital. Where is the media, the home minister , the judicial commission, political parties  and why no hullaballoo seen  in TV channels  round the clock?

The primary question here is that ,  do we have sustainability in social movements, and does it have a common cause and course of action?. Our social revolutions are just becoming stage shows without any sedimentation. Last year  three Dilli musketeers  rallied over an old man for a Jan Lokpal bill which till now has only  helped one among them to form a political party and make some , mendacious revelations . A year before that a Pink Panties movement took place against assault of women at a bar in Mangalore. Where are the tangible outcomes from these movements?  Are our social movements moving on the right track a la the velvet revolution centered around the Tahrir Square in Egypt which resulted in the creation of a democratic Egypt. ?

As seen till now our social movements unlike the Egyptian velvet revolution can only be viewed as some vanilla ice cream movement without a direction leadership and cause ….

Coming back to the Rape Story, What  the government  should do is not to dance to such vanilla revolutions but  to implement in a time bound manner the Supreme Court directions on judicial and police reforms which in itself is a cure to this malady.

While the whole nation rallies over a Delhi Rape victim , let me request my readers to pray for a moment for that hapless and downtrodden labourer who was raped and killed by 8 ‘’animals’’ in the outskirts of Calcutta on Saturday 29^th of December 2012:

Vande Mataram

Sanyasi: