Crimes against women: call for action
We are born of woman, we are conceived in the womb of woman.
Why should we talk ill of her? From her, kings are born.
From woman, woman is born; without woman, there would be no one at all.
O Nanak, God alone can exist without woman.
-GURU NANAK IN ASA DI VAAR, PAGE 473
Recently we celebrated our 67th Independence Day. Yet another anniversary of the historic day, when our nation woke up to its first independent morning — the day when the labour, the sacrifices of millions of Indians got its destination. But let’s hold on for a second and ponder over the question, are we really free? Can we claim that we live in a democratic, free and civilized India when our ‘adhi abadi’ is under the fear of violence? When our mothers and sisters are not safe on roads, then talking of liberty is tantamount to cheating ourselves. If we look at the scenario of crime against women in our country then our tall claims of liberty and equality seem to be a joke
Eve teasing, abduction, rape, dowry-death, honour killing — these are the crimes committed against women so commonly that we can come across a victim in almost each and every house.
The problem with our legal system was rightly pointed out by Nani Palkhiwala, ‘laws are neither respected nor enforced in India’.
Enough voices have been raised that we need to frame new laws against these crimes. But the fact is that there are sufficient laws in the country to curb all forms of crime. However, they are not efficient due to lack of proper implementation.
Right from eve teasing to rape, we have laws to punish the guilty. The problem lies in improper implementation. The need of the hour is enforcement of laws by the government and deep respect for law among citizens. The day laws come into effective force, the Dream India of Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore can be realised in true sense,
“Where the mind is without fear and head is held high…..”
Crime against women exists because of a patriarchal and misogynistic attitude that overlooks the suffering of a woman. This attitude can only be changed when people are educated, when they are aware of the norms and rules to be followed. Awareness leads to public participation and respect for law, which is an indispensable part of implementation.
Only the wearer knows where the shoe pinches. People who have undergone this harassment best understand the gravity of the pain and suffering of the victims. Therefore, they should come forward and work for the reduction of crimes, thereby making our world a better place to live in. It would be best to conclude here in the words of Lakshmi Puri, assistant secretary general, UN,
“When one in three girls in developing countries is likely to be married as a child bride; when some 140 million girls and women have suffered female genital mutilation; when millions of women and girls are trafficked in modern-day slavery; and when women’s bodies are a battleground and rape is used as a tactic of war – it is time for action.”