Recently, a couple travelling in India was assaulted by seven men in Jharkhand who beat up the husband with sticks and stones before they gangraped the woman. The matter came to light when the woman posted a video describing her ordeal. Police have arrested the culprits, but it highlights the issue of Women’s safety in India.
Violence against women is an issue worldwide, and women face all kinds of discrimination, violence and oppression. From Asia to Africa and the Americas, the problem of sexual violence against women is widely prevalent. India is no stranger to this problem, too, and the extent of such cases reaches far beyond what one can imagine. As per data by National Crime Records Bureau, a woman is raped every 18 minutes in India. Around 90 cases of rape are reported every day from across the nation.
This paints a grim picture of the situation in India and showcases how deep-rooted the problem is. A lack of education and safety measures are prime factors behind such incidents.
The Nirbhaya case in 2012 rocked the country because of the gruesome nature of the crime. However, everything became silent after that, and it is a recurring thing; a heinous incident is reported, and the country is on the verge of boiling. Eventually, within a few weeks, everybody forgets it, and things get back to normal like nothing happened.
Hannah Arendt’s concept of Banality of Evil suggests that evil deeds have become so common that we perceive them as the new normal.
Every day we read news on rapes and crimes against women and overlook it because this has become the new normal.
However, if India is ever to become the Vishwa Guru, it needs to address the fundamental problem of violence against women, which has to be addressed effectively and immediately.
Rape is defined as forced sexual intercourse, including vaginal, anal, or oral penetration, which may be by a body part or an object.
According to Section 375 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), rape is defined as “when a man has sexual intercourse with a woman under any of the following circumstances”:
Section 376 of the Indian Penal Code contains the provisions for the punishment of rape.
Amendments were made in 2013 and 2018 to provide for more stringent punishments in case of such offences. However, it has not deterred the perpetrators from committing these crimes. The administration needs a more proactive approach in dealing with such cases, and there is also a need to educate the masses about such incidents to ensure timely reporting and action.
India is on a path of economic transformation and social development, and women are in no way inferior to men. However, the mindset of the masses remains the same, which sees women as the second or inferior gender that should be dominated. What we need is social transformation and upliftment through empowering women and ensuring their safety by creating dedicated units to ensure their safety round the clock.
Read more: PM Modi Inaugurates Sudarshan Bridge, India’s Longest Cable-Stayed Bridge
A delegation of junior doctors met with Kolkata Police Commissioner Vineet Goyal on September 3.…
Gujarat heavy rainfall, particularly in the southern regions, led to widespread flooding and severe disruptions…
Kolkata witnessed massive protests in response to the recent rape and murder of a trainee…
Sanjay Roy, the primary suspect in the Kolkata rape Muder case, underwent a polygraph test…
Dr. Tony Nader, is a distinguished physician, researcher, and global leader in the field of…
In a shocking incident, a young doctor from RG Kar Medical College in Kolkata was…