Sexual violence against women rises in India, state keeps mum

May 12: The largest democracy of the world, sheltering more than a billion souls; the birth place of a great civilization; the place of origin of Vedas full of respect for women; the great cultural land – India, fails to protect its daughters from violence, physical, sexual, psychological, in public and in secure territories. The shield of law fails to safeguard them, more because the galleries of politics and power become active and try to neutralize every law and block the process of justice.

What is happening in a holy place where woman was worshipped as goddess? How brutally women are being treated in the country of Ghandhiji, who gave to the world the message of ‘non-violence’. At every place in this country the environment is too hostile for the development of her personality. In ‘Free’ India we celebrate the sacrifice of Jhansi Ki Rani even after 150 years, but do not allow her to raise voice against the evils of the society or state.

A disturbing question normally comes to the mind as why it happens that in any kind of struggle or confrontation only women become the object of violence? Why do most of the conflicts end up with sexual violence against women? From a conflict between two gali boys (street children) which involves exchange of abuses violating the morality of female relatives, to the police action against peasants, why is the morality of women always violated or threatened. Some kind of doubt and insecurity crops up in heart against state that it has become so helpless and is not able to prevent even its own machinery from committing such heinous crimes against women. In a nation with developed civilization rape is being used as a weapon to suppress their voice against atrocities and to silent the communities.

Episodes like Nandigram are surfacing, where women were raped by police personnel during police action. It is a shame for the state that voice of women is being suppressed by such vehement acts. Nandigram is not the only place in the list and such cases are not new. It is accompanied by Singur where the front runner Tapasi Malik, the supporter of Save Agriculture Committee got missing and was later found dead in the hole of automobile factory. The list is endless with one more citation Dantewada district of Chhattisgarh. All India women team at the initiative of committee against violence on women visited Dantewada and reported that women are regularly gang raped and murdered brutally there. The description of the rapes and murders by the perpetrators can shock any one to the limit as not to recover one’s senses. Korsa Santa was axed; her body and private parts mutilated by ‘Salwa Judum’ goons, CRPF, and state police forces. Pedda Korma met the same fate. None can forget the violence inflicted on women during riots. These are only few examples and a lot many remain unlisted.

How much insensitivity state machinery bear to women is ghastly! Their safety, security and dignity everything is at risk. As if earlier shocks were not enough that one more cruel treatment came in the form of rape and murder of Kausar Bi of Gujrat. Investigations are still pending.

This is not all. Verbal violence daily tolerated by college going girls is never noticed considered. Restriction of freedom in a male dominated society is never taken into account by anyone. Heart sinks into grief when instances of rapes of small girls come across. On one hand elimination of domestic violence acts are passed by the government to enable women to fight against injustice done to them and on the other hand the state itself is in the circle of question, doubt and incredibility, attacking the dignity of its women.

Who will restore the credibility of the state and who will restore the faith of millions of souls? How can one stay away from the bitter truth - the protectors-turned-violators. How will this state save its daughters from unhealthy trend or work-culture of its machinery? To whom is the state accountable for such acts? Who is going to sue the state and preserve justice? No one can. The state protects women only on papers by signing every international declaration regarding their rights and liberties, enacts bills regarding their safety. There is every proof of its failure to safeguard the women. It is a deplorable trend and should be put to an end. It is now or never.

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