Calling India the rape capital of world is perverse

It was so much appreciated that the sane voices of human rights and women’s rights activists were silenced. Arnab Gowsamy, the self-styled ‘voice of the nation’ brazenly broadcast: “I don’t care for the due process of law.” “I do not care for journalistic ethics.” “They deserve to be killed.” “I am happy that they were killed.” He calls the rights activists crime pseudos’ and adds “liberals let them go to hell, right activists should shut up, the liberals should shut up and continue to shut up.” This, according to him and his likes, is because women live in a country without a perimeter of safety for even kids.

Fortunately, the National Human Rights Commission, the Telengana High Court and now the Supreme Court have not thought it right to let police take law into their hands and execute those in their custody. Even a child can understand that the so-called encounter was stage-managed, to appease the public outcry for instant justice that too in the background of the failure of the Hyderabad police to even register the complaint on time and initiate an inquiry. A crime which could have been averted has led to annihilation of four lives and has also put an end to the process of finding out the whole truth. How are we sure that these four men were the real accused and whether there were no other persons with powerful/wealthy background involved in the crime of rape and murder?

The Chief Justice of India had rightly put it that “Justice must never ever take the form of revenge and justice loses its character if it becomes revenge.” Today (12.12.2019), the Supreme Court has set up a 3-member inquiry commission to probe the case of encounter killing. Retired Supreme Court Judge V.S.Sirpurkar.J will head the Commission. Former Bombay High Court Judge Rekha Baldota.J and former CBI Chief B.Kartikeyan are two other members. Six months’ time is granted to complete investigation. The Supreme Court has added that no other court or authority should investigate this case until further orders.

Hope that this Commission ensures that the truth prevails. The majesty of law which has been eroded in the eyes of the public and its leaders is re-established by bringing to book those responsible for usurping the power of the judiciary to kill four lives at the stage of investigation. It is high time there was a serious discourse into effective, speedy and fair dispensation of justice which will silence the likes of Arnab Goswami / Jaya Bachchan and countless others justifying murders / lynching in the name of instant justice.

Safety for all persons is a must in any country. Rampant reporting of crimes against women and children have made us feel unsafe. Yet calling India as the rape capital of the world is perverse. It is important that we instil confidence in the minds of people that we are not that unsafe a country. The police have to be empowered joining hands with the civil society to act as protectors of the vulnerable at all times. Prevention should also be our priority. To justify defiance or transgression of legal processes because of delay will only breed violence, anarchy and lawlessness. A peaceful democratic country should abide by its constitution for promoting a safe atmosphere wherein women and children can go out alone even at late nights safely to make the dream of MahatmaGandhi a reality.