It Consumes Human Spirit

Hassina Bano

What is rape? If we think well about rape, thousands of questions come to our mind and anyone can easily answer these questions, but it so earth to ask these questions to others, have we ever questioned ourselves. If every person will ask this question to himself and responds by itself, then this disgraceful event may not occur. But Alas! We just know to raise fingers on others, we have never seen peep inside ourselves.

If we talk about sexual assault, the sexual assault is in which a person consciously/ deliberately touches another person without his/her consent. Under sexual assault comes rape, molestation, eve teasing, child sexual abuse, domestic violence, marital rape, incest, sexual harassment, stalking, groping etc. Among all these crimes rape is the cruellest crime committed against women. Rape is a form of sexual assault but sexual assault is not a rape. According to section 375 of the Indian penal code, “rape is sexual intercourse with a woman against her will, without her consent by coercion, misrepresentation or fraud or at times she has been intoxicated or duped, or is of unsound mental health and in any case if she is under 16 years of age.”

Rape keeps the women’s spirit in rage. It eliminates prudency, honour and innocence of women. After that she starts living a deplorable life. She does not want to live even her desire to live ends. This is the most traumatic experience that impacts her physical as a well a psychological fame. It degrades her social status completely because of these stereotypes. We live in such a society, where we make victim feel ashamed rather than giving her comfort. We never let her to get out of this trauma, and she lives a painful and pathetic life full of depression and phobia. Every time she feels some fear around herself, she found herself obsessed with a kind of guilt and social stigma and finally she takes drastic step (suicidal action) and free herself from these so called hypothetical people. But is this the solution?

Hah! It is like “FARISHTAY KI SAZA, SHAITAAN KA MAZA”.

It is not necessary that a rapist will be a stranger; he can be anyone, your friend, relative, neighbour, co-worker, teacher or even a family member.

According to the National Crime Bureau (NCRB) 2013 annual records, 24,923 rape cases were reported across India in 2012, out of there, 24,420 were committed by someone known to the victim (98% of the cases).

The recent incidents of alleged father-daughter sexual harassment case which shook the whole valley with terrible fear. Everyone was in a state of deep shock, trembling with fear, not only our body jiggles but our souls also shuddered. We say that girl should not go out late; she should not go college or school lonely, what you will say here. This is not just a cruel rape this is the murder of trust which she had upon her father; this is the black stigma on this pious relationship. If the girl is not safe in her own home then where will she go? If she is not secure with her brother and father then from where she get that safety and security?

In schools this cruelty also occurs. This shameful act happens also in moving vehicles, in offices, in deserted places, in dates, in parties. These demons can do anything at anywhere to fulfil their salacity.

The most important and crucial query arises here is that what is the root cause of the evil? Why is this increasing in an alarming rate? First and the foremost cause of this malevolent act is the women safety. Women is not secure anywhere neither in their homes nor outward. When this shameful incident happens anywhere on roadside/street, in moving vehicles, or any desolated places, this clearly shows the ineffectiveness of the traffic system of our country and seriousness of administrators to act after its reported. The dearth of the police officials and predominantly lady police official is also the primary cause of this devilish act. In the opinion of Times of India, “there is only 1 officer for every 200 citizens.” This social slur also plays a vital role in stretching this evil. Sometimes victim’s family does not support the victim for reporting this, only of the fear of society. They make victim silent due to fear of infamy, and say if this thing spread then no one will marry her. Sometimes they force her to marry that culprit to protect their honour rather asking for punishments

The case goes so long in the courts of our country that the culprit gets another chance to do this brutishness again. He thinks he can do anything to anyone at anywhere freely. So the fast-track courts must be established to counter these acts. The rapist should be sentenced to death, so that anybody thinks thousand times before taking this shameful move. The laws dealing with sexual assault must be strapping.

The Kathua case which was closed by pathankote court in which some culprits got life imprisonment and some got other punishments send back a good message to rapists and hope the menace of sexual harassment will come to an end by this verdict.

To conclude this, I just say one thing, women are amazing daughters, sisters, mothers and wives. They are blessings from God. If there will be no woman than nothing good will happen. So respect their modesty, glitter their life with love, honour, happiness and care. Brighten their soul with high esteem, praise and give them high perch in every manner.

Author has done Masters in Philosophy and English and can be mailed at hassinaakhter041@gmail.com