Can this death lead to a birth of a new attitude?

There are times when society discovers new meanings in existing idioms.  The death of the girl who was violated brutally by misguided youths is one such moment, which has now become an idiom. An idiom on that will change a few things for ever. I am convinced that it will be very difficult for ruling class to dismiss these things and give tickets to such candidates having such offenses against them next time. The fact that incidence of rape have continued in all parts of India despite this incident shows that nothing has changed yet.  But the alacrity with which senior police officers are taking corrective action is an improvement which is noticeable. I only hope that they will continue to defy political pressure ( to either not arrest or release the culprits, or dilute the FIR)  and not delay filing of FIRs, or delay investigations, or harass the women who complain.

But  the respect for women in the family or the attitude of men in the homes or in the street must also change. Eve teasing must become a serious offense.   The attitude of police will of course take time to change but if we don’t try now, then this may never change.  Given the low conviction rates in such cases, harsher punishments may go some distance in creating deterrence but the real answer lies in a fundamental shift in social attitude. And not just plead for capital punishment. I am not convinced that single aim of the social protest, worthy and legitimate as it is, should be death penalty.

The stigma which prevents large number of women and children to come out and complain about abuse ( in house or in work place or educational institutions) is the greatest fear that the men who assault the dignity of women use to silence the voice.  Unless we, as a society, reflect and change this extremely unfortunate and unacceptable attitude, large scale involuntary silence will continue to give legitimacy to the irresponsible men.

We must begin with series of steps to ensure safety of women.  I don’t want to repeat the case for police reforms, fast track cases or other such expedient measures.

My concerns is that we should start a discussion at dinner table or a kitchen floor in every house about the tolerance we have for assertion of male power in silencing the voice of affected children, women and others affected people. It is a struggle for social justice. The fact that women suffer even in poor families makes this case of injustice more complex. It cannot be seen only in class terms. Majority of Women who suffer in farms and firms may be from poor backgrounds, but not always.

We also need to look at the educational system and see if the debate on the subject can become a regular issues on which consciousness need to be raised. How many institutions have regular sensitization sessions on gender imbalance and safety? We will also have to reopen certain cases, if for no other reason than just to create examples. Ruhchika’s case and nathihari killing are just two cases, there are many more such cases.Priyadarshini Mattoo would never have got justice had popular pressure not been intense. Will there be regular reporting of such cases and action taken to public?  Will national database of offenders come into existence in a month’s time? Will any young person convicted of eve teasing and other such offenses be made accounjtable in labour market? We must however, also take care that this process is not misused by vested interests. We know that in dowry cases, large number of women and their families did foist false cases and thus harass the  other side. But notwithstanding a few cases of miscarriage of justice, I will still suggest that vigilance not be lax, women are taught the essentials of law and health steps that need to be taken to safeguard themselves, and rest of the society decides how long it will take to change its basic attitude towards women and weaker sections of society.