“A touch that never leaves is the touch of faith. The flavour of truth in faith surpasses everything that’s lean and unwise.

Temper needs the arms of tranquillity to hold the soul together even when the heads that are synonymous with the morons knock the floor of one’s life. When our land has pestilence of the millionth order, truly and immensely fabrication of the conjectures should have been pronounced effectively by the “rulers” of this land. We people are the rulers and so ignorant of this fact.”

“I am a girl and I don’t find myself safe”

I don’t need to surf the internet or check the rape statistics, I know this as I am a girl. Four years in Haryana were not so suave and this was not unprecedented; I know this as I am a girl. No late hours and trips with boys, I was always told this. My life agrees with the confinements shot at me, I am aware… I am a girl.

College days, where I have recollections of friends, I find the notorious minds filching the room for iota of eve teasing and some serious knocks of tremors jolting me from within. I can never fail to recall the day when my friend was pushed on the Braham Sarovar lane where I had to grasp her hand tightly to keep her safe. When grumbled in front of the security guard who was standing just a few metres away, this was the reply, “ Yeh to Bandar hai inhe kaun rok sakta hai.” (these men are monkeys, nobody can stop them). He was not overweening and he said this with so much of innocence that we both left the place. He was an old man who was bestowed with the duty and responsibility of saving the girls from the strong and sturdy ‘gentlemen’ of University. This was just a pinch of the bitter taste of the problems faced by the girls but the greater problem is that our voice was not received by the appointed person for the job.

According to the global rape statistics; Lesotho (African Union) clenches the first place in the reported rape crimes. The United States of America is on the seventeenth position with reported 91,000 (approx.) crimes in 2011. What surprised me were the 32,000 cases reported in China for 2008 which were double of 2005 looking at their population. What amazed me all the more was that India was not in the top in that list (which of course is because of the unreported cases).

What lies in the head of the perpetrator is not difficult to understand but what happens with the victims is beyond the limitations of mind. Traditional society governs the thinking process which is same as in China where the lady is held responsible for the act of crime whether big or small.

 Indian lady is not safe; not safe in the arena of narrow mind; not safe in the arena of masculine strength; not safe in the arena of lengthy justice procedure. Well where I am not exactly safe, it’s in the amalgamated traditions which have no proof except the human blend of ideologies. With the same set of bones and muscles why isn’t she instilled with the same strength as that of men from childhood leaving aside the anatomical differences?

The rape incidence in Delhi is not just a part of the statistics but an embarrassment and probably the worst face of being human. Laws can create fear in the head of the perpetrator but only educated mind with healthy thoughts can safeguard the respect and identity of a woman. (Of Course we know the solutions, we’re just not working on them and let’s not quibble) Let not any girl say, “I don’t find myself safe here.”

“Sleepless eyes of a raped girl sneaks through the door

Silence oft so much poured

She bleeds from within

A desire for safe hands to cling”

Does hanging the culprits for an inhuman act with the girl is justified? This is a very justified interrogation to spurt in the head of an Indian when the perpetrator walks away giving indelible scars to the victim. Will the repercussions of the execution of this idea safeguard justice and victims in the right manner?

Before making hue and cry especially after the Delhi gang rape case, one needs to understand the nitty-gritties of our Law. Keeping the Capital punishment aside, even the small offences against women have not been realised. Section 155 (4) of Indian Evidence Act says,” When a man is prosecuted for rape or attempt to ravish, it may be shown that that the victim was of generally immoral character.” On the contrary the immoral character of the accused is not measured. Indian Evidence Act itself questions the Article 14 of the constitution ‘Right to Equality’. So, the rape is not defined for a prostitute. There are loopholes that need to be amended.

Laws can create anxiety in the head of the perpetrator but only educated mind with healthy thoughts can safeguard the respect and identity of a woman. Looking at the multitude of cases reported and the unknown number that’s unreported, amendments in the present laws is the need of the hour. As already mentioned about the bias towards the victim in Indian Evidence Act, the Laws have to be stricter and implementation better.

 If the turf witness’s innocent women, eyes also fall on the not so innocent ones and if there are men with odious mind set, one finds innocent men too. So a Law with a balanced framework where the victim is not tortured and scars not scratched for years is urgently in need. One proposal that is palatable is to increase the term of imprisonment and define minimum and maximum range of sentence in rape cases very clearly. Earlier the minimum sentence for the accused was not defined, then with the amendment this was made as seven years. The time teaches and replies to the errors. By the end of the day it’s about application whereas hanging of the culprits is like making them escape a bigger punishment.

Under the static voice of the victim

The sound is shrill and the scratches of the scuffle fill

A sound where she says

“I wish to teach him a lesson

Hanging him

Makes the price of the ‘Act’ dim and lesson”