Biplab Roy
Our heads are down; our eyes are with full of tears; our hearts are with full of sorrows – seeing the barbaric acts of some uncivilised persons at Ranaghat, West Bengal.
I feel ashamed of being a man and cannot keep my eyes on the mirror as my reflection on it is rebuking me although such� rebuke is intolerable affecting my manliness. It is very painful that the land of culture, sacrifice and freedom struggle has gradually turned into a land of atrocities on the women.
We are not accustomed to see Bengal as it is now. I have no word to condemn such a barbaric act and when I think about the trauma of 72 years old Nun lying in the bed of hospital my blood becomes like ice; my heart seems to come out from the chest and even for a second my breathing stops.
Voice of thousands people in protest of such act will not console her as she has seen the decay of the society nakedly to which she is attached.
She has sacrificed her youth, youthful dreams and personal comforts for the betterment of our society but a section of the society rewarded her such tear and trauma which will never erase from her eyes, mind and soul. Allow her at least couple of minutes in silence otherwise each drop of her tears will be curse to the earth.
No society is great if it does not pay respect to the women. God has created both man and woman and not the religion. It is the woman on whose lap a male shucks breast milk, puts his first step on the earth and grows up with her love and affection.
Woman as a mother is not only an affectionate shed to her children but she being part of one family comes to another family to beautify the later.
Any attempt to compare her sacrifice with her male counter part is a great stupidity. Today’s sister would be the wife of someone and mother of child in future.
Accordingly, every woman irrespective of her age should be looked with respect and dignity. During Durga Puja, we the Hindus worships KUMARI as Devi as a mark of respect.
Our forefathers have taught us that JANANI and JANMABHUMI are better than luxurious comfort of SWARGA.
Unfortunately, we are seldom respectful to the women who is mother of some of our brothers or would be mother of our future generation.
Many civilisation and mighty rulers hided in the page of the history because of atrocities on the women.
Article 51A of the Constitution prescribing fundamental duties of the citizens has worded to renounce practices derogatory to the women.
We have enacted series of laws for safeguarding dignity, right and entitlement of the women which seems to be of no use when incident like Ranaghat occurred.
This incident has reminded me another incident of Tista, Darjeeling where a 3 years old girl child was raped by 32 years old man.
There was no media publicity like Ranaghat incident. No political representative or Law Maker came forward and stood beside the said family.
Poor parents of the said girl moved pillar to post for her treatment. Only some NGOs stood beside the said family.
The said accused has been sentenced to suffer imprisonment for life but such punishment would not reduce the trauma of the said girl.
She would not forget the trauma so long she would be alive. Rape is the most heinous crime and no amount of punishment reduces the pain of the victim.
Rape is not only a stigma but it eats away morals of the victim and there by taking away smile from her lips. It reveals from the aforesaid two incidents that a woman whatever be the age is the thirst of a rapist who cuts the morality at the root.
Unfortunately, every offence in our society is looked from the political angle. It is the prime consideration behind any protest against an offence is how much mileage and benefit would come to the bag of the political party.
Some times it depends on the present political scenario of the particular area. Immediately after getting the political mileage hardly any person looks back to the victim.
There are lots of instances in this regard even in West Bengal. After Delhi incident, law relating to rape and atrocities on the women have been drastically changed.
No doubt it is good for the society. It was not the first incident of rape in Delhi after independence. Thousands of rape incidents took place before the Delhi incident and most of the times police non-action was noticed.�
A woman is raped every hour in our country but we have failed to stop the heinous crime. Many incidents even do reach to the police station.
The Supreme Court in Shakhi vs. Union of India felt necessity of amending law relating to rape much before the Delhi incident but there was no move on the part of the Law Makers in the Parliament in this regard.
Question comes whether the Law Makers and the Law Executing agency will wait for a movement to control the crime or to enact the law?
It is very unfortunate that this thing is happening every time. The accused persons in Ranaghat incident have not been arrested for last five days.
It is no doubt failure of the State police. Although CBI has been criticised by the Chief Executive of the State in various matters but looking to worldwide protest the CBI has now been entrusted to investigate the matter.
It is also a political move on the part of the State Government to shift the burden on the CBI before civic election of the State.
It is seen in the newspaper that all rape victims will get free medical treatment from the Government. I feel sad to see the same.
It is the duty of the Government to protect life and liberty of every citizen, failing which Government is to compensate the victim in all respect.
Providing medical aid to the rape victim by introducing notification seems to be showing of mercy to the rape victims which is not desirable.
It is the primary duty of the Government to provide medical aid free of cost to the rape victims and along with rehabilitation programme if the Government fails to protect life and liberty of the women.
Focus should be to make the society crime free where women may live with dignity and honour rather than legislating laws after laws without infrastructure of its implementation.
Let us resolve� that� there will be no rape and no more tear of the women in our country. Are we ready to resolve this?