Aftermath of Rape – An Indian Perspective

Well, I am back again to write and my intention is to manifest the much hyped topic, oppression against women. I am not a neophyte here. Many eminent authors have devoted their precious time and thousands of pages to highlight it. Many full length works by various feministic critics, social workers, prominent leaders are also easily available. I am just a small fish among these giant fishes. But why can’t I share my thoughts, my anger, and my sorrows to all across the world? So I decided to write.

There are many questions which are eating my heart out. Why since time immemorial women are always looked down by men? Why are they always taken as befuddled creatures? Why it is expected of a woman to keep intact her virginity before her marriage while a man can be a philanderer? And the biggest of all, what should a woman do when she is deflowered by a man? Would she forgive him or punish the demon? All these bunch of questions stand together in one way of life or the other and irk me. And to find the answers of these questions, I need your participation. Let’s try to search it together.

In recent past, the rate of crime in every city has hiked up to a great extent. The safety of mankind is almost extinct in these ‘forests of nights’. But the most castigated and unsecured in the society is the women. It is no more a rare news that a woman has been kidnapped and deflowered by hooligans. But very few of the cases are reported and flashed into print or electronic media. Most of the incidents get lost into the darkness. The girls who are the victims of such crimes, being afraid of any further harm, do not come forward to punish the demons. And those who come forward to protest against this heinous act met with further danger. The social stigma attached with the virginity of a woman, prohibits the victims family to take any strict step against the criminal. Even when complaint is lodged to the police, the convicts come out unharmed by dint of their power and political grip. But some criminals have chosen a path by which they can evade being punished. In many cases, they propose to marry the victims, so that they can get a clean chit. Many families whose reputation is at stake compel their daughters to accept the proposal. But has anybody pondered about it that how degrading it in accepting such proposal. The most precious thing in a woman’s life is her self respect and virginity. A man who snatches forcefully that precious thing from her is unpardonable. But still girls pardon them and give their consent in marrying them for the sake of their family reputation and themselves. They embrace this hellish and degraded life only to escape from social stigma attached with it. But how far the society will continue to compel the castigated woman to accept a death like life from where there is no respite. It is not only tough but also impossible to live forever with a man who dashed all her hopes. The gory heads of the society leave no way out for the women who have been victimized other than to accept the insult with a stoical resignation. But still there are a few girls, though handful, who showed their courage and stood against the social stigma. They chose to fight for their self respect rather than embracing the disgraceful life.

Time is changing. People are shedding their aged-old notions about such issues. The victims are getting much support, instead of teases. But still there are some dirt left out. A spark is needed to burn the ‘unextinguished hearth’, to clean the dirt minds, to shake the aged-old perception and to bring about a revolution. Let us stand together and support the victims of such inhuman act. Let us make the world free.