Prof. S.K.Bhalla
The angst prevailing across India in the backdrop of rape and murder of a young doctor in Kolkatta is a matter of National catharsis. There have been a few more cases in which the conscience of the nation has taken a jolt for the worst.
At Badlapur school in Maharashtra two toddler students had to face the toxicity of male perversity. The angry crowd has registered its protest against the prevailing system that reeks of mal governance, apathy, indifference and systemic failure. These are gut wrenching details that compel the vigilant citizens to agitate with all the force at their command. Anyhow, this is expected of more from our intelligentsia, judiciary and youth on whom we pin hopes for a responsible setup in all domains of public life. It is disheartening to write that such incidents have taken a different turn at different points of time whereas the propriety demands uniform condemnation of all such incidents irrespective of region, religion, caste and creed.
Hope, we have not forgotten the indifference meted out to a brave heart Bilkis Bano of Gujarat who had to fight single handedly against the sexual perverts who were greeted and garlanded. Thanks to the belated intervention of the Top Court that the predators were consigned to the deserved dens in the jail. What happened to the corpse of a Dalit rape victim of Hathras is a sad commentary on the administrative fiasco coupled with irresponsible citizenry who chose to respond against such an incident as per their preferences and DNA?
I have, yet not forgotten the outrageous treatment doled out to a minor rape victim of Kathua that had created nationwide ruckus. History was created when an identified chunk of society in J&K was staging loud mouth protests merely to save the rapists. Perhaps, this was for the first time in the country that a select lot was fretting and fuming in favor of rapists. The silence of self styled civil society of Jammu against devilish Swarna who was slapped PSA for forcing a minor girl into prostitution speaks loudly about the selective resentment. Where were our women and child right activists who preferred hibernation in case of Swarna? Why not introspect?
It is a sorry state of affairs that whenever the general public comes out in unison against the rape incidents in the country, some psychopaths claiming to be social as well as child activists hijack the issue for their personal laddering in the corridors of power with their extraneous considerations. This results in playing with the sentiments of genuine protestors as well as making a travesty of the incalculable pangs of the rape victims and their kith and kin. Shame on such black sheep who make fortunes out of the corpses of rape victims. Why not identify these vultures for naming and shaming in public?
Our souls are frozen, lips sealed, eyes numb, ears deaf, minds diseased and consciences compromised. As humans we rarely choose to respond in selflessness. My anguish is specifically for stage managed protests that need to be aggressively condemned for expressing our support and sympathies for rape victims.